Progressive Cavity

Pumps (PCP)
 Downhole Progressive Cavity Pump
• A downhole progressive cavity pump connects the stator and the rotor of the pump to
the end of the tube and sucker rod.
• The ground drive equipment then rotates the rotor through use of the sucker rod,
thereby lifting underground liquid to the surface.
• PCP unique features
– The PCP volumetric technology allows easy adjustment of production according
to rotational speed. With a variable speed drive, the same equipment can cover a
wide range of production rate.
– The PCP design is ideal for handling a wide range of viscosities, sand laden
fluids and free gas. The PCP volumetric, non-pulsating and emulsion free system
steadily handles fluctuating well dynamics, viscosities and free gas content.

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 PCP System Configuration
Surface Equipment Downhole Equipment

Belts & Sheaves

Tubing String

Surface Drive Sucker Rods

w/ Couplings
Electric Motor

Stuffing Box

PC Pump Stator

Pumping Tee

PC Pump Rotor
Polished Rod

Tagbar
Sucker Rods
w/ Couplings
No-Turn Tool

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Surface PC Drive
• The basic functions of a surface PC drive are:
– Suspend the rod string and carry the axial loads
– Deliver the torque required at the polished rod
– Rotate the polished rod at the required speed in a safe
manner
– Provide for safe release of the stored energy during
shut-downs
– Prevent produced fluids from escaping the system
• To achieve these functions, drives typically comprise the
following components:
– Thrust Bearing
– Transmission System (Fixed Gear or Sheaves & Belts)
– Braking Mechanism (or recoil control system)
– Stuffing Box
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 Prime Movers
• Internal Combustion Gas Engine
– Excellent option for non-electrified areas
– Variable Speed Capability
– Can work with diesel, gasoline or natural gas
– Manual Operation
– High Maintenance required
• Electric Motor
– Low maintenance requirements
– Higher efficiency
– Low energy costs
– Easy operation and low noise
– High cost of operation if area is not electrified
– Variable speed can only be achieve by
changing sheave ratio, rewiring motor or using
an electronic speed control device
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 Surface PC Drive
Stuffing Box - Conventional Type

• Seals on the rotating polished rod to control fluid

leakage from the production system
• Conventional design that uses special packing
material (rope style) which compress against the
polished rod
• Requires regular inspection and
maintenance
• Flanged or pinned wellhead attachments
• Better suited for:
– All vertical, low to medium speed wells
– All low to medium abrasive wells

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 Pumping Tee / Rod BOP
• Pumping Tee is a necessary device in
PCP installations to direct the flow from
the tubing string to the surface pipeline
• Rod BOP is an alternative device that
could be used for safety purposes
• “Composite” Special design combines a
Pumping Tee and a BOP into one
single piece for simpler surface
configurations
• Rod “Clamps” (as the WFT ‘Support
Clamp’ or the OilLift ‘Rod-Lock’) are
used to hold rod string axial load for
ease wellhead service and repair

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Sucker Rod String
General Features
• Transmits power (torque) from the surface
drive system to the downhole pump
• PCP applications subject rods to a
combination of torsion and axial loads
– Overall stress state is normally governed
by torsional component
– Cyclic bending loads can occur due to
rod rotation in areas of wellbore curvature
– Rod make-up is more critical due to the
constantly applied torsion load
• Sucker Rods are available in conventional
coupled configuration (solid or hollow) or
continuous design

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 Progressing Cavity Pump
• Consists in two key components:
• Rotor:
– Is a high strength steel piece
covered with chrome and
externally machined as an helix
of “n” lobes.
– Only moving part.
• Stator:
– Generally made with elastomer
(or rubber) with and internal
shape as an helix of “n+1” lobes.
– Elastomer is permanently
bonded to the tube
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 Advantages
• Produce high viscous fluids, large
solid concentration and moderate
free gas
• Low internal shear rates limit fluid
emulsification by agitation
• No valves to clog or gas lock
• Low capital and power costs
• Low wellhead profile

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 PCP Typical Ranges of Application
• HEAVY OIL • MEDIUM OIL
less than 18 API Gravity: 18 to 30 API Gravity:
– 500 to 100,000 cps Viscosity – Less than 500 cps Viscosity
– 300 to 1100 Meters (1000-3500 ft) – 600 to 1400 Meters (2000-4500 ft)
– up to 500 m3/day (3,150 bls/day) – up to 500 m3/day (3150 bls/day)
– Sand cuts up to 50% – less than 2% Sand cuts
– Water cuts up to 100% – Water cuts up to 100%
– Low Aromatics, GOR – Greater possibilities of aromatics,
higher GOR’s, H2S and CO2
– H2S and CO2 possible

