High pressure multistage centrifugal pump for fracturing hydrocarbon reserves
AssigneeNexen Energy Ulc
InventorsDana Pettigrew, Wojciech A. Limanowka, Zoran Vukadin
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a multistage centrifugal pump design, which has the diffusers, impellors, and a shaft, inserted within a high pressure housing, such that this assembly is fully enclosed within the housing, and the housing is of sufficient strength to be suitable for safe pressure containment of the fluids being pumped. This invention describes the technical details used to reconfigure the multistage centrifugal pump design to increase the discharge pressure capabilities higher than the 6,000 psig of current designs.
Claims23
A method for hydraulically fracturing an underground hydrocarbon deposit comprising:
- using an underground aquifer as a source of water for a hydrocarbon fracturing process, the water containing undesirable chemical compounds as soluble components that are not in solution when subjected to pressure at atmospheric conditions;
- pumping the water under pressure at a predetermined level for the aquifer water and above a bubble point pressure for the water contained in the aquifer to prevent the undesirable chemical compounds in the water from separating out of solution;
- maintaining the water pressure above the bubble point pressure during a fracturing operation;
- drilling a source well into the aquifer;
- drilling a disposal well into the aquifer;
- pumping the water within a closed loop to maintain the water above the bubble point pressure;
- circulating the water until a fracturing operation begins;
- and
- conducting the fracturing operation with water from the underground aquifer to fracture the hydrocarbon deposit, wherein the water is maintained above its bubble point pressure, said water remains stable and the undesirable chemical compounds remain in solution.
A method for hydraulically fracturing an underground hydrocarbon deposit comprising:
- using an underground aquifer as a source of water for a hydrocarbon fracturing process, the water containing undesirable chemical compounds as soluble components that are not in solution when subjected to pressure at atmospheric conditions;
- pumping the water under pressure at a predetermined level for the aquifer water and above a bubble point pressure for the water contained in the aquifer to prevent the undesirable chemical compounds in the water from separating out of solution;
- maintaining the water pressure above the bubble point pressure during a fracturing operation by pumping the water with a multiple stage centrifugal pump, the pump including (i) a pump base, (ii) a pump head, (iii) a metal on metal housing seal located between the pump base, and pump head, and (iv) a plurality of diffusers having openings to allow rapid pressure equalization across a diffuser outside edge to avoid failure from high differential pressure, each diffuser having a seal located on an outside portion of each of the diffusers to prevent pressure communication and fluid flow between the outsides of the individual diffusers enclosed within the housing;
- circulating the water until a fracturing operation begins;
- and
- conducting the fracturing operation with water from the underground aquifer to fracture the hydrocarbon deposit, wherein the water is maintained above its bubble point pressure, said water remains stable and the undesirable chemical compounds remain in solution.
A method of maintaining adequate pressure in hydraulic fracturing of an underground hydrocarbon deposit comprising:
- maintaining water pressure for water in an underground aquifer used in a fracturing operation above a bubble point pressure for the water during the fracturing operation by pumping the water with a multiple stage centrifugal pump, the pump including (i) a pump base (ii) a pump head (iii) a housing including a housing seal located between the pump base and pump head (iv) a plurality of rotating impellors and (v) a plurality of stationary diffusers each having openings to allow rapid pressure equalization across a diffuser outside edge to avoid failure from high differential pressure, each diffuser further having a seal located to an outside portion of each of the diffusers to prevent pressure communication and fluid flow between the outsides of the individual diffusers enclosed within the housing.
A multistage high pressure centrifugal pump comprising:
- a pump base;
- a pump head;
- a housing including a housing seal located between the pump base and pump head;
- a pump shaft disposed in the housing;
- and
- a plurality of pump stages mounted along the pump shaft in series, each pump stage including a rotating impellor mounted on the pump shaft and a stationary diffuser having an opening to allow rapid pressure equalization across an outside edge of the diffuser to avoid failure from high differential pressure, wherein
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.