PUMP INTAKE PRESSURE COMPARISON OF VALUES COMPUTED FROM ACOUSTIC FLUID LEVEL, PUMP DYNAMOMETER AND VALVE CHECK MEASUREMENTS

The three Pump Intake Pressure (PIP) calculation methods available for sucker rod lifted wells are discussed in detail. Values of PIP obtained from Acoustic Fluid level measurements, in wells with moderate pump submergence, yield PIP estimates that agree with those from pump fluid load analysis. If PIPs determined from these methods do not agree, then the operator using the discussed techniques can make corrections to consider the unusual conditions affecting the fluid load. Field data for a significant group of wells are used to compare the PIP results of the three methods. The results show that the PIP computed using the maximum and minimum pump card loads usually calculates too low of a PIP, while the PIP computed using the valve test loads are usually too high. Data processing techniques for improving the quality of the results from dynamometer data are presented. The pros and cons of using each method are discussed.