ABSTRACT
Prior to 1979, the solution to lowering increasing fluid levels in rod pumped wells was to get a larger downhole pump and a higher capacity beam unit. This was simple to do and considered economic. However, with the shortage of steel for sucker rods and beam units, the luxury of obtaining larger units (API 456, 640, etc.) within several months has all but disappeared. Then a new solution appeared on the horizon -fiberglass sucker rods. Although they have been in existence since 1973, many problems have prevented their widespread use, until recent developments made them a suitable alternative to steel rods.
The original rods, manufactured from 1975 to 1978, were constantly plagued with rod parts due to knots in the glass fiber and gas pockets in the rod body formed during improper curing. In addition, beginning in 1978, rod parts increased due mainly to rod pinch-off at the end connections. A new rod design was developed, which incorporated many new and major modifications to correct the problems that had plagued the previous rod. The actual field performance of these new rods supports their applicability in the oil field.
