Why Wells Are More Productive with Carbon Fiber Sucker Rods

1. Why Wells Are More Productive with Carbon Fiber Sucker Rods The process of extracting oil from a land-based well has not changed much since modern oil wells were first introduced in the mid-19th century. You dig a well, build a reciprocating piston pump over the top of it, and top it off with a pump jack. In no time at all you are producing oil. At the core of your piston pump and pump jack are what are known in the industry as sucker rods. Rock West Composites is proud to supply the petroleum industry with tough, state-of-the-art sucker rods made of carbon fiber. The petroleum industry's use of composite parts has led to increased production, lower costs, and longer well life. We are thrilled to be a part of it. Piston Pumps and Lifting To understand the benefits of carbon fiber sucker rods, you have to understand the principle of how piston pumps work. A piston pump is a type of pump that creates lift by combining up-and-down strokes along the entire length of a well's drill hole. Like the piston in a car engine, the one in a piston pump consists of a long shaft with a valve attached at one end. On either side of the piston are tubes. As the piston is pulled up through the drill hole, a valve at the bottom of the well closes so that the piston can draw oil up into the tubes. On the down stroke, the air valve opens and the piston falls to the bottom of the hole. The process then repeats itself. Without getting into all the details, the main component of the piston used in oil well operations consists of a number of sucker rods connected by threaded ends. The advantage of this sort of set up is that pistons can be varying lengths depending on the depth of the well. This gives engineers greater flexibility when choosing how and when to pump oil. Carbon Fiber Sucker Rods Until recently, sucker rods were typically made of steel. That worked well enough, but once engineers figured out that carbon fiber could do a better job, it became the primary choice for sucker rod manufacturing. Carbon fiber’s ultra light weight and high strength compared to steel make it an ideal material for sucker rods. More importantly, carbon fiber sucker rods make oil wells more productive. Here's why:  Deeper Wells– Well depth is often dependent on two factors: weight and cost. The deeper the well, the heavier the piston mechanism. Weight adds to cost by requiring a more robust pumping system and more energy to run the pump. You can dig deeper when using carbon fiber sucker rods because they reduce weight and cost.

2.  Increased Production– Because carbon fiber weighs less than steel, carbon fiber rods allow for more fluid to be extracted as a percentage of the total load lifted with each stroke. In simple terms, each stroke produces more oil.  Longer Well Life– Carbon fiber sucker rods reduce torque demand on pumping units and reduce load weight, thereby increasing the life expectancy of pumping equipment. That means longer well life too. Carbon fiber brings a lot to the table when used as a replacement for steel and aluminum. To the petroleum industry, carbon fiber is the ideal material for sucker rods that weigh less, allow for deeper wells, and produce more oil with every stroke. It is no wonder then that carbon fiber sucker rods are now preferred over steel for many applications. Are you interested in knowing how carbon fiber could change the way your business does things? If so, let us talk.