Horizontal Well Downhole Dynamometer Data Acquisition ...alrdc.org/theworkshopfolders/2018_2018SuckerRodWorkshop/prese… · Improved downhole models can result in substantial reductions

2018 Sucker Rod Pumping

WorkshopCox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, OK

September 11 - 13, 2018

Horizontal Well Downhole

Dynamometer Data Acquisition:

Prototype is ready!Project sponsored by ALRDC

Chair: Victoria Pons Ph.D.

Lynn Rowlan Cleon Dunham

Ronda Brewer Tony Podio Ph.D.

Ryan Gernentz Gabriel Guillen

Walter Phillips Gregg Hurst

Michael Romer Rajan Chokshi, Ph.D.

Sept. 29 - 30, 20162016 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

The Project – Overview

• Design & build downhole dynamometer tools• Generate dynamometer tool specifications

• Design and Test prototype

• Manufacture tools in sets of 6

• Deploy tools in deviated & horizontal wells• Generate test procedures for field data capture

• Design includes six tools strategically placed in each rod string

• Record data during pumping operation according to test schedule

• Retrieve and Download downhole data sets

• Validate & maintain data• Developing visualization tools and user interface

• Accessible to all ALRDC members for model validation and creation

▪ Gather true measured data on both deviated & horizontal rod-pumped wells

▪ Actual downhole load & position: dynagraph cards

▪ Provide that measured downhole data to industry

▪ Improve our understanding of side loads, bending, friction, damping, and other factors resulting from well deviation

Project Goal & Overview

3Sept. 11 - 13, 2018 2018 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Oklahoma City, OK

“Our industry needs downhole measurements in deviated wells that serve

the same purposes that the 1990s measurements served for vertical or

near vertical wells”, Dr. Sam Gibbs

Historical Perspective - Sandia

▪ Gathered and published data

from multiple test wells

▪ Project took place during a

period of low oil prices

▪ Proved wave equation methods

are sound and accurate

▪ But… This only holds for vertical

wells

▪ Number of well drilled since

Sandia?

▪ How many of those wells are

straight holes?


Oklahoma City, OK

Rod Pump Diagnostics: Introduction

• Historically, the pump condition has

been determined by dynamometer

analysis

• A surface dynamometer measures

position and load to generate a

surface card

• The downhole card is calculated by

solving the 1D wave equation (the

surface card is projected downhole)

• The solution removes all dynamics

in the surface card to show you the

resulting work at the pump

• Since the rod string acts as a

transmission line for the pump, any

distortion in load signals result in

poor downhole resolution


Oklahoma City, OK

Example 1: Vertical Wellbore

▪ Calculations:

• Pump Intake Pressure

• Pump Efficiency

• Pump Displacement

• Rod Loading

▪ Additional observations:

• Well is pumped off

• Tubing movement is

apparent

• Confidence in original

design: Pumping

conditions can be

duplicated by predictive

software


Oklahoma City, OK

Example 2: Deep Deviation▪ Calculations:

• Possibly Pump Intake Pressure

• Possibly Pump Efficiency

• Possibly Pump Displacement

• Possibly Rod Loading

▪ Additional observations:• Well is close to

pumped off

• Confidence in original design: Pumping conditions can be (relatively) duplicated by predictive software


Oklahoma City, OK

Example 3: Shallow Deviation▪ Calculations:

• No reliable downhole

calculation available

• Both the Net Stroke and

Fluid Load are distorted

▪ Additional observations:

• Production is the only

proxy for the condition of

the pump

• Incomplete fillage

calculations will not be

reliable


Oklahoma City, OK

Rod Pump Diagnostics: Current Pitfalls

▪ The diagnostic solution to the 1D wave equation assumes all elastic deformation originates at the pumpa) Shallow friction distorts both Gross

Stroke and Fluid Load

b) Deep deviation will tend to mostly affect Fluid Load

▪ The damping term of the wave equation is only meant to account for viscous forces, not mechanical friction

▪ Furthermore “…incorrect dynamometer data can give false indication of buckling anywhere in the string” - Gibbs


Oklahoma City, OK

HWDDDA Members at 2018 ALCE

102018 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop Oklahoma City, OKSept. 11 - 13, 2018

Walter Phillips

Gregg Hurst

Dr. Tony Podio

Bill Lane

Cleon Dunham

Lynn Rowlan

Dr. Victoria Pons

Rob Shoup

HWDDDA Project Structure

General Committee:

• Manage overall project

• Develop and Present to Industry

• Report progress to ALRDC R&D Committee

Business Sub-Committee:

• Define/manage budget and document project

Tool Design/Manufacturing/Testing Sub-Committee:

• Define tool specifications and tool testing requirements

• Select tool manufacturer

Tool Deployment/Retrieval/Data Gathering Sub-Committee:

• Outline testing procedures and well selection criteria

• Gather data

Data Validation/Maintenance Sub-Committee:

• Validate data, build and maintain database

General Committee

BusinessTool

Design

Tool

Deployment

Data Validation


Oklahoma City, OK

Test Wells▪ All distinct categories of deviated wells

• Vertical (for control test)

• Deviated

• Slant

• Horizontal

▪ Testing Criteria• Test at different SPM

• Anchored vs. unanchored tubing

• Rod guides vs. no rod guides (varying rod guides placement)

• Rod string configuration (steel, fiberglass, sinker bars)

• Depth of kick off point

• Fluid properties i.e. viscosity, gas, etc.


