American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2016 - 79

SpecialReport: Artificial Lift Technology
"The XL also includes a hydraulic
rollback system that can move the unit
10 feet to allow workovers, then return it
to its original position," Gandee says.
"This is much safer than using a truck."

Liberty Lift Solutions LLC is introducing a long-stroke pumping
unit with a more dependable lubricating system and a host of
safety-enhancing features. These
include an advanced unit sentry
and a rollback system designed to
simplify workovers.

that can lift large volumes efficiently and
reliably, reasons Sam Gandee, vice president of engineering for Liberty Lift Solutions LLC. In response, he says the
company developed the Liberty XL, a
long-stroke pumping unit.
"The unit has a 50,000-pound structure
and a 306-inch stroke, so it is capable of
producing higher amounts of fluid in a
day's time," he says. "Because it uses
fewer strokes, the XL also is great for
wells in which rod strings have high
failure rates."
As a long-stroke pumping unit, the
XL has a mechanically-efficient design
and relatively low power consumption,
Gandee adds. He says this can reduce
significantly the amount of horsepower
required to run the unit.
"When we were designing the XL,
we made several improvements to make
it more user friendly and safer than traditional long-stroke units," Gandee comments. "For example, we have replaced
the dipping tray generally used to lubricate
the components inside the tower with a
pressurized system that is less likely to
be damaged. The system is controlled by
a unit sentry that shows when the system
is down so problems can be addressed
before they lead to more expensive repairs."
The sentry offers robust safety features,
Gandee continues. "It interfaces with the
variable speed drive or pump-off controller,

and can react to overload or underload,
watch for overspeed or underspeed, detect
vibration, and recognize loss of the load
cell signal," he illustrates. "The goal is to
keep the unit from damaging itself during
a rod part or loss of load."
To reduce costs and simplify maintenance, Gandee says Liberty Lift used
standard parts for the XL rather than specialized components. He points out that
the unit comes with wire mesh guards to
keep people from accidentally wandering
into a dangerous area.

Automated Manufacturing
Superod reports it is automating the
manufacturing process for its fiberglass
sucker rods. "Most people assume we
are investing in automation and robotics
to reduce our costs. That is one of the
benefits, but the real reason is to build a
more perfect rod," says Russ Rutledge,
the company's president and founder.
"Thanks to automation, we can build
both ends of the rod exactly the same
every time. With that consistency, our
rods will be even more durable and reliable."
Rutledge says the company expects
the manufacturing innovations to build
on an already great track record. "We
have placed 8,000 rod strings in the
ground since 2012, and we have not had
a failure related to the design of the rod
or the physics of how a rod breaks," he
reports. "We are proud of that, but we
want take our quality control to the next
level."
Superod has finished automating the
steps involved in connecting the end fittings to the rod body, which Rutledge
describes as the most critical and challenging task. By the end of 2016 or early
2017, he says, the company will have almost every part of the manufacturing
process automated, from assembly to the
pull tests it conducts on every rod.

These lightweight, durable and
elastic fiberglass sucker rods
from Superod save power, reduce downtime, and increase
production. To improve manufacturing consistency and ensure they are readily available
as activity increases, the company is automating its manufacturing process.

JUNE 2016 79

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2016

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