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US 2003/0145989 A1Published application
ESP pump for gassy wells
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsChristopher K. Shaw, David A. Voss, Jeffrey W. Knight, Michael J. Fox, Dewey Michael Loudermilk, Kenneth T. Bebak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Well equipment well fluid more efficiently from a gassy well. A conduit is hung and sealed inside a string of casing, forcing the gas and well fluid to flow into the conduit. A gas separator and a series of flow controls and valves are mounted into and run with the conduit. A pump assembly is hung and sealed into the conduit for pumping well fluid to the surface. The pump assembly is lowered and retrieved from the conduit on tubing. The pump may be located below the motor, or above the motor.
Claims27
A well, comprising:
- a string of casing extending into a well;
- a packer sealingly engaging the casing;
- a conduit extending into the well, the conduit having a lower portion sealingly engaging the packer, the conduit having an opening in its lower portion for receiving well fluid from below the packer;
- a gas separator located in the conduit for separating gas from the well fluid, the separator having a gas outlet above the packer;
- a submersible pump assembly, which comprises a pump and an electric motor, the pump assembly being lowered into the conduit and landing above the gas separator, the pump having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- a pump seal located around the circumference of the pump between the pump inlet and the pump outlet, which seals the pump to the conduit.
4 more elements
A well, comprising:
- a string of casing extending into a well;
- a packer sealingly engaging the casing;
- a conduit extending into the well, the conduit having a lower portion sealingly engaging the packer, the conduit having an opening in its lower portion for receiving well fluid from below the packer, an area surrounding the conduit and inside of the string of casing defining an annulus;
- a gas separator located in the conduit for separating gas from the well fluid, the separator having a gas outlet above the packer;
- a submersible pump assembly which comprises a pump and an electric motor, the pump assembly being lowered into the conduit and landing above the gas separator, the pump having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- a flow control valve located in the conduit below the pump assembly that allows the well fluid from below the packer to flow toward the pump, while preventing downward flow;
- and
- a circulation valve located in the conduit above the flow control valve, the circulation valve having a part that allows flow of a circulation fluid between the conduit and the annulus while in its circulation position, to enable circulation through the annulus.
6 more elements
A well, comprising:
- a string of casing extending into a well;
- a packer sealingly engaging the casing;
- a conduit extending into the well, the conduit having a lower portion sealingly engaging the packer, the conduit having an opening in its lower portion for receiving well fluid from below the packer, an area surrounding the conduit and inside of the string of casing defining an annulus;
- a gas separator located in the conduit for separating gas from the well fluid, the separator having a gas outlet above the packer that leads to the annulus;
- a pump having an inlet and an outlet, the pump being suspended by tubing and lowered into the conduit above the gas separator;
- and
- a pump seal located around the circumference of the pump between the pump inlet and outlet, which seals the pump to the conduit, the pump seal defining a chamber inside the conduit between the gas separator and the pump seal, the chamber having a vent that allows gas remaining in the well fluid after separation to exit the chamber.
4 more elements
A well, comprising:
- a string of casing extending into a well;
- a packer sealingly engaging the casing;
- a conduit extending into the well, the conduit having a lower portion sealingly connected the packer, having an opening in its lower portion for receiving well fluid from below the packer, an area surrounding the conduit and inside of the string of casing defining an annulus, the lower portion of the conduit having a reduced diameter section;
- a gas separator located in the reduced diameter section of the conduit for separating gas from the well fluid, the separator having a gas outlet above the packer;
- a motor suspended in the conduit on a coil tubing that contains a power cable;
- a pump having an inlet on a lower end and an outlet on an upper end, the pump being located below the motor, the lower end of the pump stabbing into the reduced diameter section;
- and
- a pump seal located around the circumference of the pump between the pump inlet and outlet, which seals the pump to the reduced diameter section.
5 more elements
A method for pumping well fluid from a well having a casing, a conduit extending into the casing and sealed to the casing by a packer, the method comprising:
- (a) mounting a gas separator in the conduit;
- (b) lowering a pump assembly comprising a pump and a motor into the conduit to a point above the gas separator, and sealing the pump to the conduit;
- (c) separating gas from the well fluid with the gas separator,
- (d) discharging the separated gas from the gas separator into an annulus surrounding the conduit;
- and
- (e) pumping the well fluid up the conduit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.