Progressive Cavity Pumps

(PCP)

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PC Pump Applications
Surface Drive
• Heavy Oil and Bitumen (less than 12 ºAPI)
with sand cuts up to 50%.
• Medium Oil (from 12 to 23 ºAPI) with limited
H2S content.
Casing
• Sweet Light Oil (over 24 ºAPI) with limited
aromatics content.
Production Tubing
• Dewatering Coalbed Methane.
Sucker Rod
• Water Source Wells.
Sucker Rod
• Evaluation and testing of new areas. Coupling
Tubing Collar
Stator
Rotor

Tubing Collar

Tag Bar Sub

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 PCP System Overview

• A surface drive unite

• A rod string
• A positive displacement
subsurface pump
• Auxiliary Equipment

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 Advantages of PCP systems
• Low initial capital costs.
• Ease of installation.
• Portable and lightweight to transport.
• Low power consumption.
• Minimal maintenance requirements.
• High system efficiency.
• Good solids handling capability.
• Few moving parts.
• No internal valves to become sanded or gas-locked.
• Low surface profile (well suited for areas with height restrictions).
• Low noise levels.
• Low tendency for fluid leakage at the wellhead.

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 Disadvantages of PCP systems
• Limited depth range (typically around 2000 to 4500 ft, with a maximum of
6000 ft); due to the torsional strength limits of the sucker rod string that turns
the rotor.
• Limited temperature range (typically 75 to 150 º F, with a maximum of less
than 275-300 º F), based on the material used in the stator elastomer.
• Degradation of elastomer properties due to aromatic compounds in higher-
gravity crude oils, presence of H2S, or use of hot-oil or chemical paraffin
treatments
• The equipment used to manufacture the rotor and stator limits the maximum
element length to about 200 inches.
• Not as familiar to field personnel as other artificial lift systems.
• Lower utilization of PCP equipment affects salvage value.

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 PCP System Components
• Subsurface Pump

• Surface Drive Unit

• Auxiliary Equipment

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 PCP System Configuration-cont’d
Surface Equipment Downhole Equipment
Belts & Sheaves
Tubing String

Surface Drive Sucker Rods

w/ Couplings
Electric Motor
Stuffing Box

PC Pump Stator

Pumping Tee

Polished Rod PC Pump Rotor

Tagbar
Sucker Rods
w/ Couplings No-Turn Tool

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 Surface Drive Unit
• The principle components of the
surface drive unit are the drive head
and the prime mover
Prime Movers
• The prime mover provides the energy
to drive the surface equipment and
ultimately the rod string and downhole
pump

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 Subsurface Pump
• The rotor is a precision-machined,
single external threaded helical gear
made of high-strength steel and
coated with hard chrome plating to
protect against abrasion and minimize
friction
• The stator is a tube with an internal
form like a double helix.
• The internal surface of the stator is
coated with an elastomer that is
bonded to the base metal.

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 Subsurface Pump-cont’d
• Consists in two key components:
• Rotor:
– Is a high strength steel piece
covered with chrome and
externally machined as an helix of
“n” lobes.
– Only moving part.
• Stator:
– Generally made with elastomer (or
rubber) with and internal shape as
an helix of “n+1” lobes.
– Elastomer is permanently bonded
to the tube

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Elastomer Properties

Rotor
Elastomer
Stator
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 Elastomer Properties
• Elastomer performance is dependent on its mechanical and chemical
properties
• Compounding and vulcanization also important
• Primary mechanical properties are (ASTM):
– Tensile strength
– Tear resistance
– Abrasion resistance
– Hardness
– Elasticity (resilience)
• Fluid compatibility testing to determine affects of:
– Oil , gas , water

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 Stator Elastomers

• Three basic types of elastomers extensively used:

