Artificial Lift in the Utica

I've seen the stories about needing "nodding donkeys" but does anyone who works in industry have a feel as to what has been tried, what it working (or isn't). ESP's, gas llift?

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Permalink Reply by pg guy on September 5, 2013 at 8:45am

I can't answer your question, but I do know that in 30 plus years in the industry I have never heard them called "nodding donkeys" by anyone in the business.  (My experience is relatively isolated, all Appalachian basin, so maybe in some other region that is the term applied.)  Jacks, pump jacks, or pumping units are terms frequently used.

Permalink Reply by Trapper on September 5, 2013 at 10:28am

From what i have heard that donkey in Tijuana does alot more than nod.;-)

Seriously , though , these super deep and super long horizontal wells have to be a whole new frontier and must be a real challenge to try to apply conventional technology to. Can pumpjacks be strong enough to draw oil to the surface from such great depths? How much volume is within the confines of a 5000' lateral. How much would that volume of oil weigh and how much suction would it take to bring it up to the surface? Must be an "engineer's dream" (or nightmare) kind of project. One thing is for certain: American Enginuity will figure out a way!

Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on September 5, 2013 at 3:49pm

I'm told that the oil must flow at a good steady rate or the submersible and jet pump's burn up. Wells producing under 200 bbl / day will likely be tubing wells and conventional artificial lift. 

The submersible jet will unload a well much faster on flow back is what I hear, but for long term production, it will have to be a good producing oil well for this technology to be deployed.

Permalink Reply by bo boboski on September 5, 2013 at 8:59am

Who cares if they need pumpjacks, it OIL, man.  pump it up!

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on September 5, 2013 at 12:26pm
Google it.
Nodding Donkey = Pumpjack per Wickipedia.
Well utilized synonym (pun attempted).
Permalink Reply by p umpjack on September 5, 2013 at 2:46pm

perfect.......

Permalink Reply by Kangoo on September 6, 2013 at 2:31am

I have never heard the word used in the US, but it's a common term in the UK. In French and German on the other hand they use a term that can be translated to 'horse head pump'.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on September 6, 2013 at 4:17am
Well, can't say that anymore since we all heard it right here on these pages in the good old USA !
Permalink Reply by Gary L on September 9, 2013 at 1:38pm

Past few days GE is making headway to get into the oil & gas business. Earlier this year they opened a research center in Oklahoma to develop new technologies to extract

oil from shale strata and recoup oil left behind on older wells.  Link about GE.  

http://www.geoilandgasannualmeeting.com/static/global-multimedia/og...

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/is-ge-about-to-go-big-in-oil-and...

Permalink Reply by Brian Powers on September 10, 2013 at 3:01am

PA Joe -

I'll confirm that the Brits do indeed refer to pumping units as "nodding donkeys". The piece at the end of the walking beam that resembles the horse's head is called the horse's head and the wire rope, steel plate and nut/bolt arrangement is the bridle. The bridle attaches to a polished stainless steel rod called the polished rod that attaches to the steel sucker rods that connect to the downhole pump.

Any form of artificial lift used is designed to lift fluid from the vertical section to reduce the pressure exerted by the fluid column and ultimately promote flow from the horizontal section. Fluid trapped in the lateral itself exerts no backpressure on the propped fractures and generally will not impede flow. It is possible to design the well to provide a sump to let the lateral fluids to drain into

All forms of lift require a capital investment; the investment for beam lift, esp, etc., is at the unit or individual well level, while more complex forms of lift like gas lift and  jet pumping are vastly more capital intensive and one central station may serve multiple wells. Having said that, each form of lift has advantages and disadvantages, and I'll spare the lecture on each form for today. Whomever commented on ESP's being susceptible to overheating and burning in the absence of a cooling liquid is absolutely correct.

 

Brian

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on September 10, 2013 at 7:52am

Brian, thanks (regarding your reply to PA Joe).

The 1st time I ever heard the term 'Nodding Donkeys' used was on these pages quite awhile ago - perhaps going on 2 years ago.  When I read the words for the 1st time I knew exactly what they were pertaining to however - very descriptive and since they are very prevalent in and around our lands.

I've a few questions for you however if you please.

1) If the bottom of the hole is something like 5000 - 5500 feet below the surface of the earth, seems to me that there would be a considerable overburden geo-pressure.  Correspondingly, it also seems that geo-pressure would do quite a bit of the work pertaining to lift.  Is that not true ?

2) Also, then the horsepower required to do the remaining lifting of the production would be less than if there were a very low geo-pressure interacting (say from shallower depths).  Is that not true ?

3) Then there is the viscosity of the production and the diameter of the riser pipe to consider, both of which would also affect the required lifting horsepower.  Is that not true ?

4) Wondering what amount of horsepower would be required to lift oil from 5000 feet below.  Do you know ?

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

J-O

Mike MurphyPermalink Reply by Mike Murphy on September 16, 2013 at 7:51am

most clinton wells that are around the 5000 foot depth in ohio use a 10 horsepower electric motor .....i feel the biggest problem would be rod s wearing out in a horizonal well not the size of the pumpjack or the horsepower to operate the pumpjack .......even if the well is just angle drilled u would run into rod wearing out from rubbing on the tubing 

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