Barry S. Welton & G. Wayne Westerman, End Devices, Inc.
The major portion of domestic oil is produced by rod pumping systems. Of the total 527,000 domestic oil wells 403,000 are rod pumped. In 1971, $157.5 million was spent for labor and material for downhole repair of these wells. This amount does not include production losses while the wells were being serviced. In that the average pulling job cost was $418.63l it is possible that the production losses exceeded this direct maintenance cost. When the total cost for maintenance and the volume of oil produced are considered, it is evident that even a small decrease in maintenance or a small increase in producing efficiency can have a significant economic impact. This paper considers the development of a new concept for controlling and monitoring rod-pumped oil wells. The development of the hardware and the techniques for implementing the concept are an integral portion of the consideration.