– Nitrile rubbers (NBR), two common grades

• Medium-high (ACN), Buna
• Ultra-high (ACN), high nitrile

– Hydrogenated or fully saturated nitrile rubbers

– Fluorocarbon elastomers

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 Nitrile Rubbers
• The majority of elastomers in PC pumps are classified as nitrile rubbers
(NBR)
– Emulsion copolymerization of butadiene with acrylonitrile (ACN)
– List of about 20 other ingredients, plasticizers, fillers, curatives, carbon
black
– Sulfur or peroxide cured
– Least expensive and easiest to mold
– Best mechanical properties

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 Acrylonitrile Effects on NBR
• NBR material properties effected primarily by varying the ACN content
– Medium-high ACN (30 to 40 percent) content commonly referred to as
Buna N
– Ultra-high ACN (>40%) content commonly referred to a high nitrile
– ACN increases polarity and improves resistance to non-polar oils and
solvents
• for example: aromatics are non-polar

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 Fully Saturated Nitrile Rubbers
• Butadiene portion of butadiene-acrylonitrile polymer hydrogenated (fully
saturated)
– Improved properties over NBR in respect to:
• Heat resistance (150º C, 300º F)
• H2S resistance
– More difficult to manufacture
– Typically four times the cost of NBR
– Typically designated as HNBR

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 Flurocarbon Elastomers

• Trade name: Viton

– Excellent resistance to heat
– Excellent resistance to oils, solvents and chemicals
– Extremely poor mechanical properties
– Hard to mold
– Expensive

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 PCP Protection
• Motor power factors and efficiency values may decrease

• Safety Shutdown Devices

• Torque Limiters

• ESC Systems

• Rod-String Backspin Control Devices

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 Auxiliary Equipment:
1. Tag Bar Assemblies and Tail Joints
2. Tubing Anchors
3. Tubing Rotators
4. Tubing Drain
5. Tubing Centralizers. PCP
6. Pressure and Flow Switches
7. Monitoring and Control Systems
8. Downhole Gas Separators
9. Pressure and Flow Switches
10. Monitoring and Control Systems

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 Alternative PCP System
Configurations
1-Electric Downhole Drive PCP Systems
2-Wireline-Retrievable DHD PCP Systems
3-Hydraulic DHD PCP Systems
4-Rod-Insert PCPs
5-Tubing-Driven PCP Systems.
6-Charge Pump Systems
7-Fluidizer Pumps
8-Water Reinjection Systems

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 PCP System Design
General Design Considerations

• Fluid composition, including aromatic content and presence of

H2S or CO2
• Depth of the producing zone
• GOR and water cut
• Abrasive applications
• Required fluid flow rate and total dynamic head

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Design Considerations

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Design Flow Chart

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 Specific Application Considerations

1-High-viscosity Oil Wells;

2- High-sand-cut Wells;
3-Low-productivity Wells;
4-Gassy Wells;
5- Directional And Horizontal-well Applications;
6-Hostile Fluid Conditions;
7-High-speed Operations;
8- Coalbed-methane And Water-source Wells;
9-Elevated-temperature Applications

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 Pump Failure Analysis :
1. Stator Fatigue Failure
2. Stator Wear
3. Rotor Wear
4. Stator Fluid Incompatibility
5. Gas Permeation and Rapid Decompression
6. Rotor Fluid Incompatibility
7. High-Temperature Stator Damage
8. Rotor Heat-Cracking Damage
9. Stator Debris Damage
10. Stator High-Pressure Wash
11. System-Failure Analysis

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 Stator - High Differential Pressure
• Failure Identification
– Characterized by surfaces that are hard, shiny with
jagged edges where elastomer has detached along
the rotor/stator seal line
– Extreme cases large pieces of rubber are removed
extensively throughout the pump
• Cause:
– differential pressure across the pump exceeds
manufacturer rating
– Large differential pressure created by:
• tubing or flowline restrictions
• valves closed
• under designed pump
• Remedy:
– pump rated head should exceed production press
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 Hysteresis Phenomenon
• Fatigue failure likened to bending a coat hanger until it breaks
• Characterized by cracks that originate at the thickest part of the elastomer
and migrate out to the elastomer surface and/or into the stator tube, surfaces
are hard, shiny and jagged where the elastomer is missing
• Crack progression can result in removal of elastomer along the seal lines
and in extreme cases large sections are removed when high pressure fluid
gets between the elastomer and stator tube

