WORKOVER EXPENSE REDUCTION; TROUBLESHOOTING ROD PUMPING WELLS
1. Check tubing and casing pressures at the wellhead with accurate gauges. (If the tubing and/or casing pressures are below line pressure, then you might have a tubing leak.)
2. Conduct a pressure test utilizing the pumpjack as per the procedure located on this website. This won't directly prove there's a downhole issue, but it will confirm if there's not. If the tubing pressures up right away and holds pressure stable, the integrity of the downhole equipment is intact. (Remember that every well will pump up at a different rate, depending on many factors such as gas oil ratio (GOR), pump efficiency, stroke length / spm, etc.)
3. If you have a "pump off controller" (POC), review the trends for rod loading, fluid load, etc. Also shoot a fluid level to ensure you have available fluid to pump. If you don't have a POC or fluid level gun available, you can hire an optimization company to conduct a dynamometer test and shoot a fluid level. Economics will determine if you want to spend the $$ right away to do this step, or if you should skip to step 4 first.
4. Lower the rods at surface, and set the well on tap. If the pump has gas locked or has some debris stuck in a valve you might be able to shake it loose and carry on pumping. If there is any reason to avoid tapping the pump (ie. specialized downhole pumps, fibreglass rodstring, etc.) then stop the jack at the top of stroke and leave it overnight. If the pump is gas-locked, this removes the compression within the barrel, and should allow bottomhole pressure to lift the standing valve and fill the barrel with fluid.
5. If you have not yet, now is the time to hire an optimization company to conduct a dynamometer and fluid level.
6. Pressure test the tubing with a pressure truck, following the pressure test procedure on this website.
7. Once these troubleshooting steps are complete, pass along all data obtained to your supervisor, optimization tech or well servicing department.
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