2006

International
Sucker Rod
Pumping
Workshop

Gas Interference Effects

Lynn Rowlan
Causes of Incomplete Pump Fillage
‹ Both gas and liquid are present at
the pump intake: gas interference.

‹ Not enough liquid to fill the pump

barrel: pump flow rate greater than
well production, well pumped off.

‹ Flow restriction at the pump intake:

flow through SV less than plunger
displacement.
Dynamometer Cards Definition
1) Surface dynamometer
card is the plot of the
measured rod loads at
the various positions
throughout a complete
Surface Card stroke; the load is usually
displayed in pounds of
force and the position is
usually displayed in
inches.

2) Pump dynamometer card

is a plot of the calculated
loads at various positions
of pump stroke and
Pump Card represents the fluid load
the pump applies to the
bottom of the rod string.
 Fluid Pounds Fluid Pound &
Gas Pounds A gas
pound (Lower Left)
does not move
97 progressively to the
left. It moves back
and forth and jumps
1 around on the trace
as more or less gas
enters the pump and
changes where the
Gas Pounds valves close and open
during the
downstroke portion of
the pumping cycle.

2 11 3 4 1
Fluid Load, Fo
Fo,, Has Two Reference Lines
Fo - Fluid Load is the load
that the Pump
applies to the rod
string.

Fo = FoUp - FoDn
Upstroke: FoUp = (Pdis - Pintk) * Ap
Downstroke: FoDn = 0
Fo Max
7.50

6.25 Two reference lines

5.00
1. FoMax = Pdis * Ap
3.75
FoMax is the maximum load that the
2.50 FoUp pump would apply to the rod string
1.25 assuming pump intake pressure is zero.
Fo FoDn The well would provides no help in
0
lifting the fluid to the surface.
-1.25
0 166.3
2. Zero Load Line
To Open TV
Increase PIP to PDP
 Fo - Differential Load Required to Open TV

TV

SV

FoUp
Fo (Valve Test) = (TV – SV)

FoDn

Fo (Pump Card ) = (FoUp – FoDn)

PIP = Tubing Pressure + Tubing Gradient * Pump Depth (TVD) – Fo /Plunger Area
PDP = Tubing Pressure + Tubing Gradient * Pump Depth (TVD)
Sucker Rod Pump Valve Diagram
1) Main valve components
in the pump are the
standing and the
traveling valve.

2) Standing valve, intake

valve, fixed to tubing
considered to be
stationary, and acts as a
check valve to keep well
fluid in the tubing on the
downstroke.

3) Traveling valve,
discharge valve, moves
with the rod string. Acts
as a check valve to keep
well fluid in the tubing on
the upstroke
A) Start of the upstroke, the traveling valve
and standing valve are both closed.
Steps in the
Pump
B) Standing Valve opens, when
rods stretch to pick up fluid Operation
load, Fo, from tubing.

B-C) Fluid load, Fo, is carried by B

the rods as well fluids are C
drawn into the pump.

C) Standing valve closes, and

the traveling valve remains
closed. C-D pressure inside A D
the pump increases until it is
slightly greater than the
pump discharge pressure. D - A, the fluid in the
pump is displaced
D) Pump discharge pressure (Pd) equals the static through the traveling
valve into the tubing
tubing pressure (Pt), and the traveling valve
and ZERO fluid load
opens. Fluid load, Fo, is carried by tubing. is on rods.
 Synthetic Pump Cards:
Gas Interference
Tubing anchored, EPT<MPT. Unanchored tubing, EPT<MPT

Gas Interference is causing decrease of EPT. Pump

components functioning properly. Usually unstable pump
fillage and EPT changes from stroke-to-stroke. When gas
interference is present expect increased rod-on-tubing wear
due to rod buckling compressing gas in pump barrel.
Gas Interference:
Incomplete Pump Fillage and High Fluid Level