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 Hysteresis Phenomenon

Very Hard
Crack Migration

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Hysteresis Phenomenon

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 Stator - Hysteresis
• Heat Dissipation is controlled • Cause:
by: – Rotor/stator interference fit
– type of fluid, volume produced, • tight fit generates large shear
if pump is sumped forces
• Remedy: – High Pressure
– Match elastomer to • creates large shear forces
wellbore fluid, size for swell which deflect elastomer
– Run the pump at lower – Swelling
speeds • increases rotor/stator
– Over stage pump to lower interference fit
differential pressure • Consider Uniform Thickness
Elastomer Pump
– Frequency of Deformation:
• Controlled by pump speed
• The higher the speed the
greater the effect
– Fluid Rate:
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 Stator - Abrasion
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by surfaces that are rough and
have horizontal wear lines
• Cause:
– Rate of abrasion is dependent on the
abrasiveness of the particles, quantity, velocity
through the pump and rotational speed
• Remedy:
– Use higher resilience elastomer
– Reduce speed of pump
– Use larger pump to decrease flow velocity

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 Stator – Debris Damage
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by large gouges, tears or pits
• Cause:
– Large solid particles pass through pump and
get jammed into the seal lines
• Remedy:
– Proper wellbore clean-out

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 Stator – High Pressure Wash
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by worm like holes and
grooves
• Cause:
– Small orifices are created by embedded
particles
• Erosion takes place due to jetting action
through orifice
• Remedy:
– Use elastomer with high resilience
properties

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 Stator – Incompatible Fluids
• Failure Identification:
– Absorption of gas and fluids can cause
• softening
• blistering
• swelling
• Cause:
– Elastomers are permeable therefore allow fluid or gas to absorb into them
• results in softening, blistering and swelling
– Softening, blistering and swelling deteriorates elastomer mechanical properties
– Swelling increases rotor/stator interference fit
• high torque and horse power requirements
• increases hysteresis effect
– Surface blistering due to explosive decompression
• Remedy:
– Match elastomer to wellbore fluids
– Consider Constant Thickness Pump for high swell applications

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 Stator – Run Dry Damage
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by surfaces that are hard, brittle
and extensively cracked
• Cause:
– running the pump dry for extended periods
• causes extended vulcanization of
elastomer
• Remedy:
– Monitor producing fluid levels
– Use charge-pumps or extended rotors to
break-up sand slugs and prevent plugging of
pump intake

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 Stator - Elastomer Blistering
• Blistering is one result of explosive decompression (ED)
• ED is when an elastomer compound is exposed to high
pressure for a period sufficient for gas molecules to
diffuse into the compound. Subsequent rapid reduction
in pressure can cause internal fracturing in the form of
cracks or blisters.
• Elastomers exposed to CO2 are leading cause of ED
failures

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 Stator - Explosive Decompression
• Common causes of rapid pressure reductions:
– Retrieving pump to surface
– Rapid fluid equalization between casing and tubing in
pumped off wells. The deeper the well the more
pronounced the pressure drop
• Majority of damage at pump discharge
• Permeation is a diffusion process governed by:
– temperature
– pressure differential
– thickness of elastomer
• See handout on ED

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 Rotor – Wear
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by horizontal erosion lines on
major diameter
– Result of normal pumping action
– Advanced wear is characterized by wear to the
base metal along the major diameter
• Cause:
– tight rotor/stator interference fit
– accelerated by quantity and quality of abrasives,
pump speed and differential pressure
• Remedy:
– Pump at lower speeds
– Use alternative rotor coatings;
• Boronize

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