Abstract: A method of monitoring and controlling a pumped well having a rod string extending from a pumping unit located at the earth's surface to a subterranean pump, the rod string being sequentially reciprocated through up and down strokes and the well producing pumped fluid through a collection pipe, the method includes measuring the displacement and the load on the rod string, determining the well is pumped-off when fluid flow from the well substantially stops, recording the maximum load on the sucker rod string during pumped-off conditions, the load being measured during a selected portion of the first portion of the rod string downstroke, establishing a target pumped-off load as a selected percentage of the measured load, periodically initiating a pumping cycle, terminating each pumping cycling when the rod load equals the target rod load.