The conventional beam rod pumping unit consists of surface components and downhole components. These components all function together to allow for the production of the hydrocarbons from the wellbore to the surface (Di et al. 2018). The main components of the beam pumping unit, shown in Fig. 8, are as follows:
Prime Mover The prime mover converts the energy provided through electricity or a diesel engine into motion that is transmitted to the gear box.
Gear Box The gear box is the main mechanism by which the surface component motion is controlled.
Counterbalance The counterbalance works to balance the weight of the horse head as it moves up and down to allow for smooth and regulated operation and to reduce wear of the surface components.
Horse Head (Pumping Unit) The horse hear is the surface pumping unit that move up and down to allow the downhole pump components to operate. It carries the weight of the string.
Polished Rod The polished rod is the topmost sucker rod. It is usually designed from more durable material compared to the other sucker rods since it is carrying the entire weight of the string.
Stuffing Box Its main function is to prevent leakage of fluid by providing a seal between the components.
Tubing The tubing is the piping through which the fluid is produced after it travels through the sucker rods.
Rod String (Sucker Rods) The sucker rods make up the main length of the string. They are specially shaped in order to accommodate the fluids and work with the overall design.
Downhole Pump The downhole pump is composed of several components mainly the traveling valve and the standing valves. During the upstroke, the traveling valve closes and the fluid above the plunger is lifted. This allows the barrel to fill up with fluid through the standing valve. During the downstroke, the standing valve closes and the fluid is compressed thus allowing the fluid to move through the traveling valve.
Flowline The produced fluids flow into the flowline in the surface in order to be transported to the refinery.
