Gas separator assembly with degradable material
AssigneeBlackjack Production Tools, LLC
InventorBrian Ellithorp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas separator assembly has a pump inlet that generates an artificial sump in a production casing. The assembly includes an inner casing in series with the production casing of the well and an outer casing supported externally of the inner casing. First and second ports at opposing top and bottom ends of the outer casing communicate from the production casing to an annulus between the inner and outer casings. A barrier supported in the primary passage between the first and second ports diverts flow through the annulus. One or more dissolvable sleeves within the annulus prevents the annulus from filling with material during construction of the casing but dissolves when the sleeves come in contact with wet wellbore fluid.
Claims24
An assembly, comprising:
- a production tube string positioned within a wellbore;
- a hollow inner member having opposed first and second ends and a hollow region extending end-to-end, the first and second ends both configured for connection to a well casing and the inner member defining a longitudinally spaced first port and second port;
- an outer member supported outside the inner member to define an annular passage extending longitudinally and externally of the hollow region between a first end and a second end of the outer member and communicating with the hollow region through the first port and the second port;
- a barrier positioned within the hollow region between the first port and the second port;
- a degradable sleeve disposed in the annular space between the first port and the second port;
- and
- a pump inlet within the hollow region between the first port and the barrier.
A method comprising:
- connecting first and second ends of an inner member in series with a well casing, the inner member defining a hollow region extending end-to-end of the inner member;
- positioning a hollow outer member around the inner member to define an annular space extending longitudinally and positioned between the outer member and the inner member;
- positioning a degradable sleeve within the annular space;
- positioning a barrier in the inner member between a first port between the hollow region and annular space and a second port between the hollow region and annular space such that produced fluid below the barrier enters the annular space through the second port;
- and
- degrading the sleeve such that produced fluid travels through the annular space to the first port.
A kit, comprising:
- an elongate inner member having opposed first and second ends for connecting the inner member to a well casing in series;
- wherein the well casing and inner member define a first fluid passage;
- an elongate hollow outer member sized to fit around the inner member and having a cross-sectional profile that is larger than that of the well casing, wherein a second fluid passage is formed in an annular space between the outer member and inner member;
- a degradable sleeve disposed within the second fluid passage;
- a first port formed in the first end of the inner member;
- a second port formed in the second end of the inner member;
- a barrier positioned in the first fluid passage between the first port and the second port;
- a pump inlet positioned in the first fluid passage between the first port and the barrier;
- and
- a production tube, defining a third fluid passage, disposed within the inner member and operatively connected to the pump inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.