Inclined pressure boost pump

An apparatus for supporting an electrical submersible pump assembly for boosting pressure of fluid delivered under feed pressure from a feed source, the submersible pump assembly comprising an electrical motor and a centrifugal pump having an intake, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a tubular jacket capable of containing the feed pressure, the jacket having an inlet on one end adapted to be connected to the feed source, the jacket having a discharge end opposite the inlet;
• the electrical motor and intake of the centrifugal pump adapted to be located within the jacket, with the discharge end of the jacket being upstream of the intake of the pump;
• gas accumulation means for accumulating gas in the jacket upstream of the intake of the pump at the discharge end of the jacket;
• bleed off means at the discharge end of the jacket for bleeding off any accumulation of gases;
• and wherein the gas accumulation means comprises:
• mounting means for mounting the jacket at an inclination relative to horizontal with the discharge end of the jacket at a higher elevation than the inlet of the jacket.

An apparatus for supporting an electrical submersible pump assembly for pumping down a well fluid delivered under feed pressure from a feed source, the submersible pump assembly comprising an electrical motor and a centrifugal pump connected to a discharge conduit, the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a tubular jacket capable of containing the feed pressure, the jacket having an inlet on one end adapted to be connected to the feed source, the jacket having a discharge end opposite the inlet;
• the jacket having a length greater than the length of the submersible pump assembly and an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of any portion of the submersible pump assembly for receiving the motor and centrifugal pump within the jacket, with a pump intake in the jacket and the discharge conduit adapted to extend sealingly through the discharge end of the jacket for coupling to the well;
• mounting means for mounting the jacket adjacent the well at an inclination relative to horizontal with the discharge end of the jacket at a higher elevation than the inlet of the jacket, allowing gases that may be contained in the fluid delivered from the feed source to migrate toward and accumulate at the discharge end of the jacket;
• and
• bleed off means at the discharge end of the jacket for bleeding off any accumulation of gases.

An apparatus for pumping down a well fluid delivered under feed pressure from a feed source, comprising in combination:

• a tubular jacket capable of containing the feed pressure, the jacket having an inlet on one end adapted to be connected to the feed source, the jacket having a discharge end opposite the inlet;
• an electrical submersible pump assembly comprising an electrical motor mounted in the jacket and coupled to a centrifugal pump, the centrifugal pump having an intake in the jacket upstream of the discharge end of the jacket;
• and
• mounting means for mounting the jacket adjacent the well at an inclination relative to horizontal with the discharge end of the jacket at a higher elevation than the inlet of the jacket, allowing gases that may be contained in the fluid delivered from the feed source to migrate past the intake of the pump and accumulate at the discharge end of the jacket.

An apparatus for pumping fluid down a well, comprising in combination:

• a feed pump having an intake connected to a source of the fluid and an outlet for pumping the fluid out the outlet at a selected feed pressure;
• a tubular jacket capable of containing the feed pressure, the jacket having an inlet on one end connected to the feed pump, the jacket having a discharge end opposite the inlet;
• an electrical submersible pump assembly contained within the jacket, the submersible pump assembly comprising an electrical motor coupled to a centrifugal pump, the centrifugal pump having an intake in the jacket and being connected to a discharge conduit extending sealingly through the discharge end of the jacket, the discharge conduit being adapted to be coupled to the well;
• mounting means for mounting the jacket adjacent the well at an inclination relative to horizontal with the discharge end of the jacket at a higher elevation than the inlet of the jacket, allowing gases that may be contained in the fluid delivered from the feed pump to migrate past the intake of the pump and accumulate in the jacket at the discharge end of the jacket and exterior of the discharge conduit;
• and
• means at the discharge end of the jacket for bleeding off any accumulation of gases.

A method for boosting pressure of a liquid supplied form a feed source, comprising:

• providing a tubular jacket having an inlet and a discharge end;
• mounting within the jacket an electrical motor coupled to a centrifugal pump, with the centrifugal pump having an intake located within the jacket;
• supplying the liquid from the feed source at a selected feed pressure to the inlet of the jacket, thereby pressurizing the jacket to the feed pressure;
• drawing the liquid in the jacket into the intake of the centrifugal pump and pumping the liquid with the centrifugal pump out the exterior of the jacket;
• migrating any gases contained in the liquid past the intake of the pump to the discharge end of the jacket exterior of the pump;
• and
• bleeding off the gases that accumulate at the discharge end of the jacket.

A method for boosting pressure of a fluid supplied from a feed source, comprising:

• providing a tubular jacket having an inlet and a discharge end;
• mounting within the jacket an electrical motor coupled to a centrifugal pump, with the centrifugal pump having an intake located within the jacket;
• supplying the fluid from the feed source at a selected feed pressure to the inlet of the jacket, thereby pressurizing the jacket to the feed pressure;
• drawing the fluid in the jacket into the intake of the centrifugal pump and pumping the fluid with the centrifugal pump out the exterior of the jacket;
• migrating any gases contained in the fluid past the intake of the pump to the discharge end of the jacket exterior of the pump;
• bleeding off the gases that accumulate at the discharge end of the jacket;
• and wherein the step of migrating the gases comprises:
• mounting the jacket at an inclination relative to horizontal, with the discharge end of the jacket at a higher elevation than the inlet of the jacket.