Fiberglass Sucker Rods- An Historical Overview

Fiberglass sucker rods (FSRS) were developed in the early 1970s as an alternative material to help combat problems caused by corrosion. As with most new products introduced to the oil production industry, there were numerous problems to overcome before the product was accepted as a viable tool by oil producers. Over the Past ten Years many situations have arisen that have caused aggravating problems to users of FSRs. Many of these situations were caused by improper use of the rods, but some of the problems resulted from poor manufacturing processes. This paper identifies many of the problems associated with using FSRs and discusses what has been done to overcome these problems. The author details the evolution of the FSR and documents many of the benefits, including increased production, lower lifting costs, gear box torque reduction, and energy savings. The purpose of this paper is to answer often asked questions about string design, installations, hot oiling, fishing, etc. These answers will provide additional information to users of FSRs, former users wh have elected to quit using the rods, and non-users who are reluctant to use fiberglass rods due to reported difficulties