Combined gas separation assembly
AssigneeBlackjack Production Tools, LLC
InventorBrian Ellithorp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A separator assembly having multiple separation devices for use in a wellbore. The first separator device is a spiral separator, which ingests gas and liquid from the wellbore and separates them using centrifugal force caused by the stroke of a pump. Liquid is ingested at a pump inlet and gas is vented back to the annulus. The second separator device, just uphole from the first separator device, is a multi-stage separator. This separator decreases the velocity through and past the separator, allowing liquid to fall out in each isolated stage, where it is ingested to a central tube at a port.
Claims20
A separator apparatus for use within a wellbore, comprising:
- an inner tube having an inlet port;
- a housing surrounding the inner tube and defining an annular region between the housing and the inner tube, the housing comprising a first port configured to admit a multiphase wellbore fluid into the annular region;
- a first spiral ramp disposed in the annular region;
- and
- a second spiral ramp disposed in the annular region;
- wherein the first spiral ramp and the second spiral ramp define a first flow path extending from the first port in a downhole direction through the annular region;
- wherein the first spiral ramp and the second spiral ramp define a second flow path distinct from the first flow path;
- and
- wherein the second spiral ramp terminates at a location spaced from the first spiral ramp to define a gap placing the first flow path in communication with the second flow path.
A method of separating gas from a multiphase wellbore fluid, comprising:
- drawing the multiphase wellbore fluid from a wellbore annulus into an annular region defined between an inner tube and a housing through a first port in the housing;
- directing the multiphase wellbore fluid through a first flow path bounded at least in part by a first spiral ramp and a second spiral ramp;
- separating a gas portion from a liquid portion of the multiphase wellbore fluid as the multiphase wellbore fluid travels through the first flow path;
- passing the gas portion through a gap defined at a terminal end of the second spiral ramp and into a second flow path distinct from the first flow path;
- directing the gas portion through the second flow path toward a gas outlet in the housing;
- and
- directing the liquid portion along a third flow path toward an inlet port of the inner tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.