Thomasssen De Stegg Holland Beam Pump - Moonie, QLD
Posted by: 
Tuena
S 27° 43.027 E 150° 22.238
56J E 240749 N 6931365
This was the original beam pump used on the Moonie #1 oil well in the 1960's.
Waymark Code: WMTCTV
Location: Queensland, Australia
Date Posted: 11/03/2016
Views: 1
Moonie came to prominence in December 1961 when it became Australia’s first commercial oil field. In reality it is only a small oil field accounting for less than one per cent of Australia’s oil and gas reserves but the excitement which was associated with its success led to the establishment, in 1969, of a pipeline which joined the fields to refineries in Brisbane.
An information board beside the beam pump explains its operation as:
Thomasssen De Stegg Holland Beam Pump
Also known as a Pump Jack or Nodding Horse.
This was the original beam pump used on the Moonie #1 well back in the 1960's.
Beam pumps are used to lift a variety of liquids from subsurface wells to the surface. The wells at the Moonie Oil Fields are drilled to 5800 feet and the beam pumps are used to pump oil from this depth to the production facility.
Beam pumps are driven by electric, crude oil or gas fired engines. This beam pump was driven by a gas fired engine as you see mounted on the beam pump. The gas used to run this engine was taken from the well that it was pumping via the well head. Belts connected the engine to the gearbox to increase torque & decrease speed. The gearbox rotates turning the big weights on the arms which allows the walking beam and horses head to move up and down. This action pulls the sucker rod and pump up and down inside the well tubing. Oil accumulated on top of the pump is moved up the tubing to the surface. This takes a lot of energy. The counterweights on the beam pump are used to offset the weight of the sucker rod string, and the oil that is being pumped.
This reduces the size of the engine needed to operate the pump.
Type of Machine: Beam Pump
Year the machine was built: 1960
Is there online documentation for this machine: [Web Link]
Year the machine was put on display: Not listed
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