High Rate Conversions

Lightning Production Services can help operators decrease their operating expenditures by converting from ESP to rod lift earlier in the wellbore's life with LightningRod™ continuous rod. Due to high ESP failure rates and associated costs in deviated wellbores, operators are beginning to convert from ESP to rod lift earlier.

LightningRod™ is 8 – 12% lighter than conventional sucker rods and reduces the friction between the rod and tubing by eliminating the need for rod guides. This combination allows operators to produce higher rates of fluid without the need to increase pumping unit size. Because continuous rod strings allow for substantial increases in production over conventional sucker rods, operators can convert their wells from ESP to rod lift earlier.

Furthermore, continuous rod has been shown to reduce failures caused by rod on tubing wear, giving an additional benefit to operators who choose to convert to rod pump earlier. The following scenarios were run in RodStar; all variables were kept constant except rod string design and SPM*.

Pump Depth	Pumping Unit	Conventional Rod	Continuous Rod
6,000ft	640	264	333
	912	382	443
7,000ft	640	191	251
	912	295	406
8,000ft	640	173	208
	912	244	303
9,000ft	640	153	190
	912	150	250

Advantages of LightningRod™ continuous rod in high rate wells

• Reduced gearbox loading.
• Increased fluid production.
• Lower bottom-hole pressures.

—Read Our Case Studies