The modern petroleum industry owes much of its success to Armais Sergeevich Arutunoff, the son of an Armenian soap maker. With the support of a prominent Oklahoma oil company president, Arutunoff designed and built the first practical electric submersible pump (ESP) in the 1930s, forever transforming oilfield production worldwide.
The Journey of Armais Arutunoff
Arutunoff was born in Tiflis, part of the Russian Empire, in 1893. His early scientific research focused on the application of electrical power transmission to oil drilling, an area he believed had vast potential for improving oilfield production methods. By 1916, he had designed a centrifugal pump for dewatering mines and ships, and he soon realized the potential for his invention to be applied to oil wells.
However, after emigrating to the United States in 1923, Arutunoff struggled to find financial backing for his invention. It wasn’t until Frank Phillips, the head of Phillips Petroleum Company, encouraged him to move to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, that Arutunoff’s fortunes began to change. With Phillips’ support, Arutunoff demonstrated his first successful ESP in an oil well in Kansas.
Early Innovations and Patents
Arutunoff’s electric submersible pump was not the first patent for an oil-related electric pump. Earlier designs, such as Harry Pickett's 1894 rotary electric motor (patent no. 529,804) and Robert Newcomb's 1918 "electro-magnetic engine," set the stage for future innovations . However, it was Arutunoff’s 1926 patent that made ESPs commercially viable .
Reda Pump Company and Global Success
In 1928, Arutunoff established Bart Manufacturing Company, which soon became Reda Pump. The company quickly grew, employing hundreds during the Great Depression, and was pivotal in manufacturing ESPs for oil wells across the world. Reda, which stood for "Russian Electrical Dynamo of Arutunoff," became the largest manufacturer of ESP systems by the end of the twentieth century and was later acquired by Schlumberger .
The Impact of ESP Technology
Arutunoff’s ESP revolutionized oilfield production by allowing operators to lift oil from deeper wells more efficiently than previous methods. By 1938, an estimated two percent of all U.S. oil production using artificial lift came from his pumps . His company held over 90 patents, including crucial developments in both pump and cable technologies, further enhancing the reliability and efficiency of ESPs .
Today, modern ESPs are capable of lifting more than 25,000 barrels of fluids per day, demonstrating the lasting influence of Arutunoff’s innovations .
Conclusion
Armais Arutunoff’s contributions to petroleum technology cannot be overstated. His electric submersible pump continues to be a critical tool in oilfield production, enabling more efficient oil recovery from wells around the world. His legacy lives on in the global success of ESP technology, a testament to the vision of a man who transformed the oil industry.
For more information on the history of ESP technology, visit the American Oil & Gas Historical Society..
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References:
1. American Oil & Gas Historical Society. (2024). Inventing the Electric Submersible Pump.
2. Everett, D. (2014). "Arutunoff, Armais Sergeevich." Oklahoma Historical Society.
3. Schlumberger. (2024). Modern ESP Artificial Lift.
4. Oklahoma Historical Society “The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture” “Submergible Pump”
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