Although newer lift methods such as ESPs and jet pumps remain essential in many wells, field engineers across several basins—including Changqing, Xinjiang, and parts of the Bohai Rim—report a noticeable shift: when reservoir behavior becomes unpredictable, a sucker rod pump often performs with more stability and lower maintenance costs.
This renewed attention is not a coincidence. It aligns closely with what many frontier operators are experiencing globally—aging wells, lower formation pressure, and increasing gas interference that complicates artificial lift performance. In such environments, the humble sucker rod pump is proving its relevance again.
Field Experience: Why Rod Pumps Are Returning to the Spotlight：
The recently updated “Changqing Oilfield Rod Pump Production Technology” report highlights several reasons behind this trend. According to the document, wells in the late-stage development zone often face a predictable trio of problems: fluctuating inflow, scale deposition, and gas-liquid separation inefficiency. For these wells, the report notes that a sucker rod pump provides “a more forgiving working window and easier operational control.”
Engineers in the field echo this sentiment. One senior production supervisor described it simply:
“When a well starts acting up, the rod pump is often the first system that can be stabilized again.”
This doesn’t mean the sucker rod pump is perfect; rather, it excels in scenarios where reliability and predictable maintenance matter more than maximum flow rate. In wells with daily production between 2–20 m³, especially those with variable gas content, the rod pump often outperforms other lift methods in total uptime.
Technology Improvements Strengthen the Case for Modern Rod Pumps：
In the past decade, materials and machining technology for sucker rod pumps have improved dramatically. Companies specializing in pump design now offer:
Chrome-plated pump barrels are resistant to wear.
heavy-duty plungers for sand-prone wells.
anti-gas-lock valves for foamy or low-pressure reservoirs.
high-tolerance barrel-plunger matching to reduce leakage.
corrosion-resistant alloys for CO₂ and H₂S environments.
These upgrades make the sucker rod pump not only durable but also more adaptive to the increasingly complex conditions in China’s mature fields.
Engineers in the Changqing technical review noted that the optimized rod-pump-based production system helped extend average pump run-life, reduce workover cycles, and stabilize wells that previously suffered from irregular inflow.
Export Markets Also Show Growing Demand:
Beyond China, the global market for sucker rod pump is also expanding, especially in regions where well economics favor stable, low-maintenance lift systems.
Our company, DS Rod Pump, has supplied sucker rod pump solutions to operators in:
North America’s tight-oil and stripper-well region.
The Middle East’s high-temperature fields.
South American heavy-oil reservoirs.
Central Asian carbonate formations.
In Oman, one high-temperature project extended pump run-life from 92 days to more than 260 days after switching to our nickel-plated insert pumps.
In Texas shale wells, heavy-wall plungers helped operators overcome rod buckling and sand intrusion.
In Argentina, mature assets recorded a 22% improvement in displacement efficiency.
These real-world results reinforce what the domestic market is discovering: a well-designed sucker rod pump still holds tremendous value in modern field development.
A Technology Moving Forward, Not Backward:
Some might view the resurgence of the sucker rod pump as a return to “old technology.” Field operations tell a different story. What’s happening is more of a recalibration—operators are matching lift systems to reservoir reality instead of theoretical efficiency.
The result is a new understanding:
In wells where conditions vary daily and where workover economics matter deeply, the sucker rod pumps remains one of the most dependable tools for stable production.
It’s not a step backward.
It’s a step toward choosing what actually works.
About DONGSHENG:
As a long-established manufacturer of API-certified sucker rod pumps, our company supplies:
tubing pumps.
insert pumps.
heavy-load / sand-control pumps.
corrosion-resistant and high-temperature pumps.
custom configurations for deviated or marginal wells.
With customers across Asia, North America, South America, and the Middle East, we focus on long pump run-life, precision machining, and field-backed engineering improvements.
Our goal is simple:
To help operators keep their sucker rod pumps wells running longer, safer, and more predictably—even in the most challenging environments.