System and method to monitor and control reciprocating rod lift system

Abstract

A computerized process here is used for managing a reciprocating rod lift system equipped with an electric motor and a downhole pump. The process obtains real-time acquisition of pump card information (reflecting position and load of the system) and energy usage data of the electric motor. The energy data is mapped onto the scale of the pump card information, incorporating two energy draw thresholds: one for the motor's downstroke and another for its upstroke. The process then initiates specific operational events based on certain determinations: if the energy usage during the downstroke exceeds the first threshold, if the energy usage surpasses the second threshold during the upstroke, or if the difference in energy usage between the downstroke and upstroke crosses a third predefined threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by a computerized device for a reciprocating rod lift system, the reciprocating rod lift system having a surface pumping unit with an electric motor and having a downhole pump, the method comprising:
 obtaining pump card information in real time during operation of the reciprocating rod lift system, the pump card information relating position and load of the reciprocating rod lift system;   obtaining energy draw measurements of the electric motor in real time during the operation of the reciprocating rod lift system;   associating the energy draw measurements into a scale of the pump card information;   associating a first energy draw threshold and a second energy draw threshold into the scale of the pump card information, the first energy draw threshold associated with the electric motor being operated in a downstroke of the reciprocating rod lift system, the second energy draw threshold associated with the electric motor being operated in an upstroke of the reciprocating rod lift system; and   initiating at least one first operational event in response to at least one of:
 determining that the energy draw measurements in the downstroke exceeds the first energy draw threshold; 
 determining that the energy draw measurements in the upstroke exceeds the second energy draw threshold; and 
 determining that a difference between the energy draw measurements in the downstroke and the energy draw measurements in the upstroke exceeds a third threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the at least one first operational event in response to determining that the energy draw measurements in the downstroke exceeds the first energy draw threshold comprises indicating, for a beam pumping unit as the surface pumping unit having a crank, a heavy crank condition as the at least one first operational event. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the at least one first operational event in response to determining that the energy draw measurements in the downstroke exceeds the first energy draw threshold comprises indicating, for a stroke unit as the surface pumping unit having a weight box, a heavy weight box condition as the at least one first operational event. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the at least one first operational event in response to determining that the energy draw measurements in the upstroke exceeds the second energy draw threshold comprises indicating a rod heavy condition as the at least one first operational event. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising initiating a second operational event in response to:
 determining that a first peak value for the load in the upstroke has exceeded a first limit; and   determining that a second peak value for torque of a reducer for the electric motor of the reciprocating rod lift system exceeds a second limit.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein initiating the second operational event comprises indicating a loading condition indicative of excess load on the reducer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein further comprising initiating a second operational event in response to determining, based on pump parameters, a fluid pound condition or a pump-off condition associated with the downhole pump. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pump parameters include one or more of: pump fillage, downhole fillage, pump intake pressure, fluid level, and downhole load span. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein initiating the second operational event comprises indicating a consumption condition indicative of excessive consumption of energy by the electric motor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising initiating a third operational event, based on the reciprocating rod lift system being fixed speed or being a standard operation well, that stops the reciprocating rod lift system on idle for at least a time period. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising initiating, based on the reciprocating rod lift system being variable speed, a third operational event that reduces a strokes per minute of the reciprocating rod lift system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising receiving an input setting a minimum strokes per minute of the reciprocating rod lift system, whereby initiating the third operational event that reduces the strokes per minute of the reciprocating rod lift system comprises setting the reciprocating rod lift system to the minimum strokes per minute. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising initiating, based on the reciprocating rod lift system being variable speed, a third operational event that reduces a frequency of the electric motor of a variable speed device for the reciprocating rod lift system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the first and second energy draw thresholds into the scale of the pump card information comprises receiving inputs setting the first and second energy draw thresholds into the scale of the pump card information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving an input setting the third threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of obtaining the pump card information, obtaining the energy draw measurements, and initiating in response to the at least one determination comprises performing and repeating the steps at a set number of strokes of the reciprocating rod lift system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining surface measurements including the position and the load associated with one or more strokes of the surface pumping unit; and   calculating, based on the surface measurements, a surface pump card for the pump card information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising calculating, based on the surface measurements, a downhole pump card for the downhole pump of the reciprocating rod lift system. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon for causing a computerized device to perform a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A computerized device for use with a reciprocating rod lift system, the reciprocating rod lift system having a surface pumping unit with an electric motor and having a downhole pump, the computerized device comprising:
 memory storing pump card information, energy draw measurements, and first and second energy draw thresholds, the pump card information being obtained in real time during operation of the reciprocating rod lift system, the pump card information relating position and load of the reciprocating rod lift system, the energy draw measurements of the electric motor being obtained in real time during the operation of the reciprocating rod lift system; and   one or more processors in communication with the memory and being configured to:
 associate the energy draw measurements into a scale of the pump card information; 
 associate a first energy draw threshold and a second energy draw threshold into the scale of the pump card information, the first energy draw threshold associated with the electric motor being operated in a downstroke of the reciprocating rod lift system, the second energy draw threshold associated with the electric motor being operated in an upstroke of the reciprocating rod lift system; and 
 initiate at least one first operational event in response to at least one of:
 a first determination that the energy draw measurements in the downstroke exceeds the first energy draw threshold; 
 a second determination that the energy draw measurements in the upstroke exceeds the second energy draw threshold; and 
 a third determination that a difference between the energy draw measurements in the downstroke and the energy draw measurements in the upstroke exceeds a third threshold.