Our proven Hi-Rise System™ including continuous rod, lined tubing, engineering services, well servicing,and EMI technology, overcomes production challenges in unconventional wells.
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Lightning Production Services is proud to share that our President & CEO, LJ Guillotte, was recently featured in the February 2026 edition of The American Oil & Gas Reporter.
In the article, “Coil Rod Adoption Grows in Permian,” LJ explores why continuous rod (coiled rod) is gaining momentum in deep, highly deviated wells, and how advancements in service infrastructure and inspection technology are removing long-standing barriers to adoption.
Read the full article in the American Oil & Gas Reporter. Or download the PDF reprint.
Why Coil Rod Is Gaining Ground
"In deep horizontal wells with high production, a less common technique for addressing side loads is gradually gaining popularity: continuous rod strings. Also called coiled rod, these strings replace traditional sucker rods with steel coils that have been welded together, heat treated (austenitized, quenched and tempered) and attached to a six-meter spool for deployment. Continuous strings eliminate every coupling except the two pin ends that attach the string to the polished rod and connect the string to the pump."
Accelerating ESP-to-Rod Transitions
"Another benefit of eliminating couplings is that coiled rod is lighter than its stick counterpart. This allows the pump to lift higher volumes without requiring as big a pumping unit or gearbox. Recognizing this, some Permian Basin operators have begun using continuous strings to transition wells from electric submersible pumps to rod pumps earlier, as rod pumps tend to be less expensive to operate."
Removing Barriers: Service Infrastructure & EMI Inspection
"Today, the industry has a far more precise and consistent way to evaluate coiled rod. Thanks to a portable electromagnetic scanner (EMI) developed for use with coiled rod, operators can check the condition of the string as they pull it out of the well during workovers (whether those relate to the rod string or other parts of the well). The scanner looks at all 360 degrees of the rod surface and does not introduce any delays."
Decades of History, Growing Momentum
"Coiled rod originated in the early 1970s. It has a long history of rotating progressive cavity pumps to lift viscous oils in Canada, California, and Venezuela, as well as a much shorter but equally impressive record in shale plays. I’m not aware of any published tallies of how much coiled rod has been deployed, but in the continental United States, the number likely exceeds 8 million feet."
Read the Full Article in the American Oil & Gas Reporter.
As President and CEO of Lightning Production Services for over 14 years, Guillotte has positioned the company as a leader in the artificial lift sector. With over 30 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas (O&G) industry, he has made significant contributions to the field, particularly in production optimization, automation, artificial lift, and hydraulic fracturing.
Known for a global and domestic perspective, Guillotte excels in strategic planning, profit and loss management, and operations management. He has a proven track record in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), product development, and commercialization. Guillotte's ability to turn around financial and operational reorganizations and align business strategies with organizational vision is particularly notable. This skill set is complemented by his leadership style, which emphasizes high moral and ethical integrity and an inclusive, collaborative communication approach.
