Considerations regarding determination of optimal preventive maintenance periodicity for subsurface sucker rod pumps

Abstract The subsurface sucker rod pumps are important equipment used for the secondary oil recovery. In their structure, there are friction couples, which are strongly subjected at wear like barrel-plunger, traveling valve and standing valve. The operating durability of subsurface sucker rod pumps is practically determined by the reliability of these couples depending on the work conditions. The paper presents a case study on the optimization of preventive maintenance of the subsurface sucker rod pumps. The optimal periodicity, of the preventive maintenance of the above mentioned friction couples, is determined on the basis of their operating reliability. There were analyzed two types of preventive maintenance, at fixed time, and at fixed age respectively. The paper results are embodied in practical charts which can be used for choosing optimal preventive maintenance period of the subsurface sucker rod pumps.