American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2016 - 100

Production Technology

Materion's ToughMet® 3 sucker rod couplings are made from a uniquely tempered copper-nickel-tin spinodal alloy that enables the couplings to resist mechanical wear, thread
damage, corrosion, and erosion. The company reports that the couplings can last at least
two years downhole, amplifying production and reducing a well's operating costs.

concentrates the reservoir gas to lift the liquids naturally from below the pump to
above it.
* The second stage is called Full
GARP, and it is intended to be implemented when the reservoir energy is insufficient
to lift liquids up to the pump. It includes
a concentric inner rod pump tubing string
that allows lift gas from the surface to be
injected into the well to help lift liquids
from below the pump.
Mazzanti clarifies that Full GARP installation costs are minimized because an
existing GARP Lite bottom-hole assembly does have to be removed.
"Without GARP, pumped-off wells
must be shut in periodically to allow the
liquids to rise above the pump in order to
produce; and once the liquids no longer
rise, the wells are plugged and abandoned,
leaving behind significant volumes of
reserves," he states. "With GARP, though,
these abandoned reserves can be produced
and accelerated. We estimate operators can
see as much as a 36 percent increase in reserves with GARP, and, depending on the
reservoir size, it could be more."
Mazzanti adds that, for many wells that
have a long production history, his company can predict the rate increase possible with
GARP. This way, customers can evaluate
the economics before installing GARP,
which he says is "very important in the current low product price environment."
According to Mazzanti, the GARP
system has been installed in the Austin

ideal replacement for conventional couplings,
Nielsen says, because the material is more
compatible with the well tubing material.
"Oil field sucker rod strings can reach
10,000 feet in length, so as many as 400
couplings can be required in one well," he
observes. "When they break or the tubing
is compromised, well failure can cost as
much as $250,000 in workover costs and
lost production."
Nielsen says the patent-pending couplings are made from a uniquely tempered
copper-nickel-tin spinodal alloy that was
engineered specifically for use in the oil
field. This alloy combination enables the
couplings to resist fatigue, abrasive wear,
thread damage, corrosion, and erosion.
"They also are nongalling, so they do not
damage production tubing," he describes.
According to Nielsen, ToughMet 3 couplings can be applied to any well with a
deviated section, including, but not limit-

Chalk, Eagle Ford and Barnett shales, and
the Permian Basin, but has applications in
most oil fields. He asserts that any horizontal well could benefit from the technology, especially wells that have high estimated ultimate recoveries. And while the
company has applied its technology only
to horizontal wells, Mazzanti says it possibly could benefit vertical gas wells with
liquid loading issues, wells with long extended perforated intervals, and reservoirs
too deep for rod pump installations.
GARP system installation costs vary
based on a well's specific conditions,
but typically run about $50,000 or less,
Mazzanti says. He emphasizes that the return on investment can be considerable,
given that several GARP customers have
seen vast production increases.
"For many horizontal shale wells, a 50
percent increase or more would be phenomenal, and GARP can help accomplish
that," he concludes.
Sucker Rod Couplings
Sucker rod couplings in deviated well
sections frequently rub against the tubing,
which can lead to tubing leaks and rod
string failures. Bill Nielsen, director of
marketing at Materion, reports that wells
using his company's ToughMet® 3 sucker rod couplings have not experienced
these types of failure in two years. Instead,
the couplings have amplified production
and reduced well operating costs.
ToughMet 3 sucker rod couplings are an

100 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

The Stinger™ cleans casing, opens perforations, and helps produce more oil
over the life of the well. 4B Production
Enhancement LLC's tool is available in
four sizes, and each is custom made
with 4140 stainless steel, four rows of
brushes and three rows of jets.

American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2016