US 2016/0102542 A1 · Systems and Methods for Real-Time Monitoring of Downhole Pump Conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods for improved monitoring of downhole pump conditions may provide real-time monitoring, high accuracy, and low noise when monitoring downhole pump conditions. Systems for monitoring pump conditions may be coupled to any suitable sucker rod pump, and may gather desired data from the pump. The desired data may be gathered at several points-in-time during a pump stroke to provide real-time monitoring. A wave equation corresponding to the behavior of the downhole pump may be solved when the desired data is received to provide real-time monitor. In some embodiments, the wave equation may be solved by separating it into static and dynamic solutions. In some embodiments, the dynamic solution of the wave equation may be solved utilizing an integral-based method.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for monitoring downhole pump conditions, the method comprising:

coupling a load sensor and a position sensor to a rod pump provided at a surface of a well;
gathering surface load data and position data from the load and position sensors of the rod pump;
calculating downhole load and downhole position utilizing a nonhomogenous viscous damped wave equation, wherein downhole load and downhole position is determined by solving a nonhomogeneous viscous damped wave equation utilizing an integral-based method;
plotting the downhole load and downhole position to provide a plot of the downhole position v. the downhole load.

1 more element

A system for monitoring downhole pump conditions, the system comprising:

a rod pump providing a horsehead and sucker rod coupled to the horsehead, wherein the rod pump is position at a surface to pump fluids from a well;
a prime mover coupled to the rod pump, wherein the prime mover drives the horsehead;
a position sensor coupled to the rod pump at the surface, wherein the position sensor measures surface position data of the sucker rod;
a load sensor coupled to the rod pump at the surface, wherein the load sensor measures surface load data of the sucker rod;
a processor receiving the surface load and surface position data, wherein the processor determines downhole position and downhole load by solving a nonhomogeneous viscous damped wave equation utilizing an integral-based method;
and
a display for plotting the downhole load and downhole position to provide a plot of the downhole position v. the downhole load.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/827,559Filed 17 Aug 2015

Priority

10 Oct 2014

Published

14 Apr 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E21B 47/009
Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions: monitoring of walking-beam pump systems
E21B 43/127
Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive: adaptations of walking-beam…
E21B 47/09
Survey of boreholes or wells: locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm;…
F04B 47/00
Pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for raising fluids from great depths

Systems and Methods for Real-Time Monitoring of Downhole Pump Conditions

Life of this patent

Systems and Methods for Real-Time Monitoring of Downhole Pump Conditions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14