OREANDA-NEWS. December 08, 2010. TATNEFT is implementing a program of introducing long-stroke balancer-free chain drives (CD) in sucker rod pumping installations. This essentially reduces operating costs for oil production, reported the press-centre of TATNEFT.

The chain drives are introduced in the fields of TATNEFT in the wells, which operation is complicated by the production of extra-viscous oil and formation of water-oil emulsion, salts and wax depositions on the downhole pumping equipment (DPE). The same refers to small diameter wells as well as the wells with additional production casing, and also the ones operating in a periodic pumping mode.

Technological and economic efficiency of the chain drives application at the wells is achieved through reducing the number of the well remedial repairs and through electric power saving. Currently, 953 wells in TATNEFT are equipped with CD 60 chain drives and 279 wells are equipped with CD 80 chain drives.

Application of CD 60 in the "difficult" well stock allows reducing specific energy consumption to lift 1 m3 of production by 10-20% on average. Effectiveness of implementation resulting from electric energy savings amounts to 15.8 thousand rubles per year per each drive. Effectiveness of introducing the chain drive through reducing the operating costs associated with the remedial wells repair amounts to 126.8 thousand rubles per year per drive.

The effectiveness of implementing of CD versus running an electric submersible centrifugal pump (ESP) is expressed in average specific energy consumption savings for lifting 1 m3 of production in the amount of 225.2 thousand rubles per year per drive. Reduction of operational costs associated with the wells remedial repairs amounts to 171.5 thousand rubles per year per drive.

The chain drives are being introduced also at the sites of small oil companies of Tatarstan. To date, they are operated in about 180 facilities of this kind. The chain drives have been delivered to Kazakhstan and the range of their sales to Russian oil companies is expanding. Currently, the chain drives manufactured by the Bugulma Mechanical Plant (BMZ, which is part of Tatneft Group of Companies) in addition to TATNEFT and small oil companies of Tatarstan are operated in ANK (Joint Stock Oil Company) Bashneft, Samaraneftegaz, Saratovneftegaz, TNK-Nizhnevartovsk and Buguruslanneft.