Paper: Benefits Of Improved Pump Off Control For Beam Pumped Producing Wells

For West Texas and Eastern New Mexico producing areas, analog pump off controllers are widely employed by numerous operators to optimize fluid recovery and reduce equipment failures for beam pumped producing wells. With the development of supervisory pump off control (SPOC) systems, pump off control technology can provide engineering and operations personnel with a more complete well surveillance package that includes diagnostic capabilities. In addition, SPOC system hardware configurations are deployed so that individual well site controllers send alarm signals, digitized dynamometer cards, and other pertinent operating data to a host computer when a lift equipment failure or anomalous operating condition occurs. Besides providing for an immediate response to an upset well condition, the stored data allows for more accurate determination for the problem source. Effective lift design modifications can then be accurately developed. Amoco Production Company (Amoco) had implemented analog pump off controllers, to work in conjunction with a proprietary lease automation system, for the vast majority of beam pumped producing wells. With the availability of SPOC systems on a commercial scale, pilot testing was initiated to determine whether this enhanced technology could provide sufficient benefits to allow for pump off controller retrofit. In addition, experiences of other operators were reviewed to augment what developed to be favorable pilot test applications. Based upon this cumulative information, SPOC systems were implemented for non-automated producing properties and as upgrades for some key producing properties. Following implementation of SPOC systems for 671 wells that were previously equipped with analog pump off controllers, a post installations appraisal was completed to identify average economic benefits. Documented lift equipment failure reductions and fluid production increases were found to provide significant incentive to justify continued SPOC system proliferation.