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The Basics Of Maintaining Engines For Oil & Gas Production

There are probably going to be several engines around a typical lease pumping operation. Obviously, there’s the engine in the truck that gets you out to the lease site. There may also be generators if the lease is far from electrical lines, or as a backup power source. They can power pumps, and do a number of other vital jobs. The engines on the lease may run constantly, and so the ability to maintain and repair the engines around the site is an important one. This is particularly true with smaller and wildcat operations, when even small expenses can have an impact on profitability.

Engines

 

Engine Basics

Just about every modern engine is an internal combustion engine, meaning it’s powered by small, constant explosions. Gas and air are mixed within the engine, in the cylinder, and then compressed by a piston. With some engines, a small spark ignites the mixture. In diesel engines, the compression is enough to cause the explosion. The piston is driven down by the explosion, which turns a crank and provides power.

In four cycle engines, the piston moves four times per explosion. There are also two cycle engines which moves two times per explosion, but four cycle engines are more common. The first downstroke is the intake stroke, during which air and fuel are drawn into the cylinder through the intake valve. When the piston approaches the bottom of the cylinder, the intake valves open. In the first upstroke, called the compression stroke, the fuel and air mixture is forced upward and compressed into 1/10 the original volume. This heats the mixture.

The compressed mixture is ignited by the spark plug and the piston is forced down in the power stroke by the explosion. The cylinder is now filled with the byproducts of the explosion, which are forced out in upward exhaust stroke through the exhaust valve.

Each step must happen at the correct moment for the engine to be as efficient as possible. Engine timing is an important part of how the engine works, and a mis-timed engine will often cease to work altogether.

Engines

Figure 1.  Single cylinder engines are common around oilfields. This one has a large flywheel to provide smooth power. (courtesy Arrow Specialty Co., Inc.)

A large number of the engines around the operation will be single cylinder engines, meaning they’ll have only one cylinder and piston. Circulating pumps often are powered by single, vertical cylinder engines, and larger horizontal, cylinder engines are used to power mechanical pumps for some wells. Single cylinder engines that operate pumps usually are slower and have large flywheels. The flywheels use momentum to even out the power generated by the single cylinder engine. For the single cylinder engine, everything is kept relatively simple. There’s a single spark plug and a simplified electrical system. The sheave, which attaches to a belt to provide power to the pump or other piece of equipment, is usually larger and revolves at a slower speed.

Engines

Figure 2. To the left of the picture you can see a single cylinder engine using gas produced from the well as fuel.

Engines with multiple cylinders have correspondingly more complex requirements when it comes to electrical and fuel systems, and may need a separate battery, voltage regulator, coil and more for each cylinder. Multi-cylinder engines also usually have a smaller flywheel and so run much more quickly.

 

Maintenance

Maintaining a working engine is always preferably to repairing a broken one. The ability to performance basic, or even more complex, maintenance on the engines around your operation is a useful skill. Some things require the services of a shop with specialized equipment and specific know-how. Most problems having to do with the piston, cylinder, or valves are going to fall into this category. Most regular maintenance and some basic repairs can be done with a basic understanding of how each system works.

 

Electrical System

The electrical system in your car powers the radio, and probably the locks and windows. For most engines around the lease, however, the electrical system is used just to provide the spark which ignites the fuel in the cylinder. The spark is provided by the spark plug. Spark plugs must be the right size and within the right temperature range. These can include standard, hot, and cold. The points on the spark plug must also be set to the correct gap setting for the engine.

Most engines will have use a magneto to provide the spark for the explosion. These will have the points built directly into the magneto, as well as the condenser, distributor, and coil. Low tension magnetos are also available and are less prone to problems, but are more expensive. Solid state ignitions are also available.

The starter is provided with electricity either by the electrical grid or a battery. Batteries should also be cared for so that they last as long as possible. That includes protecting them from weather and extremes of temperature.

Other parts of the electrical system for an engine can include an alternator or generator, distributor, voltage regulator, and whatever wiring is needed.

