When something feels “off” on a well site, engineers usually don't start with paperwork.
They start by checking the wellhead pressure and sound. These two things reveal more about a well's condition than most dashboards and reports.
Below is a practical guide based on our field experience and overseas service work with customers in the Middle East, South America, Africa, and Central Asia.
1. Start at the wellhead: pressure + sound never lie：
Wellhead pressure tells you if the formation and tubing are working together
Oil pressure suddenly spikes?
It could be sand accumulation, partial blockage, or the sucker rod pump dragging.
Casing pressure rising?
Gas is building up somewhere, or the tubing has a leak.
Pressure drops too fast?
Formation isn't supplying enough fluid, the pump is leaking, or a surface line is losing pressure.
These are exactly the kind of issues we see in after-sales support for our exported sucker rod pumps.
Especially on older wells — after switching to a new pump, the first 10 minutes of the pressure curve already tell you whether a second adjustment is needed.
2. Want to know if your sucker rod pump is running well? Listen to it：
Oilfield engineers love to say: “The wellhead sound never lies.”
No matter what type of unit you use — beam pump, subsurface sucker rod pump, or a specialty pumping unit — most problems can be identified just by sound:
Common sounds → Common causes.
“Dong-dong” heavy knock → bent rod string, low pump efficiency.
Squeaking or scratching → worn belts.
Fast metal rattle → gearbox lubrication issue or gear wear.
Short, sharp impacts → valve ball inside the pump barrel sticking.
In many of our overseas deliveries, customers send us a quick video.
And honestly, 70% of the time, we diagnose the problem just by listening — no instruments needed.
3. A dynamometer card isn't classroom theory — it's your well's CT scan:
A lot of online articles explain what a dynamometer card is, but almost none explain how to use it in real troubleshooting.
Here are the most common cases we see when customers send us cards for analysis:
Case 1: Low pump fillage — the #1 reason for low production。
Typical signs:
Slim or “narrow” card shape.
Downstroke line leaning.
Pump efficiency is sitting around 30–40%.
Common causes:
Insufficient formation supply.
Plugged pump intake.
High sand content is causing the valve ball to stick.
The pump is set too shallow.
Case 2: Broken rod — very easy to spot on the card.
The card suddenly becomes a straight line.
The loop area disappears.
We get this a lot from customers using 43 mm pump barrels.
A quick look at the card usually solves the mystery faster than pulling the string out.
4. Why the water-injection system affects sucker rod pump life more than you think:
Most people blame the pump when something fails.
But in reality, over 55% of sucker rod pump failures come from formation and injection system problems.
High injection pressure → faster pump wear.
More pressure = higher pump load = more violent valve ball impact.
Poor filtration → scratched pump barrels.
Small particles entering the wellbore cause:
Barrel scoring.
Valve ball wear.
Rod/tubing eccentric wear.
Some of our African customers used very low-standard injection filtration.
Their average pump life was less than 6 months.
After upgrading filtration, pump life jumped to 12–15 months.
5. Tertiary recovery puts extra stress on the pump (especially polymer & foam flooding)
Polymer flooding:
Polymers make the fluid more viscous. That means:
Higher load.
Rod string fatigue.
Valve balls are sticking much more easily.
That's why, for EOR wells, our recommended configuration usually includes:
High-corrosion-resistant pump barrels.
Nitrided valve balls.
High-strength rod strings for deep wells.
N₂ foam flooding.
Foam creates gas-liquid mixing.
This often causes:
Pump gas lock.
Unstable production.
We've seen this in many overseas EOR projects, so we build our sucker rod pump designs specifically with these challenges in mind.
6. Good well history management = fewer failures:
Well, history isn't “documentation.”
It's a predictive tool that tells you what’s coming next.
When we help customers choose the right sucker rod pump model, we prioritize four pieces of well data:
Production changes over the last 12 months.
Pressure trends (oil & casing).
Water cut changes.
Previous pump failures/replacement cycles.
One client in the Middle East improved pump life from 8 months to 13 months just by adjusting the pump model based on well-history analysis.
7. Why do many global customers stick with our sucker rod pumps long-term:
Adding this section helps build Google E-E-A-T and increases user trust.
We are a specialized manufacturer of oilfield pumps and pump components.
Our product line includes:
API sucker rod pumps.
Full series of tubing & rod pumps.
Valve balls and valve seats.
Pump barrels (nickel alloy / ceramic / high-wear-resistant).
Pump repair and rebuild services.
International Certifications.
API 11AX.
ISO9001:2015.
ISO45001.
Compliance with Middle East & Americas oil company standards.
Countries we serve:
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq.
Argentina, Mexico, Peru.
Kazakhstan, Russia.
Nigeria, Angola.
What we can provide.
Pump model selection based on well history & working conditions.
Remote installation guidance.
Dynamometer card analysis.
Full failure diagnostic reports.
Customized pump designs for high-sand, high-temperature, high-viscosity wells.
This is why many customers turn one order into long-term cooperation.
8. Final takeaway: Longer pump life isn't about choosing the most expensive pump ：
It's choosing the right one
Sucker rod pump performance is influenced by:
Formation supply.
Injection pressure.
Sand production.
Water cut.
Pump structure.
Valve ball & barrel material.
Recovery method (water/polymer/foam).
As a manufacturer, we've seen many cases where the wrong pump type reduces lifespan by half, even when the quality is good.
So whatever well you're running, start with well history, injection quality, and working conditions — not the quotation sheet.
If you need:
Pump selection.
Rod pump accessories.
Custom pumps for special working conditions.
Field technical support.
We're always ready to help.