Wellsite Intelligence with the Rod Pumping Solution

Rod Pump Controller (RPC)

An affordable solution that matches well inflow and system displacement, the RPC has been shown to reduce down time for wells and power consumption while increasing or maintaining production.

By using the RPC, operators can infer daily fluid production to provide daily flow rate information and minimize fluid pound from pump-off. The graphical interface offers an easy way to navigate and trend well performance at the well head.

Remote radio communications enable operators to centralize data collection and maximize system use. With the RPC, operators can tune their wells using operating set points in the system and can detect well failures immediately. The RPC's modular design provides plug and play I/O. Weatherford's RPCs use Nema 4X enclosures to withstand harsh environmental conditions.

RPCs

Weatherford offers three RPCs that are manufactured in house. In addition, the solution can incorporate existing RPC or RPCs from another provider that the customer prefers. The RPCs that Weatherford provides are able to fill specific needs based on the characteristics of the field's operations.

Budget RPC

The Budget RPC is an affordable RPC that offers the control needed to reduce failures and increase the efficiency of rod-pumped wells. The Budget RPC offers some expandability and two serial ports for radio and other connections.

Utility RPC

The utility RPC uses a more advanced internal design of separate cards rather than a single board. This RPC provides additional I/O capabilities than the Budget RPC for adding analogs, meters, discretes, or other devices.

Multi-port RPC

The Multi-port RPC can be used with wells fitted with a variable speed motor controller. It provides the most I/O and serial port connections. It is based on multiple card technology and the latest advances in technology.

Vector Flux Drive (VFD)

Weatherford's Vector Flux Drive provides infinite speed control with constant torque control throughout the speed range. The VFD can be used by itself or coupled with downhole sensors for more defined control. An intelligent RTU can add data logging capability for finer resolution in data capture. Our VFDs are available in different drive package sizes based on needed horse power.

By using the VFD, crews no longer have to travel to the wellsite to change sheaves and belts to match reservoir inflow to the well. The VFDs gain improved efficiencies by using Nema B instead of Nema D motors. Weatherford's VFDs reduce failures by controlling the stress on the rod string. Reduced costs are gained by minimizing rod string failures. In most cases, one or two rod string failures in the life time of the well pays for the installation. Weatherford's VFD can help to increase production, if there is more oil available down hole. Wells with VFDs are normally set so that the wells do not pump off, but fluid level is maintained at a minimal level above the pump intake.

This can be advantageous in wells with high solids content and may serve to increase overall inflow due to the reduced hydrostatic on the reservoir. By avoiding pump off conditions, the problems associated with pumping off are avoided.

Traditionally, variable speed drives have used dynamometer cards only to analyze the rod forces in the well in non-real time (after-the-fact) situations. With Weatherford's VFD for rod pumping, the information used to generate dynamometer cards is used for real-time speed, torque.

By combining an RPC and a VFD on one well, you can obtain the benefits from both. While the RPC optimizes the production of the well, the VFD optimizes the performance of the motor.

Our case study ePAC Flux Vector Rod Pump Controller Variable-Speed Control show how companies have benefited from our rod pump and VFD solutions.

End Devices

Weatherford provides the end devices that are needed to complete the rod-pump automation solution. These devices include clamp-on beam load transducers, position sensors, inclinometers, and load cells. Because of the openness and versatility of Weatherford's solution other manufacturer's instruments can be integrated with the solution. These instruments include net oil computers, flow control devices, and multiphase meters.

The downhole pressure sensors provide valuable data for detailing well performance characteristics. By adding this device to the solution, previously unidentified information can be used to take proper action to correct inefficient operations.

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