Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for analyzing oil well production fluid that includes a flow pipe through which production fluid normally flows, a test pipe defining an elongate vertical test chamber, valves to selectively intermittently bypass fluid flowing through the flow pipe into the test pipe to fill the chamber with a sample of production fluid. The apparatus includes devices to measure and record the rate of flow of the production fluid flowing through the flow pipe and to measure and record the temperature, pressure, weight and the capacitance of the sample in the chamber for comparative use with earlier recorded base measurements to calculate and record the net volumes of the oil, gas and water fractions in the production fluid.

Abstract: An automatic pump speed controller for controlling and maintaining the strokes per minute of a down-hole oil well pump and providing signals on the surface indicating the actual strokes per minute of the pump. The automatic pump speed controller comprises a means for measuring the strokes per minute of the pump, and a means for adjusting the pump to correspond to a preselected stroke per minute value. The automatic pump speed controller also provides for a visual read out of the actual strokes per minute of the pump which enables an observer to obtain this information. In the present invention, pressure pulses from the pump are transmitted to the invented automatic pump controller on the surface and are monitored. If the pulses indicate that the pump is operating at a rate different than the preselected rate, the controller is adapted to automatically readjust the pump to conform to the preselected rate.

Abstract: A flow meter means for flowing columns of mixed liquids and gases comprising an elongate flow tube between upstream and downstream sections of a fluid conducting line, an elongate return duct with upstream and downstream ends communicating with the sides of the tube at longitudinally spaced fronts, a plurality of plugs slidably engaged in the tube, and shiftable through the duct, means to intermittently move plugs from the upstream end of the duct into the tube and to move plugs from the tube into the downstream end of the duct and means to count the number of plugs moved into and out of the tube and to time the rate at which the plugs move through the tube.