6th Annual Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Wyndham Hotel, Dallas, TexasSeptember 14 – 17, 2010

The Samson Pump –“It’s Not Your Daddy’s Skillman”

Dave Phillips (Samson Pump LLC) Norman W. Hein, Jr., P. E. (Oil & Gas Optimization Specialists, Ltd.)

Jeff DaCunha (SPIRIT Global Energy Solutions, Inc.)Matt Raglin (SPIRIT Global Energy Solutions, Inc.)

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Contents

• Background• First Phase of Well Tests @ Red Raider #1• Pilot Well Testing @ RMOTC• Second Phase of Well Tests @ Red Raider #1• Conclusions & Recommendations

Background• One of the novel claims for the patented Skillman pump

had been that unlike conventional API pumps, which"lift fluid against gravity," Skillman's pump pumps fluidson the downstroke, allowing it to "flow freely" to thesurface

• Based on the pump’s design, it was supposed to beable to increase production and operational efficiencyversus similar a sized plunger for an API pump

• There were many industry personnel who questionedthe pump’s operation

• A test of the pump was conducted to resolve thiscontroversy.

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Red Raider #1 – First Phase Test

• Testing was done at the Texas Tech University’s Red Raider #1 test well.

• SPIRIT Global Energy Solutions, Inc. was contracted to assist with the testing and data analysis.

• Comparisons were made on how the patented Skillman pump worked versus a conventional API pump.

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Red Raider # 1The Red Raider # 1 is located on the East side of Lubbock, Texas,about 10 minutes from Texas Tech University. The well is 4006 ftdeep with 9-5/8 inch casing and a Cameron dual completion tree.The well is equipped with a Lufkin C456D-305-144 pumping unitand an ABB variable speed drive.

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Experimental SetupSept. 14 - 17, 2010 62010 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Wellhead Test LoopThe pump inlet pressure, pump outlet pressure and pump inlet temperaturewere measured with a Wood Group downhole instrument package. Tubingpressure and casing pressure were measured using various transducers.There were three different ports to install pressure transducers or gauges onboth the tubing and casing. This allowed for multiple transducers to beinstalled so that all of the RTUs did not have to rely on a single transducer.The Micro Motion mass flow meter is the silver and blue unit to the left of thewellhead.

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Phase 1 Test Results

• Results on the operation of the Skillman pump showedthe apparent way the pump worked was due to thedifference in relative size of the plunger versuspolished rod. Thus, rather than pumping on thedownstoke, there was more fluid displaced.

• However, additional test results showed unanticipatedcapabilities for this pump especially for handling solidswith very loose fit tolerances while maintaining highcompression capabilities.

• These beneficial results have lead to the renaming ofthe patented equipment as the Samson pump.

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The “Lifting” or Moving Seal Point (completely within the Barrel) is extremely vulnerable to force solids between the Barrel and the Plunger on the upstroke. Although a longer Plunger will increase the seal area, and therefore initial pump efficiency, it creates more friction, increases seal wear, and quickly reduces the pump efficiency.

Better mechanical pump efficiency is gained due to the greater surface area between the Plunger and Barrel. This larger seal area makes possible significantly bigger tolerances without sacrificing relative efficiency. This larger fit also reduces friction, handles solids much better, and extends pump run times. The “Static” or Stationary Seal Point “wipes” solids off the Plunger throughout the stroke cycle. The particulates are “washed” off of the plunger with production fluid. Additionally, as the plunger is pulled upward by rod string, it pulls the particulates away from Seal rather than  forcing them between the plunger and barrel.

When the Plunger rises, the pressure drop below causes the Traveling Valve to close and the Standing Valve to open. This allows fluid from the formation to load the Pump Barrel.

Static Fluid

Static Fluid

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Standing Valves

Pump Barrel

The Seal is theinterface (orsurface area)between thePlunger and theBarrel. Whilethis seal isconstant, the topof the seal (SealPoint) ismoving.

The Seal is theinterface (orsurface area)between thePlunger and theBarrel. Whilethis seal isvariable, the topof the seal (SealPoint) isstationary.

Traveling Valves

US Patent Nos.6,368,0846,497,561

SAMSONPlunger

Conventional Plunger

Variable Length Seal that is Stationary is better than a Moving Seal that is Constant.

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Test Results

• Conventional Pumping

1. Inefficient by Design: Leakage/Slippage

2. Vulnerable to Solids: Plunger in Barrel

3. Pulling the Pump: more frequent failures really hurt at $80+/bbl

• SAMSON Pumping

1. Efficient by Design: 67% less Leakage

2. Solids are Produced: Plunger out of Barrel

3. Design: slower strokes per minute & new valve design = long runs times

Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC)

• Field tests on open hole shale wells provided a useful application test for stripper wells.

• Problems due to poor equipment maintenance and operations limited the data obtained.

• However, there are still in place 3 pumps for continued, long term testing.

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Red Raider #1 – Second Phase

• Test Sampson pump with 1-3/4”, 1-1/4” & 3/4” pumpplungers versus same plunger sizes of conventionalAPI pump while pumping 1,3,5,7,& 9 spm with 500’of pump submergence

• Test 3/4” Sampson pump versus same sized, solidplunger, Patriot pump with 500’ submergence usingUNICO linear rod pumping system & JV Venture’sLow Volume Pumping System (LVPS) ECO2 at 1, 2 &3 spm

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Phase 2 Test Results

• Although it was planned for testing to be completed and results available for this workshop, problems with the test well monitoring equipment delayed the testing.

• Testing will continue next week and these results will be included in a paper presented at the SWPSC in Lubbock April 2011.

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Conclusions & Recommendations• The controversy on the Skillman pump’s has been

resolved.• While the pump may not have operated and provided

the original claimed improvements, novel performancecapabilities were discovered.

• Tests have shown the pump has been able to maintainhigh compression capabilities even with a very loose fittolerance.

• This may now make this pump very useful for handlingsolids especially for gaseous wells

• The pump should continue testing to determine relativecapabilities especially when using very low volumepumping systems

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Copyright

Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:

– Display the presentation at the Workshop.– Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as

directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.– Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop

Steering Committee.

Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop where it was first presented.

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DisclaimerThe following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Sucker Rod Pumping Web Site.The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is solely responsible for the content of the materials.The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including any warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability, or fitness or suitability for any purpose.