 

Oil and Lubricating System

Oil is used to prevent friction throughout the engine, and it’s circulated throughout the engine outside of the cylinder. The amount of oil and the pressure at which it’s run through the system are two critical aspects of the lubricating system. The oil amount is measured by the level of oil in the engine. A safety measure is included in the form of a float and switch. If the oil level drops too low, the engine will shut down. A similar, but more complex, safety system shuts the engine down if the oil pressure falls too low.

The correct weight of oil must also be used for each engine. Weight in this case refers to the oil’s viscosity, or how easily it flows. 10 weight oil flows much more quickly than 40 weight oil, and oil will flow at different weights depending on its temperature, so it will often be labeled with 2 numbers. Oil that is 10-40 will flow as fast as a 10 weight oil when it’s cold, but will travel as slowly as a 40 weight oil when it’s hot.

Oil will also have a number of different additives in it, so the oil is doing more than providing lubrication. Some additives will improve the viscosity so that the oil sticks to the engine parts and does a better job of preventing friction. Other additives prevent rust or help to clean the engine. Oil and the additives it can contain will breakdown over time, especially when exposed to heat.

The oil and the oil filter will need to be replaced regularly. When doing so, you should use the correct weight and type of oil for each different engine.

 

Antifreeze and Coolant System

The coolant system removes heat from the engine by circulating water and antifreeze. The coolant then is run through a radiator that is open to passing air. The air draws heat from the coolant in the radiator, so that it can be cycled back into the engine to be used again. The temperature of the coolant is monitored, and if it gets too hot the engine is automatically shut down.

As the coolant used in most engines is water, it is in danger of freezing in cold weather. To prevent that, antifreeze is added to the water. The main component in almost all antifreeze is ethylene glycol. It’s also effective as a rust inhibitor and as a lubricant for the coolant system. Antifreeze also has a higher boiling point, at 263 degrees Fahrenheit, so that the coolant transfers heat more efficiently. While it’s unlikely for the coolant to freeze during a hot summer, it’s wise to continue to add antifreeze for other benefits it has.
The standard ratio of water to antifreeze is 1/3, or one part antifreeze to two parts water. That mixture is optimized for freezing temperatures to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Different mixtures are better for other climates. The table below offers some mixtures optimized for a range of temperature ranges.

Ratio of AntifreezeRatio of Water% of AntifreezeFreezing point

(in Fahrenheit)

Boiling point

(in Fahrenheit)

1325+10
21330
20735-3
5240-12258
20945-22
1150-34263
201155-48266

Fuel

The fuel that an engine uses will determine a lot about how it functions. An engine powered by gasoline will need a carburetor or fuel injector. Engines using other possible fuels like butane or natural gas will also need carburetors. Diesel engines will need a fuel injection system. You’ll have to maintain engines powered by many different fuels, so it’s a good idea to be familiar with as many as possible.

 

Gasoline

Just like your car, the gas you put in the engines on your lease should be of the right type and grade. Using the wrong grade of fuel can lead to reduced efficiency, as well as some longer term problems.

Gas can come with a number of different additives that do many of the same things as those added to oil. Some will prevent acids from forming through condensation. Carburetors can become clogged over time, so some additives are designed to help clean them. Water in the fuel line can lead to rust or freezing damage, so some additives help water pass through the system harmlessly.

Some will also improve the performance of the engine. Octane improvers will slow down the burning of the fuel-air mixture in the cylinder. That allows the power generated to be used more effectively, and also reduces the wear on the engine itself. Higher octane fuels can lead to better performance and a cleaner engine, but are also usually more expensive.

 

Diesel

Diesel powered engines don’t use spark plugs, as the heat generated by the piston compressing the air is enough to ignite the fuel. Fuel is injected at the moment the piston reaches the top of the cylinder and burns instantly. Because of the heat that is generated, diesel fuel has oil mixed into it as lubricant. Steel expands when hot, so diesel engines aren’t built with tolerances as close as gasoline engines. They’ll make more noise when they’re first started up and grow quieter as the engine heats up. Diesel engines have glow plugs that heat up the air in the cylinder so that the engine will start.

