SPE OKC November Monthly Luncheon

Reframing the Bottomhole Assembly as a Production-Optimization Tool Morgan McIntyre Staff Production Engineer at Devon Energy Abstract: When optimizing artificial lift, adjusting surface parameters is usually the first step. Altering pumping speed, stroke length, and pump-off controls can be used to optimize how the rod-pump system responds; however, it cannot change fluid conditions at the pump intake (gas fraction, solids concentration, or the pressure and velocity conditions). This can be controlled with the bottomhole assembly. The paper compiles a 6-year dataset of Bakken rod-pump wells where BHA geometry, production, and operating conditions were studied. Instead of looking at individual BHA components, this paper analyzes rod pump BHAs as a single hydraulic system. In a conventional arrangement, the tubing anchor occupies most of the casing cross section, so all produced liquid and free gas must pass through the remaining annular area. Velocity rises through that restriction, and gas can accumulate below the anchor faster than it escapes. A flow-through arrangement brackets the anchor with ported subs above and below it, so flow moves past the anchor rather than being forced through that single annulus. The anchor sits at the upper end of the separator system, with a dip tube running through the central section to the seat nipple. The result is parallel internal and external flow paths: separated gas has a direct route to the annulus, and liquid reaches the intake without repeatedly crossing the same restriction. A higher-velocity solids section below the degassing section removes particles before conditioned liquid reaches the pump. In 7-in. casing, the evaluated configuration provides 18.45 in² of effective open area compared with 5.41 in² for a conventional full-bore anchor, reducing local superficial velocity by approximately 70%. A six-year paired evaluation of more than 1,200 Williston rod-pumped wells showed median fluid and gas increases of 17.5% and 23.3% among wells that adopted the geometry, measured against same-configuration controls. The presentation will cover the design principles, where the response is most consistent (below approximately 300 BFPD), and the economics of making the change during a workover that is already scheduled. Biography: Morgan McIntyre is a Staff Production Engineer at Devon Energy, supporting 283 operated Williston Basin wells with a focus on subsurface performance and reliability. Her work covers artificial lift optimization, well surveillance, and intervention planning, including workover designs supported by technical and economic analysis. Before joining Devon she spent nearly three years at Hess Corporation optimizing production across 534 Bakken wells, and began her career as a frac field engineer with Halliburton in Williston, ND. Morgan holds a B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Energy Management from the University of Wyoming, and serves as the Secretary for the SPE Oklahoma City Section. This work was presented at ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi, UAE as SPE-235653-MS, co-authored with DJ Snyder of Vannevar.