Every production company has at least one problem well.
A well that’s almost more trouble than it’s worth. Persistent breakdowns and other challenges. Workovers every few months. Many of them even get nicknames: Little Stinker, Problem Child, Troublemaker and plenty of others not appropriate to publish in a family friendly blog.
Recently, however, the TechTAC® team encountered one of the worst “problem children” we’ve ever seen. This vertical well in the Permian basin is very gassy, creating constant challenges with gas locking of its rod pump. Why not use a Slimline® TAC to mitigate that gas interference, you say? It’s a good suggestion, but there’s one problem.
Gas, Sand and the Placement of a TAC
This 5.5” well uses 2-7/8” tubing to support a large pump. In such a design, a traditional Slimline TAC would have to be placed below the seat nipple because of its reduced OD and ID. However, that placement wasn’t practical for this challenging well. In addition to gas interference, it also has sand fill issues that make anchoring below the pump impractical.
The production company was forced to use a 5.5” standard B2 TAC, which would typically last only about 30 days before the anchor had to be pulled because of gas locking or sediment buildup. In fact, the record for the longest stretch between workovers for this well was just 66 days. But that was before it met the Slimline Full Bore TAC.
The New Slimline Full Bore TAC
Working with TechTAC, this production company became an early adopter of the Slimline Full Bore TAC. This innovative anchor combines a full bore ID (2.4” on the 5.5” anchor) with a reduced OD similar to that of the original Slimline TAC. The patent-pending design provides significantly more flow-by area around the tubing anchor while still maintaining an ID large enough to allow rod pumps designed for 2-7/8” tubing to pass through the TAC.
A New Record … and Still Counting
The new anchor was run in as part of a workover in August 2025. As of this writing, the Slimline Full Bore TAC has been downhole in this problem well for more than 140 days! That’s more than double the previous record! And it’s still going.
Of course, this production company’s experience isn’t unique. Another early adopter of the Slimline Full Bore TAC that was also struggling with formation gas explained, “The [Slimline Full Bore TACs] work well for gas interference issues in our wells with 5.5-inch casing. We’ve seen a 25- to 30-percent increase in the volume of gas being discharged on the surface.” The operator also reported a significant increase in pump fillage and production.
Ready to Try the Slimline Full Bore TAC in Your Problem Well?
If you’re a TechTAC Authorized Dealer with customers who might benefit from the unique design of the Slimline Full Bore TAC, our team would love to talk with you. Even in a problem well, this patent-pending tubing anchor catcher has delivered impressive results. To learn more – or to see a demonstration of the new product – visit techtac.com/contact to find a location near you or email info@techtac.com.
