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AssigneeInstitut Francais du Petrole
InventorsHenri Cholet, Jacques Lessi
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A device for pumping a fluid of high viscosity containing a gas and a liquid phase which includes a pump connected to a lower end of a tubular string at the bottom of a well and a device for separating free gas from the liquid phase and for injecting a thinner into the fluid to reduce the viscosity. Injection of the thinner is effected at fluid inlet ports of an inlet device for separating the free gas via a pipe leading to the surface of a geological formation in which the well is positioned. Also, a pumping method using the device involves injecting the thinner into the fluid of high viscosity near an inlet of the pump.
A device for pumping a fluid of high viscosity containing a certain proportion of gas, comprising a pump connected to the lower end of a tubular string at the bottom of a well, a fluid inlet device whose lower end is sealed and whose upper end comprises fluid inlet ports the suction of said pump taking place from the lower end of the inlet device, further said pumping device comprising means for injecting a thinner for thinning said fluid of high viscosity, said thinner being injected from the surface, wherein injection of the thinner into said fluid occurs close to the inlet ports.
A method for pumping a fluid of high viscosity containing a liquid phase and a gas, wherein a pump is connected to a lower end of a tubular string at the bottom of a well extending from a surface of a geological formation to a production zone, a fluid inlet device whose lower end is sealed and whose upper end comprises ports, said inlet device being arranged adjacent to an inlet of the pump, suction of the pump taking place from said lower end and free gas being separated from the liquid phase of said fluid, the gas passing up towards the surface through an annular space defined by the outside of the tubular string and an inside of the well, the liquid flowing through said ports towards the pump inlet, said method further comprising injecting a thinner for thinning said fluid of high viscosity near to said ports, said injection being performed from the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.