KeBond™ Coated Endless Rod PCP Performance Success in Seal Lake

Project Information

Client Name:	Confidential
Location:	Seal Lake Area, Alberta, Canada
Application:	Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) – Corrosive Service
Initial Install Date:	October 2, 2024
Product:	1 in D Grade KeBond™ Coated Endless Rod (ER)

Client Challenge

Progressing cavity pumps (PCPs) operating in corrosive production environments present a persistent challenge for rod string reliability. Exposure to corrosive produced fluids can lead to surface degradation, pitting, and corrosion-initiated fatigue, which ultimately increases the risk of premature rod failure. These failure mechanisms often result in unplanned workovers, increased lifting costs, and reduced runlife, negatively impacting field economics.

In the Seal Lake area, the one very specific well from hell was identified as a candidate where long-term rod string reliability and corrosion mitigation were critical to sustaining stable PCP operations. Historical experience in similar environments indicated that corrosion control at the rod-string level would be key to extending service life and reducing intervention frequency. The wellbore directional survey was tortuous which was driven by surface lease placement and drilling requirements to reach and maximize coverage throughout the pay zone. Figure 1 shows the top-down plan view of the wellbore while Figure 2 shows the side view vertical section of the wellbore.

 

Application Details

To address corrosion-related reliability concerns, KeBond Coated Endless Rod was selected to prevent corrosion in a highly deviated well with many historical corrosion induced fatigue related issues. KeBond combines continuous rod geometry advantages with a durable barrier coating designed to isolate the base metal from corrosive fluids while maintaining compatibility with PCP operating conditions. By protecting the rod surface, the system targets the primary drivers of corrosion-initiated fatigue observed in uncoated rod strings. Figure 3 shows several examples of historical rod failures from this well analyzed using our L3 Engineering Inspection process to determine corrosion contribution to fatigue failure.

Figure 3. Rod failure samples analyzed in our materials lab clearly evidence corrosion-initiated fatigue as the root cause of failure.

Performance observations (to date)

As of March 26, 2026, this challenging well remains in operation with the KeBond-coated rod string installed on October 2, 2024. Since installation, the KeBond-coated endless rod string has remained in service and demonstrated stable operation under PCP loading conditions. While long-term performance monitoring is ongoing, the continued runtime indicates that the KeBond barrier coating is effectively mitigating corrosion exposure at the rod surface.

Consistent with performance trends observed in other KeBond PCP applications, isolating the rod from corrosive produced fluids is expected to reduce corrosion-related degradation mechanisms that historically drive fatigue failures and early interventions.

Current status (results)

The KeBond rod string was surfaced on January 30, 2026, for a broken rotor. Visual inspection of the KeBond string as shown in Figure 4 below, indicated that it was in excellent overall condition with very little wear on the polyketone coating.

This highlights operational continuity as the well remains online more consistently. There have been no reported corrosion-related rod string failures to date, with early performance results supporting KeBond’s role as a corrosion mitigation solution in PCP applications operating in corrosive environments with deviated wellbore trajectories.

Quantitative runlife improvement and economic impact continue to be evaluated as additional operating time passes and future inspection data becomes available.

    

Conclusion

This difficult application represents another active KeBond PCP installation operating in a corrosive environment with a history plagued by rod string failures. Since its installation on October 2, 2024, the KeBond coated endless rod string has remained in service, supporting the objectove of improved rod string reliability through corrosion isolation.

Based on performance observed to date, KeBond continues to demonstrate its value as a corrosion-control, fatigue initiation prevention solution for PCP applications where conventional rod strings are susceptible to corrosion-initiated fatigue failures. Continued monitoring will allow for further quantification of runlife extension and lifecycle cost benefits as operating time accumulates in this already successful application of KeBond.