          |
|
|
Technical Papers
Follow the 'more information' links for each paper's full citation and abstract. 
Download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software to view these papers.
Total Well Management II
A Methodology for Maximizing Oil Production and Minimizing Operating Costs.
Oilfield operators continually need to verify that their wells are being produced at the optimum capacity and in a cost effective manner. An integrated analysis of the pumping system is required to reduce operating costs, increase oil production and increase net income. The integrated analysis of the pumping system must include the performance and interaction of all the elements: the prime mover, surface equipment, well bore equipment, down hole pump, down hole gas separator and the reservoir. This integrated analysis methodology is called Total Well Management, TWM. The TWM analysis is made based on data obtained at the surface without entering the well bore and yields an accurate representation of the conditions that exist on the surface, within the well bore and within the reservoir. TWM examples of rod pumped wells, ESP pumped wells, PC pumped wells and other well analyses are presented.
* The examples shown in this paper are acquired and analyzed using the TWM Windows software. Any Well Analyzer using the DOS software can be update to TWM Windows if desired.
Download (PDF: 652 KB / 14 pages)
more information Total Well Management
A Methodology for Maximizing Oil Production and Minimizing Operating Costs.
A procedure is described that allows an operator to identify those beam pumped wells which are capable of producing more oil and are operating at reduced efficiency. The logical sequence of steps to be followed in acquiring performance data such as fluid level, pressure, dynamometer, power, etc. and the criteria to be used in determining the causes of inefficiency are presented with the objective of maximizing oil production and minimizing operating expense.
*The examples shown are acquired and analyzed using DOS software. Any Well Analyzer using DOS software can be update to Windows if desired.
more information Pressure Transient Digital Data Acquisition and Analysis from Acoustic Echometric Surveys in Pumping Wells
This paper describes the design and application of a fully digital system for automatic calculation of bottomhole pressure from echometric surveys of the annular fluid level. This portable system integrates specially designed high resolution A/D conversion and conditioning with advanced signal processing and digital filtering techniques. This results in accurate determination of the depth to the fluid level and bottomhole pressures, even in wells with gaseous liquid columns.
more information A Polished Rod Transducer for Quick and Easy Dynagraphs
A new polished rod transducer (PRT) for the quick and easy capture of dynagraph data has been developed. The purpose of this development was to provide the analyst with a transducer that could be quickly and safely installed by one technician for the acquisition of dynagraph data. The device is a polished rod clamp-on unit which collects both the position and load information necessary for a dynagraph. The device uses sensitive strain gauges to obtain the load information and an accelerometer for obtaining the position information. Tests have shown that the device will provide data suitable for the analysis of most pumping problems.
more information Motor Power/Current Measurement for Improving Rod Pump Efficiencies
The development of accurate digital measurement of instantaneous power during a pump stroke has made possible a very quick and detailed analysis of the efficiency of the pumping system. The efficiency is then used as the benchmark for determining whether a complete well performance analysis is warranted from the standpoint of making best use of personnel and economic resources to increase oil production.
Torque analysis and proper balancing of the pumping unit are competed from the power measurement.
This paper presents a series of case studies showing the application of power measurement to a variety of pumping systems and components, including conventional, Mark II, Rotaflex units and high efficiency motors.
more information Improved Analysis of Acoustic Liquid Level Depth Measurements Using a Dual Channel Analog/Digital Strip Chart Recorder
A new acoustic instrument has been developed for measuring the distance to the liquid level in the casing annulus of a well. The instrument features modern analog/digital technology to acquire and record acoustic reflections on a strip chart. The dual channel instrument accents the liquid level on a low frequency channel. Collars are accented and recorded on a second channel. The amplifier is automatically set to an optimum gain for best results.
This new system improves the ability of the operator to determine an accurate liquid level depth and analyze the liquid level depth with casing pressure data to obtain the bottomhole pressure and perform a better well performance analysis.
more information Acoustic Determination of Producing Bottomhole Pressure
This paper discusses the acoustic determination of producing bottomhole pressure (BHP). Two different techniques are presented for wells that have liquid above the formation and gas flowing upward through the gaseous liquid column.
One technique involves the acoustic measurement of the liquid level and the casing-pressure buildup rate when the casinghead valve is closed. When these data are used along with an empirically derived correlation given here, the gradient of the gaseous liquid column in the annulus can be obtained. This technique offers a reasonably accurate procedure for determining the producing BHP of a well by acoustic means.
The second method involves two acoustic measurements. A backpressure valve is used in the casing head to depress and to stabilize the liquid level at two positions while the well is produced at a constant rate. The gradient of the gaseous liquid column is then calculated and extrapolated to the formation depth.
This paper discusses results from the field testing of numerous wells where the actual gradients of gaseous liquid columns were measured in a variety of casing/tubing sizes, oil gravities, gas flow rates, and pressures.
more information Acoustic Determination of Bottomhole Pressure in Gas Lift Wells
Information about producing and static bottom-hole pressures in gas lift wells is useful in designing and operating gas lift installations and measuring over all efficiency.
