Method and apparatus for producing well fluids
AssigneeLiquid Rod Lift, LLC
InventorHenry Joe Jordan, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing fluid from a wellbore includes operating a pump located proximate to a zone of fluid influx in the wellbore to draw a reservoir fluid from a reservoir into the wellbore at the zone of fluid influx. The pump is coupled to a tubing string extending above the pump, and a packer is coupled to the tubing string proximate to an upper end of the zone of fluid influx and seals an annular space around the tubing string. The method includes operating the pump to produce the reservoir fluid from the wellbore through the tubing string. A pump includes a drive chamber with a drive piston, a production chamber with a production piston coupled to the drive piston, and axially separated traveling valves.
Claims18
A pump comprising:
- a drive chamber;
- a reset chamber;
- a production chamber having a fluid inlet configured to permit entry of fluids external to the pump into the production chamber;
- and
- a piston assembly comprising:
- a drive piston axially movable within the drive chamber,
- a reset piston axially movable within the reset chamber,
- a production piston axially movable within the production chamber,
- a tube coupling the drive piston with the production piston, and
- a first traveling valve axially separated from a second traveling valve.
A method of operating a pump in a wellbore, comprising:
- applying a pressure via a drive fluid to a drive piston in a drive chamber, thereby:
- moving the drive piston in a first direction;
- moving a reset piston in the first direction within a reset chamber;
- and
- moving a production piston in the first direction;
- causing, by moving the production piston in the first direction, a first traveling valve associated with the production piston to close;
- and
- causing, by moving the production piston in the first direction, a second traveling valve above the first traveling valve, between the drive piston and the production piston, to open.
A method of producing fluid from a wellbore comprising:
- operating a pump located proximate to a zone of fluid influx in the wellbore to draw a reservoir fluid from a reservoir into the wellbore at the zone of fluid influx, wherein:
- the pump comprises:
- a drive chamber;
- a reset chamber;
- a production chamber having a fluid inlet configured to permit entry of fluids external to the pump into the production chamber;
- and
- a piston assembly comprising:
- a drive piston axially movable within the drive chamber;
- a reset piston axially movable within the reset chamber;
- a production piston axially movable within the production chamber;
- a tube coupling the drive piston with the production piston;
- and
- a first traveling valve axially separated from a second traveling valve;
- the pump is coupled to a tubing string extending above the pump;
- and
- a packer coupled to the tubing string proximate to an upper end of the zone of fluid influx seals an annular space around the tubing string;
- and
- operating the pump to produce the reservoir fluid from the wellbore through the tubing string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.