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July 07, 2016 | SPOC Automation

Pump Cards in Perspective


 

Back in the day pump cards literally were drawn on cards for pumpers to review. These days if you are still using pump cards, you are likely working with a POC.

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Pump cards are a visual indication of beam pump efficiency. A nice even rectangle and everything is optimized. Anything else indicates trouble. When pump cards were the only diagnostic tool, those working with production wells every day became experts on interpreting them.

It should not come as a surprise that pumpers appreciate visual displays. Images are often the fastest way to convey information to those who know how to interpret them. That is why images, graphs, charts and videos are all over the Internet. A picture is worth a thousand words.

In the past few years variable frequency drives have garnered attention for the fine-tune control they offer. The IronHorse drive, for example, enables operators to save substantial energy costs and reduce maintenance requirements. By setting and tweaking the many operating parameters, pumpers can optimize pump control. The user interface combines color, graphics and data to provide more than an indication of trouble—it can pinpoint where action should be taken.

Young workers entering the field come equipped with mobile devices and image-oriented minds. They expect intuitive, drill-down graphics that start from an overview and end with hard data. It might seem like pump cards fit the bill, but they are not immediately obvious and are subject to interpretation. There is no direct connection between the image and underlying data used for well control. Training these young workers to interpret pump cards has limited value given the option of data-driven analysis.

Pump cards are not going away fast, and can still be a useful tool to those familiar with them. Now with Well Optix added into the mix, field managers and pumpers have the option to review pump cards remotely along with drive and POC data. This integration of technologies makes pump cards more available to those who rely on them at the same time it makes data analysis widely accessible for the rest of the team.

To learn more about this and other ways to optimize your POC, check out our new paper “Drive Down Lifting Costs Through Integration”.

View the Whitepaper