Jet pump

A jet pump for use with a wellbore having a tubing string therein so as to define a first passage and a second passage extending along the wellbore in which the first passage receives a working fluid pumped downwardly therethrough and the second passage receives produced fluids with the working fluid returning upwardly therethrough, the jet pump comprising:

• a pump body having a main passage formed therein to extend upwardly from an inlet port at a periphery of the pump body at a bottom end of the main passage to a central outlet which is centrally located within the pump body at a top end of the main passage;
• the main passage including an intake section at the bottom end of the main passage in communication with the inlet port, a mixing section extending upwardly from the intake section, and a diffuser section extending upwardly from the mixing section to the central outlet;
• a nozzle body received within the pump body at a central axis of the pump body within the intake section of the main passage, the nozzle body defining a nozzle passage therein which tapers upwardly towards a nozzle opening in communication with the mixing section of the main passage thereabove;
• the intake section being defined between a surrounding portion of the pump body and the nozzle body so as to extend upwardly from the inlet port up to an upper end of the intake section at the nozzle opening;
• the mixing section being located above the nozzle opening so as to receive an upward flow of fluid from each of the nozzle passage and the intake section of the main passage;
• the diffuser section extending upwardly while gradually increasing in cross sectional area towards the central outlet;
• a bypass conduit extending alongside the main passage from a top end of the pump body to a bottom end of the pump body;
• a top end of the bypass conduit arranged for communication with the first passage to receive the working fluid pumped downwardly therethrough;
• a first one of the inlet port and the nozzle passage being in communication with the bottom end of the bypass conduit so as to receive the working fluid from the bypass conduit upwardly therethrough;
• and
• a second one of the inlet port and the nozzle passage being in communication externally of the wellbore to receive the produced fluids from the wellbore upwardly therethrough;
• whereby the produced fluids and the working fluid are mixed in the mixing section of the main passage above the nozzle opening prior to exiting the central outlet of the pump body for returning up the second passage.