Importance

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Abstract

A method of monitoring and controlling a pumped well having a rod string extending from a pumping unit located at the earth's surface to a subterranean pump, the rod string being sequentially reciprocated through up and down strokes and the well producing pumped fluid through a collection pipe, the method includes measuring the displacement and the load on the rod string, determining the well is pumped-off when fluid flow from the well substantially stops, recording the maximum load on the sucker rod string during pumped-off conditions, the load being measured during a selected portion of the first portion of the rod string downstroke, establishing a target pumped-off load as a selected percentage of the measured load, periodically initiating a pumping cycle, terminating each pumping cycling when the rod load equals the target rod load. The well is pumped in cycles with each pumping cycle terminated as above described and in which the time spacing between pumping cycles is selected by the well fill-time determined by measuring the rod load during a portion of the first portion of a downstroke following each of a succession of short pauses in the pumping action until the measured rod load approaches the point where it is substantially stabilized, indicating the fluid level in the well is near an equilibrium point, which measured fill-time is then thereafter used as the delay time between each pumping cycle.

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First Claim