3,800

3,600
3,400
3,200
3,000
2,800

2,600

500 psi pump suction pressure

(cavilation elfects not considered)
Nozzle area :0.0081 sq in.

: 0.38
Throat areas :0.02'12 sq in. (B : 0.38)
psi
0.0441 sq in. (Fl - 0.18)
pressure Nozzle llow : 610 bpd at 4,000 psi

6.000

2,400

oj

2,200
2,000

lP .

1,800
1,600
1,400

799 bpd al 6.000 psi

Pump discharge pressure (PD)
minus pump suction pressure (PS)
0.18

6,000 psi

1,?AO

1,000

800
600
400
200

Fig. 2-Example jet pump performance curves for various throat and

nozzle areas.

About the series

Theory of jet pumps

The jet punrp (Fig. 3) is a lr1'<lro<ll,rranri<: rather than hyclrostatic type ol-purnp ancl operales print,ipally thtoush mornentrrrn trarlsfer between trvo urljaccnt {'luirl streanrs. I{igh
pressrrre lror,ver fltrirl passing through tlre nozzle has its potential er)ergy (presstrre enerf{y) c()nverte(l to kinetic ellergy
in a jet of'{ltricl at high vel<rcity. Well f luicl nrixes with the
power fluicl in a constant area thr()at or rnixing tube arrd rnornenturn is trans[erre<l to tlre rvell Ilrri<1, c:rrrsing an energy
lise in it. As the rnixecl I lrrids exit tlre throat, they are still at a
high vekrcity, anrl thus corrtuin srrbstantial kirretic energy.
'I-lre fluids are skxvecl in an exlrarrrling area clit-tirser that
converts the remaitring kinetic enelgy t() static pressure suf ficient to Iif't f'luirls to the strlfhce. Design v;rriables include
calculations could be performed only by the manulacturers.

The growing success of the jet pump as compared to

the hydraulic piston pump is revealed in the sales of the
lwo types. Jet pumps are run in more than half of the
current hydraulic pumping installations in spite of the
fact that field engineers were unable to calculate the
proper pump size. And jet pumping is probably never
considered for many other wells in which it would be the
ideal artificial lift method since, until now, the operalor

face hydraulic power fluid system. The length of a jet

for comparison with other lift methods.

This series by Messrs. Petrie, Smart and Wilson presents the fundamental equations used and outlines the
step-by-step calculations required to design a jet pumping installation. Of even greater importance is publication of the pressure loss coefficients and the actual jet
pump specilications; that is, nozzle and throat areas and
area ratios. The pressure loss coefficient lor the nozzle
and the combined coellicient for the throat and diffuser
(or mixing tube) are those empirically delermined by the
manufacturers lrom extensive lab testing and confirmation in the field. They can be used lo reasonably describe the performance of the Guiberson, Kobe and National Production Systems jet pumps in their respective
bottomhole assemblies, provided actual areas of the
nozzle and throat for a particular pump are used for
these calculations.

and sand production better than a hydraulic piston

pump.

Reported disadvantages of ,et pumping are its low

pump efficiency, cavitation in the throat of the pump and

limitation in maximum flowing bottomhole pressure

I
I

acldress that rreed.

Although a paperl published in 1933 described the operation of a jet pump for artificial lift of oil wells, the first
prototype was not installed in an oil well until 19702. And
there has been very little information published since
lhen on the practical application of jet pumps, thus the
importance of this series of articles.
The simplicity of a ;et pump cannot be overemphasized, and a free punlp installation allows the operalor lo
ren"love and replace a jet pump using the existing surpump has been shortened for pump-down operations in
a TFL completion. And since there are no moving parts, a
jet pump will tolerate poorer quality power fluid, free gas

perli)rrnance crlrves historically have been proprietarl, rvith

the pump rnanufacturers, it h:rs been rli{f icrrlt firr the prodrrction engineer to evaltrate jet prrrnl;ine s)'stclns in desigrrins artif icial lifi systenrs. [{r-rrvever, r'eas()nal)le accrrracy in
application calculations r:an lre obtairrc<l on h:rnd-helcl conrJ)uters if the conrrnercially availal;le sizes unrl tlreir perlrrr
trlance characteristics are available. l his serics ol':rrticles rvill

drawdown. The manufaclurers of jet pumps were initially

conservative, ralher than optimistic, in their performance
predictions. ln general, the jet pump has performed lar
better than anticipated by these manufaclurers. However, comparing artificial lift systems on the basis of efficiency alone will not always result in the better method
in terms ol operating cosls per barrel ol produced oil.
Present high oil prices have changed the economics,
and greater expenditure can be justified lo assure continued operation without inlerruption. Also equipment replacement or repair should result in a minimum of downtime.
ln the past, most operators were not interested in the
theory of jet pump operalion, which involves complex
equations delining momenlum lransfer and the related
performance of a nozzle, throat and dilfuser within the
jet pump. Afler all is said and done, the final coefficients
for loss in the nozzle, throat and difluser are determined
empirically from actual tests rather than from theory. Accurate jet pump performance data are required belore
reliable installation design calculations are possible.
Since the manulacturers of jet pumping equipment considered their performance curves proprietary, the operator could not design an installation in the same manner
as could be done for olher methods of artificial lift. The

has been unable to make installation design calculations

This series is an outstanding contribution to the indus-

try and expands the production engineer's knowledge in

another method ol artilicial lift-jet pumping. Without
doubt, it will assume the status ol a classic piece ol work
and will be used for many years.
I O'Rrien, Nl. P and ()oslinc, E., "Application of lhcjet prlrrlP lo oil-rvell purnpJ.
itg,:' Afl Thn,l lli,l lcat .\lectnq. I rrls;r. tl\l:r1 !!. lall).
2 wilson. P M.,
purnP
A progress report orr two )cars of fielrl pt'rforlrec
ler
mancei' Proccedtngs o[ lh? Soulhu?sletn I'?lrol.tn Short Colnr, (April t973), pg.
165.

H. W. Winkler

Editor's nolet Dr. H. W.

Winkler is a professor in the
Petroleum Engineering Department at lexas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, and
is known throughout the world
as an expert on artificial lift.