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April 08, 2015 | SPOC Automation

Add a Drive, Subtract Infrastructure Costs


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Integrated drive systems cut infrastructure costs substantially. They simplify operations and reduce infrastructure needs.

Check out these 5 infrastructure changes that put money back in your pocket:

  1. Efficient Energy. Drives improve energy infrastructure in several ways. First, they reduce energy consumption by continuously changing pump speed to match what is needed. This can reduce the energy bill by 20%. Second, drives can be outfitted to ‘clean’ the electricity, removing harmful harmonics and improving power factor. Third, remote monitoring of drives in the field can identify voltage spikes and surges that can cause early equipment failure. Alarms can be set and reports generated for use in addressing electrical service issues. Beam pumps can last 8-10 years when connected to well-designed drive systems. Without such a system, burnout can happen in less than one year.

  2. Proactive Pumpers. Connect your pumping unit to a drive system and you have better information faster for your pumpers. On-screen controls are easy to learn and use. Pumpers can add time to their days by setting each pump’s optimal operating parameters. This frees time to concentrate on trends, faults and extending equipment life—leading to better optimization.


    Connect the drive to the Internet for remote monitoring and your pumpers will gain better insight to the field. Well informed pumpers can react quickly to negative trends and alarms. They can identify problems developing in one or more wells without having to travel to the wellheads. They are alerted to abnormal conditions and can take remedial action using their mobile devices. Travel budgets come down. Efficiency goes up.

  3. Extended Equipment Life. Integrated drive systems protect equipment by reducing the mechanical stress and strain it encounters. Drives do not over- or under-power pumps, reducing the potential for fluid pound and subsequent rod damage. They protect the motor and pump from inrush current and voltage surges that cause overheating and insulation failure. They minimize true pump off, reducing damage from debris falling into the pump or stress on startup and shutdown. Less wear and tear leads to more operating life. Equipment infrastructure costs for the field are reduced.

  4. Simplified Field Service. The old saying about too many cooks in the kitchen holds true for oilfield service. When you decide to add control to your pump, consider how many suppliers you really want involved.  With an integrated drive system, you always know who to call. And with fewer to call, problems are resolved faster. That translates to fewer failures, shorter maintenance time and fewer service contracts.

  5. Streamlined Installation. Some automation systems are integrated on-site, with as many as six to eight vendors involved. Someone does the wiring, someone else does installation, another takes care of communication. Sure, they are specialists, but the more vendors involved, the longer your well is out of service. When a drive arrives at your site, you should need only one vendor to install it, fire it up and set the parameters. Everything should be pre-wired and ready to go.

Run the math in your operation. Find out how much you can reduce your infrastructure. Contact us if you would like some assistance.