 

Natural Gas

Gas is an obviously appealing power source, particularly when it’s a product of the well you’re pumping. Gas from the well will often contain a lot of water. This has to be removed from the gas before it can be used as fuel. When you’re using the gas directly from the well, you’ll need to pass it through a regulator, so that it’s at the correct pressure for your system. The gas can then be passed through a wash tank to remove water.
Water in the fuel system can freeze in cold weather. It will condense out of the gas and the collect in low points in the system, eventually blocking the line. Adding a small, custom modified tank to the system to collect the moisture can help prevent blockages, as long as the water is blown out of the tank regularly.

Engines

Figure 3. The layout of a natural gas fuel system, showing the flow from well to engine including all major components.  (courtesy Arrow Specialties, Co., Inc.)

In Figure 3, you can see an example layout of the system. A scrubber and tank may be needed when supplying an engine with gas. The scrubber will remove water, though if the gas supply is dry enough to be used as fuel you don’t need to add a scrubber to the system. The volume tank will keep the fuel supply steady and the pressure steady; 6 or 7 ounces of pressure is usually required.

Larger engines will have a greater fuel need, and so a second volume tank may be needed. The rise, the pipe projecting upward in Figure 3 between scrubber and volume tank, is used to prevent a sudden rise in pressure or amount of gas.

Is your appetite for oil & gas operating knowledge insatiable like ours? 😀 If so, check out these related articles, Lease Electrical System and Motors In Oil & Gas Production and, Utility Pumps For Oil & Gas Production – they’ll be sure to pump you up!!!

How CAN we guarantee you a 6% lift in profit margin in 6 weeks*?

ALLOW US TO STIMULATE YOUR GREED GLAND

*PLEASE NOTE: 6% is the AVERAGE result of producers who implement the app into their operations..... which means a full HALF of our clients do better 🤑

Centralized Repository

Get full production history, well files, commentary and the like in the hands of the people who need it (when they need it) and enable everyone in the field or office to do their best work.

Reduced Overhead

The height of cultivation runs to simplicity. With Greasebook, streamline your operations, automate back-office tasks all while eliminating any excess operational drag ❌ ⚙️

Reduced Downtime through Alerts

Gain timely detection of equipment malfunctions or other operational issues and prevent costly breakdowns. With Greasebook, alert your in-house team to issues in the field wherever they're at.

Increased Production

Catch a hole in the tubing or an engine issue immediately when a well begins to slip (not several weeks later when your purchaser statements come in…) 💸 Greasebook is the next best thing to 'sitting shotgun' with each pumper on every route. And because you'll have complete visibility of your assets and your field crew, you'll not only avoid significant expenses associated with repairs and oversights but you'll also produce more oil because of it.

Timely Reports

Weekly, monthly, or missed reports simply don’t cut it. Why? Because longer reporting intervals increase the risk of inaccuracies and discrepancies in your production data, which not only erodes trust in the reported figures but also makes it challenging to analyze trends or forecast future production 📉 With Greasebook, eliminate any excuse NOT to have your production data.

Full Accountability

Gain full transparency of your folks in the field and eliminate boiler housed reports and ‘Kitchen Table Pumping’ for good 🍳

Focus

From one-off wells to lengthy routes, no matter what form your pumping takes, GreaseBook keeps your pumpers focused on moving those production updates from field to office.

Gather

Easily gather everything that matters. Track tank levels, capture notes, administer well tests, submit photos of scanned run tickets. All from the field. All on your mobile device. All over the cellular network.

Connect

Connect with the people who help you get it all done. Communicate, collaborate, and share in real-time with your guys and gals in the field without ever leaving the GreaseBook.

Access

Access fast, accurate gauge sheets. No need to re-key production or manipulate Excel. Just one click and your production is organized into a beautiful screen-friendly layout.

ALLOW US TO IMPLEMENT THE GREASEBOOK FOR YOU AND....

BECOME THE OFFICE HERO

Streamline your operations and discover why the industry’s most effective operators rely on Greasebook to do their best work.

Everything in one place

The central place for everyone’s work. All the relevant content from well history to run ticket images, easily accessed.

Get paid your due

Compare a month's worth of oil sales tickets vs purchaser statements vs payments received (and find those inconsistencies!) in just seconds.

Knowledge discovery

GreaseBook acts as your operations watchdog, surfacing any unexpected drops in production, unplanned downtime, or incompetence in the oilfield.

