An apparatus for monitoring rod rotation in a rod lift system. The apparatus comprises one or more sensors that reside on the rod string of the rod lift system. The sensor is configured via a processor to generate a signal indicative of radial position of the sensor relative to an external frame of reference. The signal may be sent to a wireless I/O module, with the signals being indicative of at least partial rotation or, alternatively, a lack of rotation, of the rod-string. The processor is configured to generate an alarm if an absence of rod rotation is detected while the rod lift system is running and transmit this signal to the nearby wireless I/O module. A method for monitoring a reciprocating rod lift system is also provided.

A sucker rod cleaning system includes an inductive heating device, a feed mechanism, a first support and a second support. An electromagnet of inductive heating device includes a wire coil head that is configured to inductively heat a sucker rod positioned within a heating zone. The feed mechanism is configured to feed a sucker rod through the heating zone in a feed direction. The first support is positioned on an upstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the teed mechanism. The second support is positioned on a downstream side of the wire coil head, and is configured to support a portion of a sucker rod as it is fed through the heating zone by the feed mechanism.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide apparatus and techniques for providing a seal for a polished rod. One example apparatus is a stuffing box. The stuffing box generally includes: a first flange configured to surround a polished rod; a second flange configured to surround the polished rod; a seal package disposed between the first flange and the second flang, the seal package being configured to surround and connect to the polished rod; and a flexible membrane surrounding the seal package, the flexible membrane being connected to at least a portion of the seal package.

An apparatus and method for use in an artificial lift system to provide under pumping mitigation functionality in which a sucker rod pump's pumping speed is adjusted through the use of a controller that determines whether: (a) the fillage level of the pump is equal to or above a pre-determined fillage level and (b) whether the fluid level in the wellbore in which the pump is positioned is not decreasing and increases the pumping rate of the pump if, over a given period, both (i) the fluid level is not decreasing and (ii) the pump fillage level is above the predetermined fillage level.

A computer-implemented method for determining an operational property of a drill-rod borehole pump. A load-distance diagram with curve points for the pump is ascertained by an analysis device using a detection device and is provided as an operational load-distance diagram with operational curve points. Wherein in a training mode, a load-distance diagram model for the pump with model curve points is generated and trained on the basis of machine learning, at least two specified analysis regions are determined in the load-distance diagram model, and a reference point is ascertained from the model curve points of at least one region. In an operating mode for the operational load-distance diagram, a check is carried out to determine whether the at least one reference point is contained within the surface contained by the operational curve points, and if so, the operational property of the conveyor pump is determined therefrom.

An artificial lift system for a horizontal well deploys a downhole pump and flexible bladder reservoir chamber to be used with a conventional rod pump. The rod pump is used in the vertical at the top of the curve. The flexible bladder reservoir chamber is connected to the rod pump intake. The downhole pump is set in the producing formation and is connected to the reservoir chamber by tubing. The lift system uses a compressor drive system to operate the downhole pump to move fluids from the producing formation to the reservoir chamber. The reservoir chamber uses the flexible chamber bladder that is filled with well fluids by operation of the downhole pump to provide a continuous supply of well fluids to the rod pump intake. Operation of the rod pump lifts fluids from the flexible chamber bladder without regard to the operation state of the downhole pump.

An anchor preserves the seal on an oscillating polishing rod in a pumpjack. The anchor has first and second sidewalls. The sidewalls are joined and oriented in opposite directions to create a cylindrical sidewall for the anchor. The cylindrical sidewall extends about a longitudinal axis and is coupled to a radial hinge that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The radial hinge couples the first sidewall relative to the second sidewall and facilitates the opening and closing of the cylindrical sidewall to create a clamping area in the locked position. A transverse hinge extends in an orthogonal direction relative to the radial hinge. The transverse hinge supports a rotating shaft on the exterior surface of the sidewall. A clasp on the opposite end of the shaft selectively and optionally locks the first sidewall relative to the second sidewall to create the clamping area of the anchor.

Systems and methods for providing power to devices at a well site employ a linear alternator to generate power at a well site. The linear alternator is mounted on a pump at the well site and uses the up-and-down motion of the pump to generate power. The pump may be a nodding donkey head pump or other sucker rod pump mechanisms that operate based on linear vertical motion. The linear vertical motion drives a linear rotor back and forth through a linear stator to induce current in the linear alternator. This allows the linear alternator to convert a portion of the mechanical work performed by the pump into electrical energy that can be supplied to the devices. In some embodiments, the pump-mounted linear alternator can be equipped with a position sensor to directly measure a vertical position of the pump as the alternator travels up and down with the pump.

A computer-implemented method for determining an operational property of a drill-rod borehole pump. A load-distance diagram with curve points for the pump is ascertained by an analysis device and provided as an operational load-distance diagram with operational curve points. In a training mode, a model load-distance diagram with respective model curve points is provided, and normalized to a specified reference variable, and for at least one sub-quantity of the model curve points, a model is generated and trained on the basis of a Kohonen network with elliptical Fourier descriptors. In an operating mode, the operational curve points are normalized to the reference variable, elliptical Fourier descriptors are determined for the operational curve points, and checked to determine a similarity between the elliptical Fourier descriptors of the operational curve points and the model of the Kohonen network, and if so, the operational property of the pump is determined.

A flow stopper has an elongated shape for positioning in a tubular cavity of a check valve. The elongated shape has a concave section such that the flow stopper can impact a line running along an inner surface of a housing forming the tubular cavity in a lengthwise direction of the tubular cavity. The concave section allows the flow stopper to impact the housing with a first point of contact and a second point of contact on the line, and the two points of contact are separated by a gap where the flow stopper does not contact the housing. The flow stopper may include a first and a second ball where the balls are connected by a stem. The flow stopper may also include a plurality of balls that are not connected to each other. The flow stopper may include a ball connected to a stem.