Continuous Rod Scanning Using LV-EMI™ Proprietary Technology

Rod pumping unconventional wells is becoming increasingly challenging due to unpredictable downhole environments. Many unconventional wells exhibit significant deviation accompanied with corrosion making them difficult to rod lift without exposing downhole equipment to unpredictable damage mechanisms – specifically the rod string.

Continuous rod is a proven technology in these deviated unconventional wells as it increases the mean time between failures through lack of connections and distributed side loads. Although continuous rod will increase the mean time between failures, all rod pumping systems will eventually require an intervention. Traditionally, when continuous rod is pulled during a workover, inspections have been done visually in the field by experienced rig crews. However, this method is imprecise and subject to human error. This can result in unexpectedly early failure after a satisfactory inspection or additional cost from replacing mechanically serviceable continuous rod strings.

The Low Voltage – Electromagnetic Inspection (LV-EMI™) unit will detect three-dimensional discontinuities and cross-sectional loss in semi-elliptical and round continuous rod strings.  In this paper, the continued development of this new technology and the results from two semi-elliptical continuous rod string scans will be presented. Proposed future enhancements resulting from preliminary field tests will be identified.