The static bottomhole pressure can be accurately measured in the normal gas lift well using an acoustic liquid level instrument.
more information Acoustic Static Bottomhole Pressure
Acoustic instruments have been used routinely for many years as an aid in analyzing well performance. Recent developments in equipment and techniques now permit more-accurate calculations of acoustic static bottomhole pressures at surface pressures up to 15,000 PSI in corrosive (CO2 and H2S) environments. Equations and charts are presented herein for determining static bottomhole pressures from acoustic and well data. Also, a special technique is recommended for shutting-in a well, which in most cases will yield more-accurate results. This method has been programmed for notebook computers, which can be used in the field to easily perform these calculations.
more information Determining How Different Plunger Manufacture Features Affect Plunger Fall Velocity
Tracking the fall of the plunger down the tubing can be used to optimize the operation of plunger lifted wells. Acoustic fluid level instruments can be used on plunger lifted wells to acquire a series of plunger/fluid level soundings and/or to record the acoustic signal produced as the plunger falls down the tubing. Five different data acquisition and analysis methods can be used to monitor the position of the plunger, as the plunger falls down the tubing during the controller’s shut-in time period. The acquired data is used to determine the 1) fall velocity of the plunger 2) depth to the plunger and 3) time for the plunger to fall to fluid. Results acquired from field case studies from 15 sessions at various wells are used to correlate the various construction features of different types of plungers with their fall velocity.
more information Improved Downhole Gas Separators
The use of inefficient gas separators result in lower oil production rates, gas pounding, poor P-O-C performance, low electrical system efficiency, and increased rod failures and remedial work.
Inefficient gas separators can be identified by obtaining an acoustic liquid level test which indicates a high gaseous liquid column above the pump and the analysis of dynamometer data which indicates incomplete pump fillage.
This paper described improved downhole gas separators that will result in better pump fillage, additional oil production, less rod failure, and more efficient overall operation.
more information Acoustic Foam Depression Tests
A knowledge of the producing bottomhole pressure is desired in most artificial lift wells to determine if the well is being produced efficiently. An acoustic liquid level test and casing pressure measurement permits calculation of the PBHP. If the well contains liquid above the formation and the well produces gas from the casing annulus, the liquid column is aerated with gas bubbles. These bubbles are continuously moving upward through the gaseous liquid column. The gas is vented at the surface. A technique for determining the gradient of the gaseous liquid column is described.
more information Acoustic Velocity of Natural Gas
Acoustic velocity data for natural gas is useful for determining liquid levels in oil or gas wells and locating obstructions in gas lines.
more information Timer Control Of Beam Pump Run Time Reduces Operating Expense
This paper discusses various methods of controlling the operating time of electrically driven beam-pumped systems where the pump capacity exceeds the liquid producing capacity of the well. Two types of devices are commonly used to control pumping unit run time. An electrical manually-set on/off timer can be used to control when the pumping unit motor operates. Or, an automatic pump-off-control (P-O-C) device can monitor a parameter that relates to pump fillage and shut down the pumping unit motor when partial pump fillage or liquid no-flow is detected.
more information QRod™, a Practical Beam Pumping Design Program
The QRod paper describes a user-friendly software program used for the design and predicted performance of Sucker Rod Beam Pumping Installations. QRod’s objective is to help the designer implement state of the art beam pumping design technology without getting buried with details. The program uses a rapid solution method to the damped wave equation to predict the surface dynamometer loads and polished rod position; the effect of changing a parameter such as tubing anchor, stroke length, stroke rate, and pump diameter can be immediately evaluated. The output of the program includes pump size, rod string, surface unit size, and motor size for an input depth and production rate. The size of the pumping unit required is determined from correlations for the motion of conventional, Mark, Reverse Mark or air balanced units. Tapered rod strings (API taper) and Fiberglass/Steel combination strings are allowed. The QRod software can be downloaded free of charge from the Echometer Software web page
more information Analyzing Well Performance 98
The AWP98 paper presents the concepts of well performance analysis and recommends a procedure to be followed in obtaining, organizing and analyzing the acoustic data obtained at the surface without entering the wellbore. This paper addresses the widespread need of oil field operators to continually verify that wells are being produced as close to their optimum capacity as possible, and in the most cost-effective manner. The well performance analysis is assisted by a user friendly software program: AWP2000. The AWP2000 software can be downloaded free of charge from the Echometer Software web page.
more information Analyzing Well Performance XV
The Analyzing Well Performance XV paper describes the methods used to calculate key operational parameters by hand. These calculated parameters are used to "Analyze Well Performance." Analyzing well performance is an important step toward increasing profits by improving production techniques. The analysis is made by acoustic field tests and examination of well data. The acoustic liquid level instrument permits determination of the producing and static bottomhole pressures and hence the producing rate efficiency of the well. Improvements in the acoustic determination of bottomhole pressures for practical needs have occurred in recent years and are presented in the paper.
A user friendly software program: AWP2000 is available for computer calculation of bottomhole pressures. Input information includes well data, fluid data and acoustic data. The computer calculates the gas gravity, gas column pressure, corrected oil gradient and corrected water gradient and the resulting Producing Bottom Hole Pressure, PBHP and Static Bottom Hole Pressure, SBHP. The AWP2000 software can be downloaded free of charge from the Echometer Software web page.
more information Rotaflex Efficiency and Balancing
The "ROTAFLEX EFFICIENCY AND BALANCING" paper presents an example of determining the electrical efficiency and balancing the torque on the upstroke and downstroke of a RotaFlex pumping unit. The RotaFlex pumping unit has a unique geometry that results in a constant torque arm (or torque factor) on most of the upstroke and downstroke. During one complete stroke the constant torque geometry promotes high electrical efficiencies and minimizes electrical generation. Balancing can be performed using electrical power measurements, and the amount of counterweight that must be added or removed from the counterweight box can be calculated directly by software using the power measurements. Power balancing does not require knowledge of the weight of the counterweight box and the auxiliary weights as is required with conventional mechanical balancing.
more information Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.