Methods, apparatus and products useful in the operation of a sucker rod pump during the production of hydrocarbons

Abstract

Apparatus, methods and products for monitoring/controlling a reciprocating well producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore, which determine the surface card from a well operating characteristics, determine the downhole card, and display both at the same scale for position.

1 - 104 . (canceled)  
   
   
       105 . A method of monitoring a reciprocating pump ( 110 ) producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore extending from the surface into the earth, comprising the steps of: 
 (A) producing a signal representative of an operating characteristic of the well at the surface;    (B) generating a downhole card utilizing the signal representative of said operating characteristic;    (C) displaying a viewable graphical representation of said downhole card on an output system ( 140 ) which is permanently positioned in association with said pump ( 110 ).    
   
   
       106 . The method of  claim 105  wherein said graphical representation is displayed on a continuous basis as part of the normal operation of the method.  
   
   
       107 . The method of  claim 106  further comprising the step of (D) generating a pump control signal in response to a characteristic of said downhole card.  
   
   
       108 . The method of  claim 107  in which the step (D) includes the step of comparing a shape of said downhole card to a shape of an ideal downhole card that is representative of an operating condition of the pump.  
   
   
       109 . The method of  claim 107  further comprising the step of 
 (E) applying the pump control signal to the pump.    
   
   
       110 . A system for controlling and monitoring a reciprocating pump producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore extending from the surface into the subterranean, the system of comprising, 
 a computer arranged and designed to receive data regarding an operating characteristic of the pump, the computer including software that when executed instructs the system to perform the steps of:    (A) monitor a signal representative of an operating characteristic of the well at the surface;    (B) generate a downhole card utilizing the operating characteristic;    (C) generate a pump control signal based on a characteristic of said downhole card; and    (D) provide a viewable graphical representation of said downhole card on a permanently positioned output system of the computer as part of the normal operation of the system, wherein for the viewable graphical representation an axis on the surface card representing position is at a same scale as an axis on the downhole card representing position.    
   
   
       111 . The system of  claim 110  wherein said pump control signal is applied to the pump.  
   
   
       112 . The system of  claim 110 , in which instruction (C) generates said pump control signal by comparing a shape of said downhole card to a shape of an ideal downhole card that is representative of an operating condition of the pump.  
   
   
       113 . A method of monitoring a reciprocating pump producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore extending from the surface into the earth, comprising the steps of, 
 (A) monitoring an operating characteristic of the well at the surface;    (B) generating a surface card utilizing the operating characteristics;    (C) generating a downhole card based upon said surface card; and    (D) generating on a display screen permanently positioned in proximity of said pump a viewable graphical representation of both the surface card and the downhole card, wherein for the viewable graphical representation an axis on the surface card representing position is at the same scale as an axis on the downhole card representing position.    
   
   
       114 . The method of  claim 113 , further comprising: 
 (E) adjusting the operation of the pump if warranted based on a characteristic of the downhole card.    
   
   
       115 . The method of  claim 114 , in which step (E) includes the substep of comparing the downhole card to ideal downhole cards.  
   
   
       116 . A system for monitoring a reciprocating pump producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore extending from the surface into the earth, comprising, 
 a computer which receives data regarding an operating characteristic of the pump, the computer including software that when executed instructs the system to:    (A) generate a surface card utilizing the operating characteristic;    (B) generate a downhole card based upon said operating characteristic; and    (C) generate a viewable graphical representation of the downhole card on a display screen permanently placed in proximity to the pump, wherein for the viewable graphical representation an axis for the surface card representing position is at the same scale as an axis for the downhole card representing position.    
   
   
       117 . The system of  claim 116 , wherein said software further instructs the system to: 
 (D) generate a control signal to adjust the operation of the pump if warranted based on a characteristic of at least said downhole card.    
   
   
       118 . The system of  claim 117 , in which said software generates said control signal by comparing the downhole card to at least one ideal downhole card.