Long-Stroke Pump Speed Control for Gas Interference Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas interference in downhole pumps of long-stroke pumping units reduces liquid hydrocarbon production efficiency and causes equipment damage, necessitating a more effective management strategy.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a controller to monitor liquid pump fillage values, detect gas interference patterns, and increase the pump operation speed to a higher speed to clear out gas slugs quickly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pump operation speed is maintained at normal levels during gas interference, then the equipment operates within standard parameters, but the liquid hydrocarbon production rate decreases and gas interference persists

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment operation stabilityVSAvoidliquid hydrocarbon production rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pump operation speed is dynamically adjusted based on detected gas interference conditions. The controller increases the pump speed from normal operation to a higher speed specifically when gas interference is detected, allowing the system to adapt to changing downhole conditions and clear gas slugs efficiently while maintaining standard operation during normal conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the pump operation is slowed or stopped to manage gas interference, then gas interference is reduced, but production time increases and revenue decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas interference reductionVSAvoidproduction time loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of slowing or stopping the pump to manage gas interference, the system rushes through the gas interference condition by increasing pump speed. This allows the pump to quickly clear gas slugs from the wellbore and resume normal liquid production, minimizing the time lost to gas interference conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Productivity

If the pump operation speed is increased during gas interference, then gas slugs are cleared quickly and production efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidpump energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The increased pump speed is applied periodically or temporarily only when gas interference is detected, rather than continuously. The controller monitors downhole conditions and adjusts speed accordingly, maintaining high speed during gas interference events and returning to normal speed during standard operation, thus limiting energy consumption to only when necessary

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20250270919A1Gas Interference Detection and Control of Long-Stroke Pumping Unit Speed for Gas Interference Mitigation

Publication Date: 2025.08.28 CHAMPIONX LLC

AI summary

Managing gas interference in a downhole pump, such as for liquid hydrocarbon well production, is accomplished by monitoring pump operational data indicating liquid pump fillage values, determining from indicative patterns in the monitored data, possibly observed over a number of pump strokes, whether a gas interference condition exists, and in response to determining that the gas interference condition exists, increasing a normal pump speed to a higher speed. In response to determining that the gas interference condition does not exist, a normal pump speed may be resumed.