Artificial lift jobs

Pump jack, beam pump

Rod pump

How it works. A motor turns a crank that rocks the beam. The beam lifts a string of steel sucker rods that runs to a pump at the bottom of the well, and every upstroke pulls a little oil up the tubing.

In the Basin. The classic nodding donkey. In the Basin it usually takes over later in a well's life, once flow rates drop, and it runs for years with little help.

• Pumpers and lease operators
• Well service and pulling units
• Rod and pump shop hands

15 open jobs mention rod pumps right now

• RoustaboutNGL Energy Partners
• Field Specialist, NightChevron
• Production EngineerPermian Resources

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Electric submersible pump

ESP

How it works. An electric motor sits at the bottom of the well and spins a stack of pump stages above it. A power cable runs all the way down from a drive and transformer on the pad.

In the Basin. Moves the most fluid of any lift, so it is common on new horizontal wells while they still make lots of oil and water.

• ESP field service techs
• Electricians and VFD techs
• Workover rigs

12 open jobs mention ESPs right now

• Field Service Technician - PermianNOV
• ESP (Electrical Submersible Pump) TechnicianPermian Resources
• Field Service Technician - Permian (advanced experience)NOV

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Continuous gas lift

Gas lift

How it works. A compressor pushes gas down the space outside the tubing. Gas-lift valves let it into the tubing, the bubbles make the fluid lighter, and the well flows up on its own.

In the Basin. Very common in the Delaware Basin. It handles sand and gas well and works in long horizontal wells with nothing moving downhole.

• Compressor mechanics
• Lease operators
• Automation and SCADA techs

12 open jobs mention gas lifts right now

• Sr. Operations Specialist – CompressionSM Energy
• Multi-skill Operator/Lease Operator - South Midland BasinConocoPhillips
• Multi-skill Operator/Lease Operator - Kermit, TXConocoPhillips

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Plunger

Plunger lift

How it works. The well is shut in so gas pressure builds. Then a valve opens and a small plunger shoots up the tubing, pushing a slug of liquid ahead of it, and drops back down to wait.

In the Basin. Used on gas wells and older oil wells that load up with liquid. It runs on the well's own gas, with a small solar controller.

• Lease operators and pumpers
• Plunger and artificial lift techs
• Automation techs

12 open jobs mention plunger lifts right now

• Production TechOccidental (Oxy)
• Production EngineerPermian Resources
• Lead Lease OperatorCrescent Energy (Vital Energy)

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Progressing cavity pump

PCP

How it works. A drive head on the surface spins the rod string. At the bottom, a steel corkscrew rotor turns inside a rubber stator, and pockets of fluid travel up through it.

In the Basin. Good with thick or sandy fluid. It is less common in the deep, hot Delaware wells, where heat and gas are hard on the rubber.

• Pumpers
• Lift and pump techs
• Well service rigs

No open listings name this lift today. Production crews work on every kind.

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Hydraulic jet pump

Jet pump

How it works. A surface pump sends high-pressure power fluid down the well. It shoots through a nozzle, the fast jet pulls well fluid in beside it, and both come back up together.

In the Basin. No moving parts downhole, so it shrugs off sand and gas. Operators often use it to test or unload a well before a longer-term lift.

• Hydraulic lift techs
• Flowback and well testing hands
• Equipment operators

1 open job mentions jet pumps right now

• Production EngineerPermian Resources

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