Hydraulic anchoring assembly for insertable progressing cavity pump

A hydraulic anchoring assembly for anchoring and sealing an insertable progressing cavity pump delivered on rods in a well, the progressing cavity pump having a stator and a rotor, the stator being attached to the well and the rotor being connected to the rods, the anchoring assembly comprising:

• an inner mandrel having a longitudinal bore therethrough, the inner mandrel being connected to a downstream end of the stator, the inner mandrel being in fluidic communication with the insertable progressing cavity pump;
• an inflatable packer connected to the inner mandrel by shearable means, the inflatable packer being inflated by increasing pressure of fluids within the bore of the inner mandrel above an inflate pressure to seal the inner mandrel to the well;
• a one-way inflation valve in fluidic communication with the inflatable packer to maintain inflation of the inflatable packer;
• a hydraulic slip means connected to the inner mandrel by shearable means, the hydraulic slip being located downstream of the inflatable packer and activated by further increasing pressure of fluids within the bore of the inner mandrel above a slip deployment pressure for gripping the well to resist longitudinal and rotational movement of the inner mandrel with respect to the well;
• a one-way deployment valve located between the inflatable packer and the hydraulic slip means, the one-way deployment valve being in fluidic communication with the hydraulic slip means to maintain deployment of the hydraulic slip means;
• and
• a sealing means for sealing off the bore of the inner mandrel downstream of the hydraulic slip means for preventing flow of fluid through the bore of the inner mandrel whilst the insertable progressing cavity pump is deployed into the well, the sealing means being releasable to allow fluid to flow upstream through the bore of the inner mandrel to the insertable progressing cavity pump when in operation;
• wherein the inflate pressure is below the slip deployment pressure;
• and
• wherein actuation of the inflatable packer and the hydraulic slip means are triggered by changes in the pressure of the fluid within the bore of the inner mandrel.