ROD PUMPING DEVIATED WELLS

Jun Xu, Ken Nolen, Dennis Shipp, Andy Cordova, Sam Gibbs
Lufkin Automation
April 20, 2005
 CONTENTS
Deviated Well Model
What Is the Key Factors in Deviated Well
Design?
1. rod buckling
2. rod guide and sinker bar
3. side/drag load
4. dog leg severity

How to Design a Deviated Well?

1. Case 1 Rod Pumping Design in a Deviated Well
2. Case 2 Optimized Wellbore Path
 Deviated Well Model
Generalized 3-D Wave
Equation Model (by S. Gibbs,
in 1992)
vertical and deviated wells
consideration of 3-D wellbore
path
consideration of side load/drag
load and viscous friction
rod guide design
optimized well bore path design

SROD and DIAG

 x(north)
F
F ds
s
y(east)
r(s)

ds
qn
mg
Ff

t1
F
z (down)
SCHEMATIC OF ROD ELEMENT FORCES ON ROD ELEMENT
IN DEVIATED WELL
SROD Mathematical Modeling Foundation
 Key Factors in Deviated Well Design

1. side/drag loads
2. dog leg severity
3. rod buckling
4. rod guide and sinker bar
5. well bore path
6. rod pumping feasibility
7. overloaded rod, gear box or motor
8. design and optimization with whole system
 Drag Friction (F), Side Load (Q)
bare rod friction coefficient =0.2 ratio of guide friction to bare rod friction =1.5

Tubing Tubing Tubing

Q =18 lbs/rod Q = 19 lbs/rod Q = 19 lbs/rod

F= 0.2X18 = 3.6 lbs/rod F = 0.2X1.5X19 = 5.7 lbs/rod F =0.2X1.5X19 = 5.7
 Dogleg Severity
Dogleg severity, /100 ft, curvature of wellbore
Dogleg severity is not directly used in calculation

A
 Control Drag Loads

1. smaller pump size

2. pump depth
3. using rod guides
4. design sinker bar
5. tubing rotation
6. optimized wellbore design
 Rod Buckling
Harmful consequences Rod Buckling

tubing wear/leaks Upstroke Downstroke

Casing
rod parts
Tubing
Root causes
Rod String
1. downhole friction
2. faster pumping
3. pump-off condition
Fluid Level

4. under-balanced units
5. unit geometry selections
Pump

6. any combinations
 Buckling Tendency
What is buckling tendency?
buoyancy buckling
true load buckling tendency
buckling tendency

Buckling criteria:
buckling tendency Pcr
Euler Loads and Measured Buckling Loads
From Scott W. Long, SPE 35214

Rod and Euler Load (lbs) Measured

Sinker bar Buckling
Diameter (25 ft rod) Loads
Fixed Hinged
41 10 N/A
5/8 100 25 N/A
208 52 23
7/8 385 96 162

1.0 657 164 N/A

1-3/8 2348 587 641
1-1/2 3325 831 N/A
1-5/8 4579 1145 N/A
1-3/4 6160 1540 N/A
 How to Control Rod Buckling ?
Some most practical and effective ways
1. good pump fillage
2. smaller pump
3. slower speed
4. add sinker bar
5. rod guide design
6. selecting proper pumping unit and balance the unit
7. optimized wellbore design
 Wellbore Deviation Data

Input well deviation survey

inclination
azimuth
SRPD designed wellbore
true vertical depth
horizontal departure
kick-off depth
build rate (/100 ft)
drop rate(/100 ft)
well bore type
Example 1 of Deviated Well Design
 System Performance for Existing Design
pump depth : 11076
pump diameter : 1 1/2
stroke length : 216 103%
speed : 5.48 spm
rod : 3080 (1) (M)
2980 (7/8) (M)
4410 (3/4) (M)
600 (7/8) (M)

115%

92% 112% 196

bpd
System Performance for Improved Design
pump depth : 11076
pump diameter : 1.25
stroke length : 216 92%
speed : 6.83 spm
rod : 3080 (1) (W)
2980 (7/8) (M)
4410 (3/4) (M)
600 (7/6) (M)

98%

83% 78% 219

bpd
 Rod Buckling

6.8 SPM 6.8 SPM 6.8 SPM

Full Pump-off Pump-off

Pump (80%) (80%)
Example 2 of Deviated Well Design
 Problems for Existing Well

pump depth : 6300

tubing pump : 2 1/4
tubing size 2 -7/8 (below KOP) 85%
stroke length : 192
speed : 9.1 spm
86 rod design : 2310 (1)
2400 (7/8)
1590 (3/4) (16 M.G.)

100%

92% 114% 822

bpd
 Proposed Modifications

pump depth : 6300

insert pump : 2 1/4
tubing size : 3 -1/2 (anchored 5000) 91%
stroke length : 168
rod : 1800 (1 -1/8 N-97)
2800 (1 N-97)
400 (1-5/8 grade C)
1300 (7/8) (N-97)

80%

74% 86% 808

bpd
Rod Buckling and Drag Load
 Optimized Wellbore Design

Buildup-hold (KOP=5100) Buildup-hold (KOP=2000) Buildup-hold-drop (KOP=2000)

 Optimized Wellbore Design
Existing Wellbore SROD Optimized Wellbore Path
existing modified buildup-hold- buildup-hold buildup-hold
drop (2000 KOP) (2000 KOP) (5100 KOP)

power cost ($/m) 5447 4341 4963 4230 3901

production (bpd) 822 808 650 780 805

buckling tendency 1184 496 960 672 417

drag load 191 165 74 40 56

molded guides 16 12 3 3 4

motor loading 92 74 91 73 68

struct loading 85 91 95 84 81

reducer loading 114 86 124 94 81

rod loading 100 80 87 75 70

pump depth 6300 6300 7200 6600 6200

Optimized Wellbore Design
 CONCLUSIONS
An accurate and comprehensive predictive program is
the only one tool for deviated well design and
simulation.
Several options can be chosen to control rod buckling,
that is, good pump fillage, smaller pump, slower speed,
sinker bar, rod guides, and proper pumping unit.
Smaller bore pump can be effective used to reduce
side/drag load.
Optimal wellbore paths exists that will reduce side/drag
load, power cost and equipment loads and on-going
R&M costs.