Eagle Innovations - Testimonials & Case Histories

By Jeralyn Luetkehans Prouty
Special Correspondent Solution Valve

In fields across the country, operators are faced with oil wells that also produce a lot of gas. Pumping wells under these conditions usually means having to contend with gas locking, equipment fatigue caused by lagging pumps, and premature valve ball failure.

The Solution Valve from Eagle Innovations Inc., in Golden, Co., seeks to eliminate those problems. The president of the company, Michael B. Ford, says he wanted to invent a valve that would not only alleviate gas lock problems, but would also last longer than conventional ball-and-seat valves by controlling the filling process.

"The Solution Valve, with its ported seal stem, eliminates a lot of impingement on the ball. Thus, the ball is not as likely to be damaged by fluid pounding, nor is it as likely to be held off seat by debris," Ford remarks. "Because there is less wear and tear on mechanical parts, the valve lasts twice as long." While gassy wells are the primary tar- get for the valve, Ford confirms that, for some operators, it is also cost effective to use it to extend pump runs. According to Ford, the valve works because it prevents barrels from running dry, a valuable feature, especially where pump-off control is lacking.

"The plunger assembly starts with the bushing and rod valve, then the standard ball-and-seat valve with a three-wing cage, then the plunger itself, and finally the Solution Valve. The role of the ball-and- seat valve is to keep the hydraulic head off the Solution Valve," he explains.

"As you start the downstroke, an eight- inch drag plunger within the Solution Valve will actuate and open it," he continues. "The liquid or gas flows through and is displaced into the barrel. On the upstroke, the valve is pulled shut by its drag plunger. Assume the worst case in which you only get gas at this point. Rather than locking up, the system allows you to continue."

On the next downstroke, the drag plunger again opens the valve. Fluid trapped in the barrel runs down on the standing valve. "On the upstroke, assume more gas or liquid comes in. This is essentially a compression process. We can continue picking up gas on the upstroke and compressing it until it exceeds the hydrostatic head. The system can actually pump gas."

The most significant fact, however, is that the liquid fluid is always recycling in the system so the pump never goes completely dry, he says. As area production manager for Enron Oil and Gas Company in Big Piney, WY., Dan Krause has had to contend with wells prone to gas lock. Enron had tried just about everything to alleviate the problem. Then in 1993, the company began using the valve on several shallow, high gas/oil ratio wells. "Now we have about 15 wells in the field operating with the valve. We have seen a marked increase in performance that has more than made up for the additional cost. Moreover, the pumps are lasting longer. In the past, we had to space the plunger low, which meant we were tagging the pump pretty hard. Now we can pump without gas lock problems," he enthuses. "We definitely plan on continuing to use the Solution Valve in gassy wells."

Editor's Note: This excerpt was taken from an article on new production equipment and technology which appeared in the January issue of The American Oil & Gas Reporter.

AN EAGLE SOLUTION VALVE SUCCESS!
March, 2007
Fort Assiniboine Area (63-10 W5), Judy Creek, Alberta

The Problem

A major oil company drilled and completed wells into Mannville formation in the Fort Assiniboine area in order to produce coal bed methane gas. Wells were drilled vertical to a kick off point at about 600 metres and then extended at a 70 degree angle. Insert rod pumps were introduced to pump the water from the wells to allow maximum gas production. Poor pump efficiencies due to the deviation of the wells and gas locking or gas interference prevented the operator from lowering the fluid to desired levels.

Solution

In January, 07, an 1 3/4" insert Pump along with an Eagle Solution Valve was run. The ball and seat in the Eagle Solution by design remains centered in the valve and opens and closes immediately regardless of the angle thus improving pump efficiency as opposed to standard pumps where often times 20 % or more of the stroke movement occurs before the ball can re-seat itself properly.
The pump was spaced so as to prevent “tapping bottom”.

Job Postmortem

After installing the Eagle Solution Valve pump efficiencies were estimated to be over 90%, the operator was able to lower their fluid levels to a desired level and the pump was not experiencing gas interference problems. As a result gas production in the well increased.

Based on the success on the first well the operator has installed three more Eagle Solution Valve on adjacent wells.

Pump changes and tubing leaks will be reduced to the smoother loading and unloading of the valves in the pump, and the elimination of tapping bottom will reduce rod slap leading to tubing leaks.

AN EAGLE SOLUTION VALVE – CYCLONE PLUNGER SUCCESS!
March , 2007
Belloy Field (78-01 W6), Birch Hills Area, N.W. Alberta

The Problem

A major oil company completed what was expected to be a flowing gas well in September 2005. When the well was tied in it would not flow. They ran an 1 ¼” insert pump. The pump would not stroke. It was pulled and silt was found in the pump. They then ran pump # 2 which worked for 5 hours and stopped. Next they ran pump # 3, an 1 ½” insert with a ring style plunger which produced for 15 minutes and quit. They let the well sit for two days, started the pump up, and the well produced 12m3 of oil for 24 hours and quit. They pulled the pump and found solids in the pump. In November, 06 they ran pump # 4, a 1 ½”, with Petro Valves and found there was no pump action when the pump was run. Out came the pump. The operator then considered shutting in the well.

Solution

In March, 07, an 1 1/2" insert Pump along with an Eagle Solution Valve and an Eagle Cyclone Plunger Assembly was run.
The pump was spaced so as to prevent “tapping bottom”.

Job Postmortem

After installing the Eagle Solution Valve and Eagle Cyclone Plunger the well has produced continuously since being installed. Oil production went from 0 barrels per day to 50.

Using oil at $ 55 per barrel that works out to a daily increase of $ 2750 or $ 1,003,750 yearly and payout on the Eagle Solution Valve & Cyclone Plunger Assembly of around 1.5 days.

Pump changes and tubing leaks will be reduced to the smoother loading and unloading of the valves in the pump, and the elimination of tapping bottom will reduce rod slap leading to tubing leaks.

For more information please contact Ryan Klatt at 816-4433 or Don Conn at (403) 620-8181.

AN EAGLE CYCLONE PLUNGER SUCCESS!
August 20, 2006
Trinidad, West Indies

The Problem

A Canadian Company, Trincan Oil Limited, operating wells in Trinidad, West Indies attempted to produce sandy oil from a 3000 foot well using a standard 1 1/4" top hold down insert sucker rod pump. The pump was run in 2 3/8" tubing with 4 1/2" casing. The well produced around 10 bbls per day of 35 degree API oil. A size 80 pumpjack was used powered with an electric motor.

Two problems prevailed;

Due to sand the well could not be produced for more than 3 or 4 days.
An unreliable power source would result in the well going down unexpectedly, leaving the sand in the tubing to settle back down on top and in the pump. When Trincan would attempt to bring the well back on production they would find the pump was seized due to the sand. This often resulted in a rig being brought in with lost oil production during the down period.

Solution

A Cyclone Plunger Assembly was installed in Trincan's 1 1/4" top hold down insert pump, which was then run in the above well.
The intake was landed below the perfs.

Job Postmortem

After installing the Cyclone Plunger Assembly the well has been producing trouble free for the last SIX MONTHS.

Trincan based on the favorable results have purchased two more Cyclone Plunger Assemblies from Conn Pumps.

For more information contact Mike Ford at (435) 628-9069.