How Do Oil Field Pump Jacks Work?
Basics Oil down in the earth is typically combined with dirt, rocks and other minerals. For this reason it doesn’t normally rise to the surface once a drill has discovered it and opened a hole. To get it out, the drilling company will need to set an oil pump jack in place to remove it. Before doing this the hole will have to be secured with concrete to keep it from falling in on itself during the pumping process. Once secure, a pump jack is placed above the drill site and set up. In some cases, if the oil is heavy a second hole will also be dug close to the first. The second hole will have steam forced into it to create a pressure that will help force the oil up through the drill hole. The Lever The pump jack has many components. The jack is a lever that moves up and down. It is moved by an engine. Connected to the engine by a bar is a weight system that is also attached to the jack. As the weight is moved the lever is moved. The weight also helps to keep the jack in motion once it is
