REDUCING ROD PUMPS STICK IN THE TUBING IN THE HIGHWAY 80 FIELD

When an insert rod pump gets stuck in tubing there will be a significant increase in well-servicing events. These events cost the consumer money and also places the worker's safety at risk. 

The Highway 80 area reviewed the number of stuck rod pumps in tubing conditions that had occurred from 2010 to mid-2017.  In total, there were 825 pumps that were unable to be pulled with rods, which resulted in tubing being pulled to retrieve the pump. To try and resolve this issue Pioneer used a rubber fin element below the discharge of their insert rod pumps. By doing so they saw a reduction in stuck pumps with the rubber element. Even though this method decreased the number of stuck pumps, about 10% of their pumps continued to get lodged in the tubing. 

In the third quarter of 2017, Harbison-Fischer implemented a design change to these wells. The Harbison-Fischer Brush Sand Shields were installed to all insert pumps going forward.

This paper will discuss the early results of approximately 18 months since the first Brush Sand Shields were installed. We will compare the pumps pulled that were stuck in tubing with and without the design change since the implementation. Our goal is to continue to review the trend to see if positive results are achieved. We will track the data and present it again in 2020. We have calculated that the additional cost of pulling tubing is more than 50% more than if the pump can be retrieved with the rods.