Fo Well

Fo Rods
 Gas
Interference

Traveling valve
opens when
pressure in
The dynamometer card indicates
gas in the pump. Gas compression
barrel exceeds
occurs during the downstroke from
C to D and causes the traveling
the pressure at
valve to opened at D.
the pump
discharge at the
bottom of the
tubing.
Effect of PIP on
Gas Interference and Fluid Pound

Gas

Liquid
Effect of PIP on Pump Card

Gas

Liquid
 Synthetic Pump Cards:
Gas Locked Pump
Gas Locked Pump...Both valves
remain closed because the static
Tubing anchored or unanchored
tubing pressure, (Pt), is greater
the pump discharge pressure,
(Pbarrel), which is also greater
than the pump intake pressure,
Pint. The compression ratio of
the sucker rod pump is too
small, with the result that neither
valve opens until the clearance Pt > Pbarrel > Pint
space between valves fills by
leakage of fluids past the
Pt > Pbarrel at bottom of stroke
plunger, or the fluid level is
allowed to rise so that a smaller
Pbarrel > Pint at top of stroke
compression ratio is required to
force gas from the pump into the
tubing. The pressure relations
are:
Gas interference ?
High Pressure - Almost Gas Locked
 Low Pressure Gas Lock
5.00
Gas Lock
Wrf + Fo Max
1) Surface dynamometer card
located near the calculated
4.50
traveling valve load test line.
4.00 2) Both the standing and
traveling valves remain
Kt
3.50 closed
3) Gas lock condition caused
3.00 by having too low a
compression ratio in the
2.50 Wrf pump when producing both
Fo Max
gas and liquid.
2.00 4) Waste space in the pump,
too short a valve rod or pull
1.50 tube, or a the rod string not
being spaced out properly
1.00 when the pump is seated
usually causes the low
0.50
compression problems.
5) Liquid Slippage into Pump
0
0 36.1 42.0 Prevents Gas Lock
Fluid Slippage
 Synthetic Pump Cards:
Fluid Pound
Tubing anchored, EPT<MPT. Unanchored tubing, EPT<MPT

Severe fluid pound, well is being pumped off. Pump

components functioning properly. BUT, sudden unloading of
rods results is reduced equipment life! Shoot fluid level to
verify pump intake not blocked and fluid level at pump intake.
Fo Rods
Same Well with Full Pump
Pump Capacity Exceeds
Inflow of Fluids from Well.

Full

Controlling Pump Run time

Improves Efficiency by
Pound Matching Pump Displacement
To Inflow of Fluids from Well.
Fluid Level @ Pump - Fluid Pound?
Timer or Pump Off Controller Candidate

Fluid
Pound
Rods Buckle (Train
Train Wreck
Wreck Effect
Effect )
Pump Load & Velocity

Plunger Slows
Plunger Slows to Open TV
to Open TV

Fluid Pound
Rods Buckle (Train
Train Wreck
Wreck Effect
Effect )
Pump Load & Velocity

Plunger Slows
to Open TV

Gas
Interference
Predicted
Predicted Surface
Surface Dynamometer
Dynamometer Card
Card
Intake
Intake Pressure:
Pressure: 80
80 psig
psig Pump
Pump Fillage:
Fillage: 50%
50% SPM:
SPM: 88
Polished Rod

Effective Pump Load

Load (1000 lbf) Perm. Load - In Balance
32
SV/TV Open

28

24

20

CBE
16

12

Top of Fluid in Pump

8
SV
4
Liquid
0
TV

-4
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
Position from Bottom of Stroke (in)
CASE12.ACP: 8.00 SPM, 144.000 in Stroke, Production = 159.1 bbl/d
 Gas Interference
‹ Gas in Pump is the Most Common
‹Gas
Operational Problem
‹ Results in Lost Pump
‹Results
Displacement
‹ Pump and Rod Weight must
‹Pump
Compress Gas Inside Pump Barrel
on Down Stroke
‹ SR Pump is Inefficient Compressor
‹SR
‹ Increased Rod and Tubing Failures
‹Increased
Questions ?