Share Responsibility

Production data syncs across all pumpers who share the responsibility of a particular lease. That means no more calling, no more meeting up to trade-off books, and no more miscommunication.

Mobile Sync

Automatic sync means your production status is available the minute your pumper returns to coverage.

Offline Access

Pumpers retain access to historical production by making their work available even when a connection isn’t.

Guarantee

If you don’t TRIPLE your money in the form of profits from downtime reduction, increased production, lower overhead, and/or reduced time and redundancies in the back office during your 60 day trial – we’ll DOUBLE the amount money you paid for the app.

Voted New Technology Development of the Year.

57000449
bbls pumped to date
50106001
MCF flowed to date

Simple 8-minute Ramp Up

Average time to learn? 8 minutes (and yes, this goes for those pumpers who are 75 years old still tending wells…)

Custom Reports

Select one of our premade reports or build your own.

Alarm Alerts

Whether it’s a full tank or well is offline, we’ll text or email anyone you want if there’s an issue.

Production Graphs

See the big picture with beautiful production displays which render perfectly on any device.

Field Data Collection

Enter run tickets, BS&W draws, water hauls, track dual product tanks, conduct well tests all via the Greasebook. Now, your real-time monitoring shows right alongside those manual pumper gauges.

Comments

Real-time production is worthless if you don’t have the contextual information to complement it. Tag or search pumper comments by lease, well, or injector/SWD – letting the whole team know precisely what’s going on in the field.

Well Testing and Allocation Engine

Robust well testing and allocation engines to satisfy even the most complex gathering system.

Downtime Tracker

Which wells are down? How long they been down for? Why are they down? Now, you’ll know at a moment’s glance.

State & Government Auto-Report Filer

Yes, you read that right. We’ll produce your State and Government production reports enabling your back office to catch their breath.

Scheduled Reports

Want a report with your coffee every morning at 5AM? Got a WI partner who won’t quit calling to ‘get the numbers’? Set’em up on an automated report and watch the daily minutiae disappear.

Well History Files

A single place for your downhole and surface equipment PDFs, Word Docs, and the like – accessible in both the field and office.

Pumper GPS Tracker

Wanna know how many times your pumper is showing up each month? When was the last time someone set foot on a particular lease? No more “he said, she said” – with GPS tracker, now you’ll know the full story.

Custom Variables

Track any variable at any lease no matter how obscure.

Custom Logic

Components of a production system don’t operate in a vacuum. We make complex math simple so you can focus on analysis NOT spreadsheet jockeying.

Partner/Investor Permissions

Maintain transparency by giving special partners and investors access to their production (and ONLY their production!)

Read-Only Permissions

Giving certain users the ability to ‘look but don’t touch’.

Privacy and security. Keep what’s private pri****.

Bring the most advanced security of any device to your operations. The GreaseBook comes with built-in protections against malware and viruses, and given our open API it gives you the freedom to choose what you share and how you share it. So no matter what you’re doing (or where you’re doing it), GreaseBook helps your private information stay that way.

(just a few of) the products we integrate with

GREASEBOOK INTEGRATIONS

“If you’re unsatisfied for any reason during your 6-week trial, we'll either work with you until it's right or refund 200% of what you paid for the app. How can we do this? We're just that good. But don't take it from me. Check out what our clients are saying below......"
Greg Archbald
Perpetual Student of the Oilfield
Founder of GreaseBook
FEAST YOUR EYES, NON-BELIEVERS 👀👇

VERIFIED REVIEWS BY OUR CUSTOMERS

Ask us anything

F.A.Q.

Not really. Simply share with us your Excel reports, paper gauge sheets, or the login to your existing legacy production software and we’ll take care of the rest.

Our petroleum engineers turn-key your entire setup, we’ll reach out once we’re done. Bada bing.

You’re right. And, because no one leaves their house without their phone (and because our app works offline), we eliminate any excuse for your pumpers NOT to send you their data. See, we told you this would be easy.

In addition to both Android and Apple smartphones, the Greasebook also works on any tablet, laptop, or desktop.

While Greasebook has been implemented in many of the country’s largest publicly traded production companies operating thousands of wells, Greasebook is focused on serving the small and mid-sized independent US-based oil & gas operators.

