RPO Training

2008 Location and dates

When	Where (click on city to see map)	Type
September 22-26	*Calgary, AB Blackfoot Inn	5 day
October 6-10	Midland, TX	5 day
October 27-31	Maracaibo, Venezuela Class will be presented in English and Spanish. Click here for Spanish description. (requires Adobe Reader)	5 day

We come to you.

Theta Oilfield Services, Inc. offers in-house rod pumping training to interested companies.

The course covers all of the same material as the standard RPO course, however this course can be modifed to meet specific needs at an additional cost.

Standard Cost

Tuition fee per day: $2500.00 (Maximum number of students is 20). If there are more than 20 attendees, there is an additional charge of $1000.00 per student. Maximum number of students recommended is 30.
Travel day: $2000.00
Cost per copy of "Rod Pumping Optimization" course manual: $145.00
Copyright fee per copy of manual if you wish make your own photocopy from an original:
$75.00
All travel expenses including air fare, transportation to and from the airport, car rental, airport exit tax.
All meals and hotel lodging.
Shipping charges for course manuals and example problems.
Completion certificates ($7.00 each).

Please note: The above cost does not include course customization. If you want us to customize the course for your wells and develop class example cases using RODDIAG, XDIAG, CBALANCE or RODSTAR files from your wells, an additional charge of $150.00 per hour will apply for the time it takes to prepare these examples.

Please call John G. Svinos for details at
(562)694-3297.

Course Description:

This course teaches the skills necessary to optimize the operation of rod pumping systems. It covers rod pumping fundamentals and builds judgment skills. It is presented in a "visual" way with state-of-the-art equipment, color, and more.

State-of-the-art animations of the pumping system allow you to get a better understanding of how things work.

After completing this course, you will be able to use modern rod pump technology effectively to optimize rod pump systems. You will learn how to design rod pump systems, compare pumping units, and more. In-depth dynamometer card interpretation will enable you to diagnose and fix field problems. Many field examples will be used for practice.

Who Should Attend?

Engineers, production superintendents, foremen, field technicians, and service personnel involved with rod pumping systems.

We offer both five-day and three-day schools. The three-day school is a condensed version of the five-day school, covering most of the topics covered in the five-day school, but in less detail.

We also offer in-house rod pumping training to interested companies. This course can be modified to meet specific needs. Call for details.

Course Content:

Introduction
Rod pumping advantages and disadvantages. Effect of system efficiency on lifting costs. Pumping unit geometries and prime movers.
Downhole Equipment
Common and special pumps and their advantages and disadvantages. Plungers; balls and seats; pump displacement and slippages; gas anchor design.
Field Measurements
Dynamometer cards; counterbalance effect; amp plots; traveling and standing valve checks.
Torque Analysis and Balancing
Calculation of net gearbox torque; construction and application of the permissible gearbox load diagram; modern pumping unit balancing.
Sucker Rod String
Stress analysis of API and non-API steel rods; advantages and disadvantages of fiberglass rods and Corods; sinker bars; Ribbon Rods; rod failures.
System Design
Constant productivity index, Vogel, and Fetkovich IPR methods; wave equation versus API RP 11L predictive methods; guidelines for system design; tips for reducing torque and rod loading, and increasing system efficiency. Hands-on system design with RODSTAR (a modern wave equation predictive computer program).
Dynamometer Analysis of Existing Systems
Surface versus downhole dynamometer cards; in-depth explanation of downhole dynamometer card shapes; how to understand downhole dynamometer card shapes. Hands-on system analysis with RODDIAG using dynamometer cards from actual wells.
Fluid Pound - Problems and Solutions
Cause of fluid pound and steps to minimize it; percentage timers versus pump off controllers; fluid pound detection methods; centralized pump off control.
New Technology Developments
Expert systems and other new developments for optimizing rod pumping systems; the XDIAG computer program and its applications.

The course includes a 620-page manual titled "Rod Pumping Optimization."

What students say about the course...

N.P., Talisman Energy, Inc.
I am a new graduate and have just started my new job as an optimization engineer. This was a great mix of general info and technical details. What a great course - it definitely exceeded my expectations! I learned a lot and the atmosphere made it comfortable. Doing all the examples myself really engrained the process. Thanks so much!
S.S., Gaffney Cline and Associates
John, I didn't get a chance to thank you for the course, but it was one of the most interesting and immediately applicable courses that I have attended. We continue to raise production levels, partly through your course and software and partly through other methods. So far this has created increases of about 250,000 bbls in the 2002. Not bad from about 250 wells.
D.H., Santa Fe Energy
The skills I learned can have a immediate impact on the bottom line through better designs, and increased efficiency.
S.L., Flexbar
An excellent course. Challenging regardless of experience level.
D.W., Chevron
Great class. First time I've been to one of John's classes. It was one of the best classes I've been in.
K.B., Crestar Energy, Calgary, AB
A most excellent course! Well organized, presented and documented (great manual). You answered questions and gave explanations very clearly. Great job!
N/A
The content of the course is very complete and the experience of the instructor helps a lot.
R.G., Hunt Oil Company
I learned a lot about rod pumping in general as well as how computer software can help optimize rod pumping. Excellent class. Useful software. Taught very well. I enjoyed learning the theory behind the software calculations.
C.D., Midland, TX
One of the best organized industry courses I've attended.
D.M. ChevronTexaco Canada
This was a very comprehensive presentation of rod pumping systems, how they work, what can happen to them, troubleshooting, etc. Having John's expert background and vast experience in this field was excellent. Thank you for a very informative and enjoyable course.
J.B., Schlumberger Baku, Azerbaijan
Very practical, excellent examples and animations. This is by far the best organized course I have attended. I will recommend it to my colleagues.

Tuition Fees for Rod Pumping Optimization Classes

Five-day: USA - US $1675.00

Five-day: Canada - US $1895.00

Three-day: US $985.00

The above fee includes tuition, course manual and daily refreshments.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

A fee of $215 will be charged for cancellations received less than ten working days before a course begins. No refund will be made for cancellations received less than three working days before a course begins.

Theta Oilfield Services reserves the right to cancel a course for insufficient enrollment. If this occurs, students will receive a full refund.

John G. Svinos

Theta Oilfield Services' Rod Pumping Optimization courses are taught by John G. Svinos, the company's founder and president. He and his company have developed RODSTAR-V, RODSTAR-D, RODDIAG, XDIAG, XSPOC, CBALANCE, XTOOLS, XANIMATE, and DYNOSTAR, industry's most advanced rod pumping optimization computer programs. Before starting Theta Enterprises (now called Theta Oilfield Services), John was a Senior Research Engineer with Chevron Oil Field Research Company, where he was project leader of the Artificial Lift Group. He was responsible for research, development, and technology transfer. He field-tested new pumping units, pump off controllers, and downhole equipment, directed development of advanced design and diagnostic analysis computer programs, and taught in-house rod pumping schools. Before Chevron, he worked for Gulf Oil Corporation, also in artificial lift. He holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University.

John has served on the API Task Group to revise the API RP 11L, on the Tulsa University Artificial Lift Projects Advisory Board, and as chairman of a 1991 SPE forum entitled "Application of expert systems to engineering problems." He has authored several papers and taught many courses on rod pumping technology throughout the world.

John has 27 years of experience in Rod Pumping Optimization and has been teaching Rod Pumping Optimization for over 25 years. John has trained thousands of production engineers, foremen, operators and production managers in the USA, CANADA, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Indonesia, Australia, and Bahrain.