Roller Rod Guides

Roller Rod Guide Couplings

  • Reduces wear on sucker rods and tubing
  • Lets rod string “fall” faster
  • Reduces Rod Load
  • Reduces energy requirement for pump
  • Eliminates “wiping” of inside tubing
  • Quick Cost Recovery
  • Wheels are field-replaceable
  • Eliminates the need for any other coupling device

Roller Rod Guide Couplings have worked successfully in thousands of applications since 1982.

  • Sucker rod Roller Rod Guide Couplings for severely deviated and directional wells
  • Used successfully for over 25 years by over 90% of major oil and gas companies in over 40 countries – onshore and offshore
  • Wheels are field-replaceable

Roller Rod Guide Couplings reduce wear and prolong the life of sucker rods and tubing. They centralize the rod string in the tubing, and the rolling action of the wheels inside the tubing walls during stroking reduces friction and wear caused by the rods slapping or rubbing the tubing. With proper use of the Roller Rod Guides and effective chemical treatment programs, several operators have extended by an average of four times the operating periods between having to “pull and service” wells because of sucker rod or tubing wear.

Wheel angles are designed to centralize rod string in tubing. Wheels are set vertically and at 45-degree angles to each other, along the axis of the Roller Rod Guide Coupling body. This design assures the centralizing effect at all rod couplings where Roller Rod Guide couplings are installed.

Wheels’ rolling action reduces friction, rod load, and wear. Installation of the wheels through slots in the Roller Rod Guide Coupling body assures that wheels will roll smoothly upon contact with the tubing wall. The rolling action of the wheels inside the tubing walls produces significantly less friction and wear than the rod string rubbing or slapping directly against the tubing walls.

Wheels “span” tubing couplings. The wheel size and placement in the Roller Rod Guide Coupling body are designed to assure smooth “spanning” of tubing couplings. This reduces substantially the shock effect which is characteristic with many rod coupling devices when they “bump” tubing shoulders at the couplings.

Wheel installation and design assure smooth rolling action and easy replacement. Wheels are set on stainless steel journals and roll pins to assure smooth rolling action. They are easily field-replaceable with just a common hammer and punch.

Materials of Construction:

Roller Rod Guide Coupling body

Standard Rod Guide Coupling bodies are machined from cold rolled steel of 78,000lb tensile strength. Special metals – The above models are in stock for high-stress rods (made from stress-proof steel) 125,000lb tensile strength.

Wheels and Roll Pins- Wheels are set on stainless steel journals and roll pins. Standard wheels for applications up to 175 F are made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

Special wheels- Wheel materials and temperature applications: Up to 175°F: UHMW 175°F-350°F: A model 350°F-450°F: Ryton There is no extra charge for any material listed above. 450° and above: Steel-there is an increase in the cost of this wheel material. Replacement kits: Wheels, roll pins and journals are field-replaceable. Wheel kits are standard order items.

Ultra-FlowTM Centralizers

  • Full-circle Wiping of Tubing I.D.
  • More Gripping Force on the Rods
  • More Fluid Flow-by Volume
  • Longer Useful Guide Life due to Longer Vanes & Bearing Surfaces
  • Positive Wear Indicator
  • Available in Amodel and with Glass Fill
  • Hydroplaning effect is Superior with Positive Cavity

Advanced Design Characteristics:

  • Full-circle Wiping of Tubing I.D. No rod-rotating required
  • More Gripping Force on Rods, More Fluid Flow-by Volume than any other field-installed centralizer/scraper available
  • Longer Useful Life, Larger vanes and bearing surface than any other field-installed centralizer/scraper available
  • Positive Wear Indicator. When any one of the vanes on any centralizer/scraper is worn away, it should be replaced promptly
  • Amodel with Glass Fill
  • Hydroplaning effect is superior with positive cavity displacement pumps

Ultra-FlowTM The Ultra-FlowTM field-installed rod centralizer/scraper scraper is a two-piece, snap-together guide made from Amodel, a glass-filled nylon material.

PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION  
UF2034-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 2-3/8″ tubing x 3/4″ rod  
UF2078-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 2-3/8″ tubing x 7/8″ rod  
     
UF2534-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 2-7/8″ tubing x 3/4″  rod  
UF2578-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 2-7/8″ tubing x 7/8″ rod  
UF2510-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 2-7/8″ tubing x 1″ rod  
     
UF3034-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 3-1/2″ tubing x 3/4″ rod  
UF3078-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 3-1/2″ tubing x 7/8″ rod  
UF3010-A Ultra-FlowTM centralizer, 3-1/2″ tubing x 1″ rod  

Recommended installation for centralizers:

For an effective, trouble-free operation, place three centralizers on the rod: one at each end, about 14″ to 18″ from the coupling, and one centralizer near the center of the rod.

Recommended installation for paraffin scraping:

Space the scrapers on the rod at a distance of 2″ to 4″ less than the stroke length to insure that you have sufficient overlap. **The recommendations above are general in nature. Due to widely varying well conditions and special problems that you may encounter, spacing requirements of guides and scrapers may be more or less than described. Install these centralizers/scrapers in the field quickly and easily

  • Pliers and Hammer
  • Hydraulic
  • Shoe

Installation shoes for application of Ultra-Flow centralizers/paraffin scrapers are available. The first shoe is free of charge. Additional shoes are $20.00 each. Complimentary installation instructions available on CD-ROM

Materials and Service Applications:

Base material Temp (F) Hot Oil Sweet Crude Sour Crude High Water Cut Hot Brine
Amodel To 400 F Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Rod Cut Tubing Sand Corrosion Resistance Chemical Resistance Resistance to CO2
Yes Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent

Suggested placement on Sucker Rods You will generally be your own best judge for the specific circumstances of each well, but these recommendations can be helpful. To prevent stacking: at the bottom 200 feet of the well, 4 to 6 per rod will deter rod-stacking tendency on the downstroke and tubing-stacking tendency on the upstroke. For guiding: Where known wear occurs, use a minimum of 4 per rod; in high volume wells, use a minimum of 6 per rod. For paraffin removal: In the upper part of well where paraffin solidifies, use a minimum of 6 per rod. A “rule of thumb” formula: [Rod length (in)] / Stroke (in) + 1 = Quantity / Per Rod