Anywhere, anytime, on any device (phone, tablet, desktop or laptop).

The beauty of the app is once your pumpers start submitting their production via the Greasebook – anyone on your team can access production reports, graphs and well files from any device at any time.

It’s sorta like a centralized place from which everyone on your team can work, without all the calls, text messages and emails that would go on otherwise.

Absolutely. As your pumpers continue to add tickets, comments, pressures, well tests and any other relevant information, your investors will have guest access to as much (or as little) information as you’d like.

Of course, they’ll only see production info for the wells in which they participate.

Oil & gas companies who run Legacy oil and gas software systems expose themselves to major risks (and minor annoyances…)

The complexity of traditional oil & gas production systems is twofold:

  1. Software Problem: Legacy software systems are expensive, outdated, clunky and have extremely complex interfaces. In fact, because of all the support and manual interventions required, continuing to use outdated software can often be more costly than simply upgrading.
  2. People Problem: Legacy software systems take an enormous amount of time to familiarize oneself with. And, anytime an employee quits, retires, or is let go the amount of training required for new employees can be significantly higher than for newer, more user-friendly software.

 

This is a lose/lose. What’s more, given all the set-up fees, training fees, support fees and the like the projected ‘savings’ never materialize and now your forced to contend with fluctuating hydrocarbon prices AND a bloated monthly OPEX.

Talk about getting stuck in the muck!

With Greasebook, office users are 99% proficient with the platform in about 20 minutes.

Within 2 seconds – FROM YOUR SMARTPHONE – you’ll have your answer to any question regarding production, allocations, performance, well history files, commentary, run ticket reconciliation, Custom Reports, State reports, and more – all sliced and diced and customized at the Company, Operator, Battery, Well, State, County, Section, Township, Range, Acquisition, or even Supervisor level…

We’ve been at this for awhile. Greasebook was established in 2012 and now supports more than 400+ oil and gas operators (small ma & pops and publicly traded companies alike) across 20 States and is the fastest growing production software in the patch.

The Greasebook corporate outpost is proudly located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 🤠📍

The Greasebook helpdesk is staffed by Petroleum Engineers, Geologists, and Completions Experts Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM CST. 

We have a real-time chat through which most questions are answered in 2 minutes or less.

Naturally, some questions are more complex and you’ll want to speak to someone over the phone. In this case, we aim to complete all callbacks within two hours of scheduling.👌

Of course, your Dashboard and Reports are available to you 24/7.

We don’t blame them.

Pumpers have been burned by Legacy Production Systems in the past. 😵

However, given how much upside you stand to gain in the form of time savings and profit, DO NOT make the mistake of letting the tail wag the dog, folks!! 💸

Real talk: the average pumper takes about 8 minutes to learn Greasebook (and that goes for guys in their 80s still tending wells…)

Give us two days and we’ll make believers out of your entire pumping crew….

Still not convinced? Check out Greasebook’s “Pumper Wall of Love” by clicking here and let the pumpers tell you themselves 😘

Let us help you help yourself. Simply send us your existing production info, and we’ll assign a production engineer to turn-key your entire setup for you.

We’ll build your wells, your tank straps, your users and anything else you require.

Finally, once everything has been reviewed by your team, we’ll roll out your pumpers and either train them for you or with you while you focus on more important stuff.

That’s not a question, but actually no.

The average pumper demands anywhere from $125 to $400 per month.

And depending on what you require, Greasebook is priced anywhere from $5-15 well/mo.

So, given how much more you’ll get out of your pumpers, how much we’ll streamline your operations, and how quickly we’ll get this all done for you, we’re actually kind of a bargain.

Our guarantee is two-pronged…

First, run the app for full 6 weeks in your operations. If you’re not completely satisfied, let us know and we’ll DOUBLE your money back.

Second, if for any reason you’d like your money back in first 30 days after paying simply let us know and it’s yours. 🤝

However, if you’re anything like our other 400+ operators you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do this 6 months ago…

We’re ready when you are. Take the quiz and schedule a call here – depending how many operators we have in front of you, there’s a chance we can get you up and running by the end of next week.

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