A shear coupling can be used with reciprocating and rotary pumps. The shear coupling uses a shear nut and connecting member as the shear element. The connecting member and shear nut are located inside the axial bore of the shear coupling to protect from corrosive wellbore elements. The coupling members may be connected by matching polygonal shaft and hub profiles on the coupling members to transmit torque. The shaft and hub may have octagonal profiles for better torque transmission capacity. The shear nut may be isolated from large alternating stresses due to pretensioning of the connecting member. The length of the connecting member, especially when pretensioned, and a reduced cross-section that may be formed on the outer surface of the shear coupling increase the overall flexibility of the shear coupling, thereby increasing the resistance to bending stress.

A plunger for oil and gas wells includes a shaft and a sleeve carried by the shaft. The sleeve defines a passageway located between a surface of the sleeve and a portion of the shaft, and the sleeve is longitudinally translatable relative to the shaft from a first configuration to a second configuration and vice versa. In the first configuration the plunger inhibits fluid flow through the passageway, and in the second configuration the plunger permits fluid flow through the passageway. The plunger further includes a force dissipating element interposed between the shaft and the sleeve. The force dissipating element at least partially dissipates forces caused by at least one of (1) the sleeve stopping relative to the shaft after translating from the first configuration to the second configuration; and (2) the sleeve stopping relative to the shaft after translating from the second configuration to the first configuration.

A hydrocarbon extractor (HE) evaluator system includes a central controller and an HE evaluator model that includes a hierarchical equipment model of heterogeneous HE type, subtype, and property, a plurality of rules arrangeable as a hierarchical equipment rule set, and as a hierarchical well feature rule set, a rules engine, the hierarchical well feature rule set formatted for a multi-factor comparison by the rules engine between heterogeneous HE types from disparate sources applied to the hierarchical equipment model. The rules engine configured to apply rules using class structure and one or more categories to an extracted portion of the hierarchical equipment model to generate results displayable to a user for determination of an HE type suitable for a particular well. A method for evaluating HE types and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for a processor to perform the method are also disclosed.

A layered visualization element system includes a processor coupled to a bus, a display device, and a data store including artificial lift evaluation results and executable computer-readable instructions, the processor configured to access the artificial lift evaluation results and to create on the display a multi-layered graphical representation having a first layer depicting in a matrix format of cells an overview of the evaluation results, at least a portion of cells graphically representing results of an evaluation of an artificial lift type to one or more rules, a second layer depicting one or more details of the evaluation associated with the one or more results graphically represented in a user-selected cell element, and a third layer providing textual details of a feasibility score representing an analysis based on the evaluation results. A non-transitory computer-readable medium and a method for displaying artificial lift evaluations are disclosed.

According to one embodiment, there is provided herein a system and method for producing a well lifecycle lift plan that includes considerations of multiple types of lift, multiple lift configurations associated with each lift type, and can be used to provide a prediction of when or if it would be desirable to change the lift plan at some time in the future. Another embodiment utilizes a heuristic database with rules that might be used to limit the solution space in some instances by restricting the solution to feasible configurations. A further embodiment teaches how multiple individual well optimization results might be combined with a reservoir model to obtain an optimized lift schedule for an entire field.

A packer, disposed in a deviated portion of a well, seals with an inner wall of the well. A first tubular, extending through the packer, receives a wellbore fluid via first inlet. A first outlet of the first tubular discharges the wellbore fluid into an annulus within the well, uphole of the packer. A second tubular, coupled to the first tubular, receives at least a liquid portion of the wellbore fluid via a second inlet. The second tubular directs the liquid portion of the wellbore fluid to a downhole artificial lift system. A sump, defined by a region of an annulus between the inner wall of the well and the first tubular, receives at least a portion of solid material carried by the wellbore fluid.

A method of predicting hydrocarbon production from one or more artificial lift wells is disclosed. Measurements and/or well test data are obtained from one or more artificial lift wells representing well performance at more than one time period. A statistical model, representing well performance, is generated. Using the statistical model and the measurements and/or well test data, real-time production of the one or more artificial lift wells is predicted and a measure of confidence is generated. Potential optimization opportunities are identified for well performance based on the predicted real-time production of the one or more artificial lift wells. The optimization opportunities are outputted. Hydrocarbon production activities are modified using the optimization opportunities.

A method can include flowing fluid from a formation from an inlet of a tool to an annulus; flowing spacer fluid from a conduit to the annulus; flowing the fluid and the spacer fluid in the annulus to a station; and collecting the fluid.

Disclosed is an oil extraction and gas production method capable of in-situ sand control and removal by downhole hydraulic lift achieved by downhole oil extraction and gas production system and ground oil extraction and gas production system. The downhole systems mainly comprises a double-layer tube, a double-layer tube reducing joint, a double-layer tube packer, a hydrodynamic turbine motor, a sludge screw pump, a soil-sand separator and a negative pressure absorber; the ground system comprises a power fluid pressurizing module and a mix fluid treatment module. The present application lowers the difficulty of pumping and lifting downhole formation fluid; achieves downhole and in-situ sand control and sand discharge, alleviates the blockage and erosion of sand particles on equipments and reduces energy consumption; decreases the production cost and improves the operation efficiency, therefore is suitable for oil extraction and gas production in high sand content wells.

Described herein are embodiments of apparatuses and methods that include an improved double sleeve plunger. In an exemplary embodiment, the improved double sleeve plunger includes an outer sleeve, and inner sleeve, and a clutch, whereby the clutch retards movement of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve between and open and closed position of the plunger.