Mitigating Fluid Pound Effects Under Incomplete Pump Fillage Conditions

• US 20190203577A1
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Published: 07/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Perez, Gerardo
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/04 Ball valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/08 responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained E21B34/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/126 Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive powered by fluid E21B43/129
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/008 Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions
• 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: G01L 5/0061 Force sensors associated with industrial machines or actuators for the specific machine or actuator involved see relevant class, e.g. F01, F04, F16, B66, E21
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M

Abstract

The current subject matter provides a tool and user interface for estimating a velocity at which a plunger of a rod lift pump system will impact a fluid within a well when the rod lift pump system is altered to operate under various conditions of pump fillage. In some embodiments, the estimated impact velocity can be determined using a velocity pattern characterizing a velocity and position of a plunger of a rod lift pump system operating under a condition of complete pump fillage. The estimated impact velocity can provide a user with useful insight into potential operation of the rod lift pump system when operating under various conditions of pump fillage.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving position data characterizing a position of a plunger over time, the plunger forming part of a rod lift pump system, the position measured by a first sensor, the plunger being configured to travel between a first position and a second position within a barrel within a well, and a distance between the first position and the second position defining a stroke length;

receiving load data characterizing a load on a rod over time, the load measured by a second sensor, the rod coupled to the plunger;

receiving velocity data characterizing a velocity of the plunger while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of complete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between the first position and the second position is filled with liquid prior to a downstroke of the plunger;

correlating, using at least the received load data and position data, the load on the rod and the position of the plunger; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of the velocity data simultaneously with a visualization of the correlated load and position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating the load on the rod and the position of the plunger includes determining a position of the plunger at a first time, determining a load on the rod at the first time, and matching the position of the plunger at the first time and load of the rod at the first time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the velocity data using at least the received position data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the load data characterizes the load on the rod coupled to the plunger over time while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of incomplete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between a first position and the second position is filled with gas prior to a downstroke of the plunger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rod is configured to drive the plunger between the first position and the second position.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating, using at least the position data and the velocity data, the position and the velocity of the plunger;

displaying, on the graphical interface display space, an interactive graphical element configured to interact with the visualization of the correlated load and position, a position of the interactive graphical element being adjustable by a user, wherein the position of the interactive graphical element identifies a position of the plunger and a correlated load on the rod; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of a velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger based on the correlated velocity and position of the plunger.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the visualization of the velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger includes a textbox graphical element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receiving, the correlating, and the displaying is performed by at least one data processor forming part of at least one computing system.

9. A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer readable instructions, which, when executed by at least one data processor forming part of at least one computing system, implement operations comprising:

receiving position data characterizing a position of a plunger over time, the plunger forming part of a rod lift pump system, the position measured by a first sensor, the plunger being configured to travel between a first position and a second position within a barrel within a well, and a distance between the first position and the second position defining a stroke length;

receiving load data characterizing a load on a rod over time, the load measured by a second sensor, the rod coupled to the plunger;

receiving velocity data characterizing a velocity of the plunger while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of complete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between the first position and the second position is completely filled with liquid prior to a downstroke of the plunger;

correlating, using at least the received load data and position data, the load on the rod and the position of the plunger; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of the velocity data simultaneously with a visualization of the correlated load and position.

10. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein correlating the load on the rod and the position of the plunger includes determining a position of the plunger at a first time, determining a load on the rod at the first time, and matching the position of the plunger at the first time and load of the rod at the first time.

11. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, the operations comprising determining the velocity data using at least the received position data.

12. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the load data characterizes the load on the rod coupled to the plunger over time while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of incomplete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between a first position and the second position is filled with gas prior to a downstroke of the plunger.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the rod is configured to drive the plunger between the first position and the second position.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, the operations comprising

correlating, using at least the position data and the velocity data, the position and the velocity of the plunger;

displaying, on the graphical interface display space, an interactive graphical element configured to interact with the visualization of the correlated load and position, a position of the interactive graphical element being adjustable by a user, wherein the position of the interactive graphical element identifies a position of the plunger and a correlated load on the rod; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of a velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger based on the correlated velocity and position of the plunger.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 14, wherein the visualization of the velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger includes a textbox graphical element.

16. A system comprising at least one data processor and memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one data processor, implement operations comprising:

receiving position data characterizing a position of a plunger over time, the plunger forming part of a rod lift pump system, the position measured by a first sensor, the plunger being configured to travel between a first position and a second position within a barrel within a well, and a distance between the first position and the second position defining a stroke length;

receiving load data characterizing a load on a rod over time, the load measured by a second sensor, the rod coupled to the plunger;

receiving velocity data characterizing a velocity of the plunger while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of complete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between the first position and the second position is completely filled with liquid prior to a downstroke of the plunger;

correlating, using at least the received load data and position data, the load on the rod and the position of the plunger; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of the velocity data simultaneously with a visualization of the correlated load and position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein correlating the load on the rod and the position of the plunger includes determining a position of the plunger at a first time, determining a load on the rod at the first time, and matching the position of the plunger at the first time and load of the rod at the first time

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the velocity data using at least the received position data.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the load data characterizes the load on the rod coupled to the plunger over time while the rod lift pump system is operating under a condition of incomplete pump fillage, wherein a portion of the barrel between a first position and the second position is filled with gas prior to a downstroke of the plunger.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the rod is configured to drive the plunger between the first position and the second position.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising

correlating, using at least the position data and the velocity data, the position and the velocity of the plunger;

displaying, on the graphical interface display space, an interactive graphical element configured to interact with the visualization of the correlated load and position, a position of the interactive graphical element being adjustable by a user, wherein the position of the interactive graphical element identifies a position of the plunger and a correlated load on the rod; and

displaying, on a graphical interface display space, a visualization of a velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger based on the correlated velocity and position of the plunger.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the visualization of the velocity of the plunger corresponding to the identified position of the plunger includes a textbox graphical element.