POSITION MONITORING FACILITY

• US 20100326668A1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zeitecs B.V. (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Zeitecs B. V.
• Inventors: Storm, Bruce H. Jr., Leniek, Humberto F. Sr., Griffiths, Neil
• Application Number:
  US12/494,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20100326668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/369
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/127 Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/009 Monitoring of walking-beam pump systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/162 Adaptations of cylinders

Abstract

A pumping apparatus including a pump housing, a plunger operatively coupled to a terminal end of a production string and configured to move upward and downward within the pump housing, a surface pumping unit operatively connected to an upper end of the production string, and at least one element of incremental resistance disposed on an inner surface of the pump housing or an outer surface of the plunger proximate an upper or lower limit of a pump stroke is disclosed. A method for pumping fluid from a wellbore using a pumping system having an element of incremental resistance disposed near at least one of an upper end of a pump stroke and a lower end of a pump stroke to increase the axial load is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for pumping fluid, comprising:

a production string having an upper end and a lower terminal end;

at least one strain gauge for measuring an axial load on the production string;

a pump housing comprising a plunger fixed to the lower terminal end of the production string, wherein the plunger is configured to move upward and downward within the pump housing in a pumping motion;

a surface pumping unit operatively connected to the upper end of the production string,

wherein the surface pumping is configured to move the plunger within the pump housing in the pumping motion between an upper end of a pump stroke and a lower end of a pump stroke; and

at least one element of incremental resistance for increasing the axial load near at least one of the upper end of the pump stroke and the lower end of the pump stroke.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the production string comprises at least one of a hollow rod string and a coiled tubing string.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein an amplitude of the pump stroke is adjusted by modifying parameters of the surface pumping unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper end of the pump stroke and the lower end of the pump stroke are adjusted by adjusting a grip of the surface pumping unit along a length of the production string.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one element of incremental resistance comprises at least one engagement surface positioned along at least one of an inner diameter of the pump housing and an outer diameter of the plunger.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the engagement surface comprises at least one of a restricted inner diameter of the pump housing and an expanded outer diameter of the plunger.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the engagement surface comprises a separate insert positioned along the at least one of the inner diameter of the pump housing and an outer diameter of the plunger.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the engagement surface comprises a single-piece component with the at least one of a restricted inner diameter of the pump housing and an expanded outer diameter of the plunger.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the engagement surface comprises at least one internal seal ring.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one element of incremental resistance comprises a combination of a restricted inner diameter of the pump housing and an expanded outer diameter of the plunger.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the restricted inner diameter of the pump housing comprises a wave profile.

12. A method for pumping fluid from a wellbore using a pumping system, the method comprising:

inserting a housing comprising a plunger coupled with a production string into the wellbore, wherein at least one of the housing and the plunger comprises an element of incremental resistance disposed near at least one of an upper end of a pump stroke and a lower end of the pump stroke to increase the axial load;

moving the plunger upward and downward in a pumping cycle within the housing between the upper end of the pump stroke and the lower end of the pump stroke to facilitate the extraction of fluid from the wellbore;

creating a dynagraph of an axial load profile on the production string throughout the pumping cycle using at least one axial load measurement; and

determining a downhole position of the plunger within the pump housing using the dynagraph and an increased axial load measurement at a point during the pumping cycle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising installing at least one strain gauge for the at least one axial load measurement on the production string.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the production string comprises at least one of a rod string and a coiled tubing string.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one element of incremental resistance comprises at least one engagement surface positioned along at least one of an inner diameter of the housing and an outer diameter of the plunger as the at least one step of incremental resistance.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one element of incremental resistance comprises at least one of a restricted inner diameter of the housing and an expanded outer diameter of the plunger as the at least one step of incremental resistance.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one engagement surface comprises at least one internal seal ring.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the restricted inner diameter of the housing comprises a wave profile.

19. A pumping apparatus comprising:

a pump housing;

a plunger operatively coupled to a terminal end of a production string and configured to move upward and downward within the pump housing;

a surface pumping unit operatively connected to an upper end of the production string; and

at least one element of incremental resistance disposed on an inner surface of the pump housing or an outer surface of the plunger proximate an upper or lower limit of a pump stroke.