ALS Hydraulic Pump Improvement Additional Development
Michael T. Gracey, Weatherford ALS & Harold H. Palmour, The Palmour Group
A new technology called the Hydro-Balanced Stuffing Box System used successfully to prevent pollution caused by polished rod pumps, was designed for use in Artificial Lift Systems using a positive displacement plunger pump. The development was discussed in a paper presented at the 2000 Southwestern Petroleum Short Course and this paper will discuss the field testing and further developments in the technology. A leak in the high pressure packing of a pump has the potential of causing environmental pollution, safety hazards, loss of energy and costly clean-up. The technology described transfers the pressure of the product being pumped to a sacrificial barrier fluid of known characteristics. When the seals wear sufficiently to leak, only the environmentally friendly fluid leaks to the atmosphere. The presentation will include slides and drawings of the Hydro-Balanced Packing System.