We’ve worked on enough wells to know that choosing a single artificial lift method and expecting it to carry a well from day one to abandonment seldom works. Reservoirs shift, fluids change temperament, gas sneaks in when you least expect it, and occasionally the tubing throws surprises no model predicted.
Over time, our team has learned that the most stable wells are usually those where we combine lift methods—sometimes intentionally, and sometimes simply because the well forces us to do so.
Below is a practical look at why hybrid lift systems matter and how engineers actually apply them in the field, far away from the neat diagrams in textbooks.
Why We Combine Lift Systems Instead of Relying on One：
Each artificial lift technology has its own personality:
1. ESPs dislike erratic gas slugs and are prone to gas lock.
2. Rod pumps perform beautifully in stable wells but struggle with deviation, solids, and foamy production.
3. Gas lift is simple and reliable, but loses efficiency in low-pressure or shallow environments.
4. Jet pumps rarely quit but consume more energy than most operators prefer.
Real wells don’t care about theory.
They change. They decline. Water cuts spike, gas interference increases, fines escalate, and workovers become increasingly challenging.
So instead of chasing a perfect method, engineers combine lift systems that compensate for each other’s weaknesses.
The objective is straightforward:
keep the well online longer,
reduce workover frequency,
and maintain predictable production as the reservoir evolves.
Three Combination Approaches That Actually Work in the Field：
1. ESP + Gas Lift： the most underrated partnership：
We first saw this pairing in a deep well where the ESP kept locking up during restart. By injecting gas to unload the tubing column, the ESP restarted smoothly without fighting slugs.
Why this pairing is effective:
Gas lift unloads the wellbore, reducing restart stress.
Better intake pressure helps the ESP avoid gas lock.
Gas lift serves as a built-in backup when the ESP trips.
Many mature fields now design ESP wells with gas lift capability from the beginning—it’s cheaper than losing production every time the pump encounters unstable flow.
2. Jet Pump + Rod Pump： for wells that refuse to behave
A rod pump is efficient and predictable—until it encounters solids, deviation, or foamy fluid. A jet pump, in contrast, handles fines and pressure fluctuations remarkably well.
Why this combination works:
The jet pump stabilizes the inflow and lifts the intake pressure.
The rod pump then provides efficient displacement.
Sand and fines do less damage because the jet pump acts like a buffer.
This hybrid solution is common in crooked holes and marginal reservoirs where inflow is unstable, but operators still want the efficiency of mechanical displacement.
3. Jet Pump + Gas Lift： simple, rugged, and dependable
Instead of a conventional gas-lift valve, a specially designed jet pump is installed in the tubing. Gas becomes the power fluid.
Where it excels:
High-temperature wells.
High-sand or corrosive production.
Remote wells where uptime is more important than efficiency.
Operators choose this hybrid when the cost of pulling tubing far exceeds the value of chasing theoretical efficiency.
How Engineers Decide on the “Right” Combination：
In real operations, the selection process always starts with the same questions:
What is the current reservoir drive—and what will it become?
What are the fluid characteristics? Gas content? Solids? Emulsion behavior?
What are the completion constraints? Deviation? Tubing size?
What recurrent issues does the well have? Scale, paraffin, gas surges, fines?
What stage of field development are we in? Early? Mid-life? Late depletion?
What are the workover economics?
When these factors align, the most practical lift combination becomes obvious—not because it’s theoretically perfect, but because it creates the fewest headaches over the next several years.
Final Thoughts:
If we had to summarize years of field experience in one sentence:
No well stays the same, so no lift method should stay the same either.
Hybrid artificial lift systems give operators the flexibility to adapt to reservoir changes without pulling the well apart every time its behavior shifts. When chosen with field realities in mind—power, workover costs, completions, and fluid quirks—they extend well life significantly better than any single method.
About Our Company: Delivering Reliable Rod Pump Solutions Worldwide:
At the end of the day, any artificial lift method—no matter how cleverly combined—still depends on the quality and reliability of the hardware downhole.
This is where DONGSHENG, our company, has built its reputation.
We specialize in high-performance API rod pumps, precision-manufactured for demanding onshore and offshore environments. Our product line includes:
Tubing pumps.
Insert pumps.
Heavy-duty pumps for high-sand and high-temperature service.
Specialty pumps customized for unconventional reservoirs.
Why operators choose our rod pumps
Strict API 11AX compliance with tight machining tolerances.
Excellent corrosion and wear resistance, even in high-CO₂ or high-H₂S wells.
Polished plungers and barrel alignment technology for longer run-life.
Flexible customization for deviated wells, high-viscosity fluids, and marginal production.
Global Export Record
We have supplied rod pump solutions to operators in:
North America（tight oil fields & stripper wells）
Middle East（high-temperature, high-sand wells）
South America（mature heavy-oil fields）
Central Asia（CO₂-rich carbonate reservoirs）
Representative Cases
Oman – High-temperature field.
Our nickel-plated insert pumps extended run life from 92 days to over 260 days, significantly reducing workover frequency.Texas – High-deviation shale wells.
Customized heavy-wall plungers reduced failure rates caused by rod buckling and sand intrusion.Argentina – Mature field.
Operators achieved a 22% uplift in pump efficiency after switching to our precision-aligned barrels.
Through consistent technical quality and responsive support, we help operators maintain the stability and longevity of their artificial lift systems—whether used alone or as part of a hybrid combination.