American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2015 - 83

SpecialReport: Artificial Lift Technology
patented end fitting is designed for optimal
stress distribution to ensure long life and
superior performance. The rods can be
backed off, and there have been zero instances of an end fitting being pulled off
of a rod in a well installation.
"The rods weigh substantially less
than comparably sized steel rods, but
are equal in strength. Our fiberglass rods
do not corrode or break," Rutledge continues. "Moreover, because of their elasticity, the rods can create a longer pump
stroke down hole than at the surface,
potentially producing more fluid. In
essence, operators can expend less energy
to make more energy using a rod that
does not break."
A related inherent benefit of the lightweight rod systems are their implications
for surface production equipment, Rutledge adds. "A lighter rod pump load
can accommodate a smaller beam pump
system and reduce overall well site power
consumption," he attests.
Hydraulic Rod Pumping Units
Tariq Ahmed, global product manager
at Cameron, says that just as operators
are opting for multiwell pads and are reducing their operational footprints at well
sites, they also are seeking pump solutions
that provide the necessary horsepower
while minimizing the physical size and
footprint of equipment on site.
According to Ahmed, the CAMLIFT™
40-192 linear-lifting hydraulic pumping
unit is a compact, lighter weight alternative
to traditional beam pumping units. It is
mounted directly to the wellhead to reduce
space requirements, and is capable of a
192-inch stroke and a peak load of 40,000
pounds (comparable with a 912 conventional beam pump). The unit also operates
with a full nitrogen counterbalanced system, and was designed specifically with
shale wells in mind.
"There are four models in the CAMLIFT product line, but the 40-192 is the
newest," he says. "It's designed to help
improve pumping life and production efficiency, and it takes one-tenth the physical
space of a normal beam pump."
Ahmed remarks that rather than waiting
the usual two to four days for a hydraulic
pumping unit to be transported and assembled on site, the CAMLIFT system
comes preassembled, and technicians can
install it in three-six hours. "That saves
the operator several hours'-if not days'-
worth of time that now can be spent producing, and money that otherwise would

have been spent on additional equipment
and transportation costs," he emphasizes.
"It probably can save an operator $30,000$50,000 in installation costs alone."
Whereas conventional lift methods
use weights on the drill string to accelerate or decelerate lifting speeds, which
Ahmed says requires a considerable
amount of energy, the CAMLIFT has
independent up- and downstrokes, and
needs fewer strokes to produce the same
amount, which reduces energy requirements as well as wear and tear on rods
and tubulars.
"It gives the operator better control
over his pumping units, especially regarding the speed and intervals between
strokes," he contends. "The CAMLIFT
unit allows for delays and other adjustments between stroke lengths, which can
be used to relieve gas lock."
Ahmed says the "biggest adopters" of
the technology have been shale well operators, especially those in the Bakken
and Eagle Ford plays.
"The hydraulic pumping unit is the
perfect fit for operators looking to reduce
their footprint, on any level," he states.
"It's great for multiwell pad sites. It takes
up very little space, which helps shrink
the size of the site. Plus, it also has been
shown to improve safety and reduce work
risks on the well site. It is effective,
small, safe, and cost-effective."

Optimized Systems
Regardless of the type of artificial lift
technology, Bobby Mason, president of
SPOC Automation, says oil and gas companies should look to automation and
control systems to help keep equipment
running as efficiently as possible, lower
lifting costs, save energy, and ultimately,
ensure that wells are generating revenue.
A key element in any artificial lift
control and automated production operation is the variable frequency drive (VFD)
that controls pump speeds and run times.
According to Mason, three key attributes
are guiding operators' deployment of
VFDs: ease of use, energy efficiency,
and reliable communications capability.
"For instance, with touch-screen operator interfaces on the newest generation
of VFDs, you do not have to be a drive
technician or engineer to operate them.
If you can operate a smartphone, you
can operate one of these drives with a
little training."
Mason says customers also are looking
for VFD technology that is able to communicate with their companies' legacy
automation systems. "Open protocols are
a must, which allow the VSD to talk to
any monitoring system so the operator
can pull information, trend data, do historical logging, and make intelligent decisions," he clarifies.
Secure supervisory control and data

Cameron's CAMLIFT™ 40-192 linear-lifting hydraulic pumping unit is mounted directly
to the wellhead to reduce space requirements, and is capable of a 192-inch stroke and
a peak load of 40,000 pounds. The company notes it is ideal for multiwall pads, since it
takes up one-tenth the physical space of a normal jet pump.

JUNE 2015 83

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2015