Oklahoma City, OK

Project Overview: Test Scenarios

▪ Pump Considerations:• Fluid Pound

• Gas Compression

▪ Operational Considerations:• Vary SPM

• Vary Stoke Length

• Vary Inter-stroke Speed (proxy for pumping unit geometry testing)

• Valve Checks (PIP calculations)

▪ Design Considerations:• Point of Initial Deviation

• Sinker Bar Length/OD

• Taper % (87, 86, etc.)

• Specialty Pumps

• Guiding


Oklahoma City, OK

Tool Specifications

Tools• Placed along the rod string for

collecting and storing data on-board

• Location of tools to be determined by deviation survey

Sensors:

• 3 axis accelerometer – position & relative gravity vector

• Multiple load cells – linear loading, plus bending and compression

• Pressure, temperature, vibration, etc.

• Synchronized clocks – for correlating data across multiple tools


Oklahoma City, OK

Downhole Dynamometer Tool

152018 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Oklahoma City, OKSept. 11 - 13, 2018

Technical Details

• The ALRDC dynamometer tool is a battery powered

electromechanical system used for data acquisition during artificial lift

operations and can record

• acceleration – X, Y, Z

• pressure - external

• temperature - external

• axial strains

• Footprint – matching existing API 11B specifications and can easily be

placed within the string – 1.75” dia. and 30 inches long

• Has a pin/pin connection – 7/8” API thread

• Constructed out of steel – meets or exceeds artificial lift operating

conditions

• Passed “temperature and vibration” downhole


Technical Specifications

Software interface functions:

• Communicate with the tool

• Program data acquisition sequence, frequency, scheduling

• Record data in the memory, battery usage, memory

allocation

• Validate tool status, display data, calibrate channels

• Calculate remaining battery life and memory space

available

• Save data in ASCII format


Software Interface


Technical Specifications

Firmware distinctive features• Record high/low frequency data

• 9 data acquisition channels

• Selectable accelerometer range

• Power consumption (power management) optimization

• Memory allocation (writing to memory) optimization

• On-demand data acquisition

• Record high resolution data

• Recordkeeping capability for tool setup and running parameters


Current State of Software Tools

Predictive Modeling Software• Srod, RodStar, Qrod, LOWIS

• All of the current software are based on data from Sandia (vertical)

Diagnostic Modeling Software for deviated wells does not exist

20

“It is unwise and economically risky to apply the results of such

extended models without having adequate validation of their

accuracy” , Dr. A.L. (Tony) Podio

“The software used by the industry to design sucker rod strings is

based on data collected in vertical wells. Therefore, it isn’t

sufficiently accurate for design and analysis of rod strings in our

newer wells”, Cleon Dunham, President of ALRDC

Sept. 11 - 13, 2018 2018 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Oklahoma City, OK

Future State of Software Tools

• Improve Predictive modeling

• Replace guess work with scientific design

• Precise placement of rod guides

• Optimal Sinker bar size and placement

• Etc…

• Development of Deviated Diagnostic Models

• Remove mechanical friction from downhole card

• Enhanced well control based on deviation

• Extended life of artificial lift system


Oklahoma City, OK

Benefits to Industry

• Improved understanding of effects of mechanical friction

• Data for new development of models for both predictive

and diagnostic designs

• Improved optimization of Rod Lift Systems

• Provide basis for comparison of measurements i.e.

deviation survey, surface data, etc…

• Ability to isolate effects of other issues i.e. paraffin, scaling

• Ability to quantify effects of poor drilling practices that

directly impact operations efficiency throughout the life of

each well


Oklahoma City, OK

Benefits for Participants

Operational Benefits

▪ Testing various rod string designs

▪ Determine effects of deviation, pumping speed, and incomplete fillage

▪ Understand if inadequate tubing tension is a potential root cause of failures

▪ Develop more reliable intake pressure calculations

▪ Provide feedback to drilling on optimal back build profiles

▪ Reduction in CAPEX and OPEX through improved rod lift system design


Oklahoma City, OK

Benefits for Participants

• Use information for making improvements to well designs and

workflow tools during project period that will reduce or defer

failures

• No more waiting until a significant number of failures have

occurred before determining design success and understanding

the root causes of failure: accelerate learnings from project

testing to solve previously unknown failures on high visibility

wells

• Early access to data (5 years)

• Customize testing procedure to address current failure issues on

your wells

• Ownership of tools for use after project completion (if

purchased)


Oklahoma City, OK

Conclusions

▪ Improved downhole models can result in substantial

reductions in operational expenses• Better decisions and well designs

• We can’t eliminate downhole friction, but we should be able to design

around it, once better understood

▪ Gathering real-world data is a first & significant step


Oklahoma City, OK

Copyright

Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:

▪ Display the presentation at the Workshop.

▪ Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

▪ Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop where it was first presented.



Disclaimer



The following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Sucker Rod Pumping Web Site.

The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Sucker Rod Pumping Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.

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Horizontal Well Downhole Dynamometer Data Acquisition ...alrdc.org/theworkshopfolders/2018_2018SuckerRodWorkshop/prese… · Improved downhole models can result in substantial reductions

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