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PCP Failure Analysis

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 STATOR - High Differential Pressure
• Failure Identification

– Characterized by surfaces that are hard, shiny with jagged edges

where elastomer has detached along the rotor/stator seal line

– Extreme cases large pieces of rubber are removed extensively

throughout the pump

• Cause:

– differential pressure across the pump exceeds manufacturer

rating

– Large differential pressure created by:

• tubing or flowline restrictions

• valves closed

• under designed pump

• Remedy:

– pump rated head should exceed production press

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 STATOR - Hysteresis
• Cause:

– Rotor/stator interference fit

• tight fit generates large shear forces

– High Pressure

• creates large shear forces which deflect elastomer

– Swelling

• increases rotor/stator interference fit

• Consider Uniform Thickness Elastomer Pump

– Frequency of Deformation:

• Controlled by pump speed

• The higher the speed the greater the effect

– Fluid Rate:

• Heat Dissipation is controlled by:

– type of fluid, volume produced, if pump is sumped

• Remedy:

– Match elastomer to wellbore fluid, size for swell

– Run the pump at lower speeds

– Over stage pump to lower differential pressure

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 STATOR - Abrasion
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by surfaces that are rough and
have horizontal wear lines
• Cause:
– Rate of abrasion is dependent on the
abrasiveness of the particles, quantity, velocity
through the pump and rotational speed
• Remedy:
– Use higher resilience elastomer
– Reduce speed of pump
– Use larger pump to decrease flow velocity

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 STATOR – Debris Damage

• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by large gouges, tears or pits
• Cause:
– Large solid particles pass through pump and get
jammed into the seal lines
• Remedy:
– Proper wellbore clean-out

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 STATOR – High Pressure Wash
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by worm like holes and grooves
• Cause:
– Small orifices are created by embedded particles
• Erosion takes place due to jetting action
through orifice
• Remedy:
– Use elastomer with high resilience properties

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 STATOR – Incompatible Fluids
• Failure Identification:
– Absorption of gas and fluids can cause
• softening
• blistering
• swelling
• Cause:
– Elastomers are permeable therefore allow fluid or gas to absorb into them
• results in softening, blistering and swelling
– Softening, blistering and swelling deteriorates elastomer mechanical properties
– Swelling increases rotor/stator interference fit
• high torque and horse power requirements
• increases hysteresis effect
– Surface blistering due to explosive decompression
• Remedy:
– Match elastomer to wellbore fluids
– Consider Constant Thickness Pump for high swell applications
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 STATOR – Run Dry Damage
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by surfaces that are hard, brittle
and extensively cracked
• Cause:
– running the pump dry for extended periods
• causes extended vulcanization of elastomer
• Remedy:
– Monitor producing fluid levels
– Use charge-pumps or extended rotors to break-
up sand slugs and prevent plugging of pump
intake

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 STATOR - Elastomer Blistering
• Blistering is one result of explosive decompression (ED)
• ED is when an elastomer compound is exposed to high
pressure for a period sufficient for gas molecules to
diffuse into the compound. Subsequent rapid reduction in
pressure can cause internal fracturing in the form of
cracks or blisters.
• Elastomers exposed to CO2 are leading cause of ED
failures

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STATOR - Explosive Decompression
• Common causes of rapid pressure reductions:
– Retrieving pump to surface
– Rapid fluid equalization between casing and tubing in
pumped off wells. The deeper the well the more
pronounced the pressure drop
• Majority of damage at pump discharge
• Permeation is a diffusion process governed by:
– temperature
– pressure differential
– thickness of elastomer
• See handout on ED

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 ROTOR – Wearing
• Failure Identification:
– Characterized by horizontal erosion lines on major
diameter
– Result of normal pumping action
– Advanced wear is characterized by wear to the base
metal along the major diameter
• Cause:
– tight rotor/stator interference fit
– accelerated by quantity and quality of abrasives,
pump speed and differential pressure
• Remedy:
– Pump at lower speeds
– Use alternative rotor coatings;
• boronize
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