Conn Pumps

What is "Pump to Surface"

and Why is it Done?

How is it Done?

Conn Pump Valves

Pump Volumes

Comparison Diagram
 

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Two Major Ways Conn Pumps changed "Pump to Surface" Sand Clean out Operations

A sister company, Triconn Production Systems, developed a trailer mounted tubing reciprocation unit and started replacing the workover rigs at a substantially less cost (see the Triconn brochure).

Conn Oilfield then noticed the existing pump to surface tools were not all that efficient and had a limited downhole life and so one of the partners invented a new one and applied for a U.S., Canadian and worldwide patent. A new company called CONN PUMPS was formed to rent or sell the pumps for well cleanouts

What is "Pump to Surface" and Why is it Done?

Several years ago tubing bailers were modified to pump fluid to surface. These "pump to surface" tools or bailers were run on production tubing and reciprocated from surface with a work over rig. The pump would produce large volumes of sand in oil on a temporary basis. As much as 80 % sand with as little as 20 % fluid could be successfully produced. Oil companies found that if they did this before running a Progressive Cavity pump or a conventional reciprocating pump that it would reduce future problems. Some of which were;

• A reduction in premature wearing of Progressive Cavity or reciprocating pumps due to higher initial sand cuts. "Pump to surface" lowered the sand concentrations before the regular production pump was run. It has been estimated that a PC pump on a new well may only last 3 months before having to be replaced. To replace a pump along with lost production may cost anywhere from $ 11,760 up to $ 17,160. Pump to Surface will lower the sand concentrations before the PC pump or rod pump is run and extend the life of the pump.

• Sand slugs coming in during the initial period of production sometimes caused premature Progressive Cavity pump failure or plugging. "Pump to surface" eliminated this situation.

• Sand slugs coming in during the initial period of production often necessitated the repeated use of flush-by units at an average cost of $ 1200 per job, all contributing to initial high costs of production. "Pump to surface" reduced or eliminated this situation.

• What size permanent pumping equipment was to be run? Without a stabilized production rate oil companies often would run too small a pump or too big a pump. This could necessitate having to bring a rig in and exchange pumps. How much would this cost? "Pump to Surface" provided a stabilized production rate.

• Pump to Surface" often paid for the cost of the job by producing large amounts of oil while it worked. Typically the "Pump to Surface" pump will pump more volume than a Progressive Cavity pump. On a well in Suffield a Conn Pump to Surface tool produced an extra 20 m3 per day or an extra $ 1560 per day over the PC pump rate.
 

Whatever oil companies thought they were saving by not doing "pump to surface" were costing them more in the long run. What would a workover cost? What was their saving if they had a major workover due to sand? It was been estimated by an industry consortium, the AACI research program, that the sanding of some wells may have cost upwards of $ 100,000 per year per well for pump repair and well maintenance.

How "Pump to Surface" is Done

To do a "pump to surface" job for sand clean out a work over rig will run the pump to surface tool and anchor it. The tubing is attached to the pump to surface tool downhole. A typical string assembly for sand clean out would involve tubing to surface, the pump, an anchor, and two or three joints of tubing or tail pipe below that. The assembly would be anchored so that the end of the tail pipe would generally be located just into the perforations. The tubing is then continuously reciprocated up and down by the workover rig or a Portable Pump to Surface Unit.

Through the reciprocation of the tubing heavy sand-laden fluid is drawn into the tail pipe up through the pump and through the tubing to surface and to a tank. Oil companies will do this 24 hours per day anywhere from one day up to seven days until the sand cuts would drop to around 4 or 5 % and then run a production pump. In many cases initial sand cuts may run around 30 to 90 % sand. This operation was expensive since rigs cost $300 per hour and upwards.

Conn Pump Valves

We have bigger balls...Along with larger openings in the CONN pump valves.  This allows for more flow! Larger openings produce less pressure drop which eliminates gas break out.

With other tools a separate bailer is run and then tripped out. Then the "Pump to Surface" tool is run. In some instances sand may have settled back in by the time the bailer is tripped out and the "Pump to Surface" tool is run. This can cause further expense and may necessitate another trip. With the CONN tool extra pipe trips are eliminated and the danger of sand settling during this trip is eliminated.

Superior Suction! As many as 19 joints of tail pipe have been run below the CONN tool. The patented seal design allows this. Run on Horizontal Wells up to an 84-Degree Angle! This means the pump can be run further into the well on horizontal clean outs. Costs less than a coiled tubing rig.

Less chance of sanding off! With larger hex kellys having the inside diameter equivalent to 2 7/8 tubing there is less chance of sanding off. With other tools sand laden oil is being forced through a narrow opening in their kelly over a 9-foot length. This increases the chance of sanding off.

Run on Steam Flood or SAGD applications! The pump seals can with stand high temperatures as high as 200 degrees Centigrade. The valve design eliminates steam break out and increases pump efficiency.

Higher Pump Efficiencies! The patented seal design is such that the CONN "Pump to Surface" tool will produce almost at 100 % efficiency. At 5 strokes per minute the tool may produce up to 1000 barrels per day.

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Pump Volumes4 1/4" O.D. by 3 3/4" I.D. CONN Pump

Comparison Diagram  CONN PTS Pump and Brand X PTS Pump

Conn Pump to Surface tools are more efficient

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3761 barrels of sand! On 16 different wells, this CONN pump produced this much sand, and more!

This pump was used on "pump to surface" applications to initially produce high sand cut wells. It was used temporarily on 16 different wells for a total of 2365 hours (equivalent of 99 days) of pumping. During this period the pump produced heavy oil with sand cuts as high as 95%. This pump produced 3620 m/3 of fluid at an overall average sand cut percentage of 17% throughout the 16 wells and produced 598 m/3 of sand or enough sand to fill 3761 barrels or five 750 barrel tanks. This pump still has the original pump barrel, seals, and valves.