Pump Jack

The visible parts of an oil field pump can range in size from small enough to fit in
the bed of a pickup truck to structures the size of a house. As a general rule, the
larger the pumpjack, the deeper the reservoir. The typical pump comprises an A-
shaped frame topped by a long bar or beam. One end of the beam is connected
to a motor. The turning motor operates a linkage that causes the beam to work
back and forth like a seesaw. At the other end of the beam, the pipe that runs to
the bottom of the well is connected to a large, rounded metal triangle. The
triangle's horse head-like shape bobs up and down as the pump operates, driving
the pumping action of the assembly at the bottom of the well.
The "pumping" parts of a pumpjack are out of sight. A string of hollow pipes,
called sucker rods, runs from the horse head on the pumpjack to the reservoir at
the bottom of the well. The hidden parts of the sucker rod system are two simple
chambers that seal with ball valves. The valve on a plunger, attached to the end
of the sucker rod string, opens as the rod system moves downward. This allows
oil to fill the plunger and forces the fluids in the pipe above it upward. Once the
plunger reaches the bottom of the up-and-down stroke, the ball valve closes,
holding the fluids in place. Meanwhile, the ball on the fixed standing valve at the
bottom of the well moves out of the way to open while the plunger rises. This
allows oil to collect above the standing valve. When the plunger descends again,
this second ball valve closes, trapping a pool of oil where it can enter the plunger
and eventually make its way up the sucker rod string to the surface.
(https://sciencing.com/do-oil-field-pumps-work-5557828.html)
Above Ground:
In earlier days, the pumpjacks were actuated by the rod lines that used to run horizontally
above ground to an eccentric wheel in a mechanism called central power. Central power
could operate dozen or even more pumpjacks and it was powered by internal combustion or
steam engine or by electric motor. One of the difficulties in this scheme was to maintain the
system balance as the individual well loads changed.
A prime mover is used to power the modern day pumpjacks. It is usually an electric motor,
but in some isolated locations that don’t have electricity access, the internal combustion
engines are used. The common pumpjack engines are run on the casing gas that is
produced from wells, but the pumpjacks have been run on different types of fuels like diesel
and propane fuel. In the harsh climates, such engines and motors might be housed in a
shack for the protection from elements.
A set of pulleys is run to transmission by the prime mover of pump jack. This drives pair of
cranks, usually with the counterweights on them in order to provide assistance to the motor
in lifting heavy strings of rods. One end of the I-beam is raised and lowered by the cranks.
The I-beam can move freely on A-frame. There is a curved metal box on the other end of
beam. This metal box is known as donkey head or horse head because of its appearance.
The horse head is connected to a polished rod, piston which passes through stuffing box.
This connection is via steel cable or sometimes fiberglass.
The polished rod has close fit to stuffing box which lets it move in and out of tubing without
the fluid escaping. (A pipe which runs to bottom of the well and through which liquid gets
produced is the tubing). The bridle follows curve of horse head as it raises and lowers to
create an almost vertical stroke. A long string of rods known as sucker rods connects the
polished road. This long string runs through tubing to down-hole pump and is normally
positioned near bottom of the well.
Down-hole:
There is a down-hole pump located at bottom of tubing. There are 2 ball check valves in this
pump. There is a stationary valve located at bottom known as standing valve and there is
another valve on piston connected to bottom of sucker rods known as traveling valve. The
traveling valve travels up & down as rods reciprocate. The fluid in reservoir enters from
formation in to bottom of borehole via perforations which are made through cement and
casing. (Casing is the larger pipe of metal which runs through the length of well. Cement is
placed between casing and earth; pump, tubing and the sucker are all inside casing).
When rods at pump end travel up, travelling valve is closed and standing valve is open
(because of the drop in the pressure in pump barrel). This results in pump barrel filling up
with fluid from formation as travelling piston lifts previous contents of barrel upwards. When
rods start pushing down, travelling valve opens and standing valve closes (because of
increase in the pressure in pump barrel). Travelling valve drops via fluid in barrel (that was
sucked in during upstroke). Then the piston reaches the end of the stroke and starts moving
upwards again and the same process is repeated.
Often, gas gets produced via same perforations as oil. It can be problematic in case the gas
enters pump because it may lead to gas locking. In gas locking an insufficient pressure gets
built up in pump barrel to open valves (because of compression of gas) and very little or
absolutely nothing gets pumped. In order to preclude this, inlet for pump can be placed
below perforations. As fluid laden with gas enters well bore via perforations, gas bubbles up
annulus (space between casing and tubing) while liquid moves down to standing valve inlet.
Once at surface, gas is collected via piping connected to annulus.
(http://www.drillingformulas.com/what-is-pumpjack/)

Pump Jack

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pump Jack

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The visible parts of an oil field pump can range in size from small enough to fit in

You might also like