Abstract: Surface hydraulic fluid pressure and sucker rod displacement are measured and used to analyze the performance of a pumped oil well having a surface hydraulic actuator connected to a downhole pump by the sucker rod. The pressurized hydraulic fluid actuates a cyclic motion of the rod and a pumping of the oil. The measured rod motion and hydraulic fluid pressure are used together with an added flexible rod simulator to calculate a performance characteristic. The analysis method accounts for rod interactions with the hydraulic actuator and hydraulic pump. The present invention avoids installation of a load cell and disassembly/shutting down the operating pumping unit as is required by the conventional rocker beam analysis methods. The present invention also avoids flow measurements, as is required by conventional subsurface hydraulic motor and analysis methods, and complex dynamic frictional fluid loss analysis.