Jet pump assembly

An improved jet pump assembly for positioning downhole in a subterranean wellbore, the jet pump assembly producing fluids from the subterranean wellbore, the jet pump assembly being suspended in the wellbore from a first tubular conduit, the jet pump assembly and the first tubular conduit enclosed in a second tubular conduit, a packoff seal hydraulically sealing the annular area between the jet pump assembly and the second tubular conduit, the jet pump assembly comprising:

• a pump housing having a housing tubing end and a housing production intake end, the pump housing having an internal through bore extending between the housing tubing end and the housing production intake end, the housing tubing end of the pump housing being connected to the first tubular conduit, the pump housing and the first tubular conduit suspended in the wellbore in the second tubular conduit, the pump housing including a production inlet port in the production intake end of the pump housing, at least one produced fluid conduit conducting produced fluid from the production intake end of the pump housing to a mixing area in an insert assembly, and the pump housing including at least one circulation port to conduct fluid through the wall of the pump housing between the second tubular conduit and a through bore of the insert assembly;
• the insert assembly within the pump housing, the insert assembly having an insert tubing end and an insert production intake end, the insert assembly having an internal through bore extending between the insert tubing end and the insert production intake end, the insert assembly including a power section imparting energy into the produced fluid to lift the produced fluid to the surface, a production intake section conducting fluid from the production inlet port of the pump housing to the at least one produced fluid conduit, a diverter plug plugging a portion of the internal through bore in the insert assembly, a lower insert adapter connecting the production intake section to the power section, and an upper insert adapter connecting the first tubular conduit to the power section;
• the power section having an power section intake end and a power section discharge end, the power section having an internal through bore extending between the power section intake end and the power section discharge end, the power section including a nozzle inlet body supporting a nozzle, the nozzle creating a pressure drop in the power fluid and accelerating a power fluid, a throat insert providing a conduit for mixing the produced fluid and the power fluid, and a mixing tube body supporting the throat insert to selectively recover produced fluid from the wellbore to the surface through one of the first or second tubular conduits;
• the production intake section of the insert assembly having a fluid inlet end and a diverter plug end, the production intake section having an internal through bore extending between the fluid inlet end and the diverter plug end, the diverter plug plugging a portion of the internal through bore in the production intake section of the insert assembly, the production intake section including a standing valve assembly and an outlet port;
• and
• at least one pressure sensor positioned in the insert assembly to sense fluid pressure in the through bore of the insert assembly.

A method of operating a jet pump assembly downhole in a subterranean wellbore for producing fluids from the subterranean wellbore, the jet pump assembly being suspended in the wellbore from the surface on a first tubular conduit, a second tubular conduit enclosing the jet pump assembly and the first tubular conduit, and a packoff seal hydraulically sealing the annular area between the jet pump assembly and the second tubular conduit, the method comprising:

• connecting a housing tubing end of a pump housing to a downhole end of a first tubular conduit, the pump housing including at least one produced fluid conduit and at least one circulation port;
• connecting one of the first or second tubular conduits at the surface to a power fluid source to transmit a pressurized power fluid from the surface to the jet pump assembly;
• connecting the other of the first or second tubular conduits at the surface to a production facility to process returned fluids;
• inserting an insert assembly in the downhole pump housing, the insert assembly including a production intake section, a diverter plug, a lower insert adapter and an upper insert adapter, and a power section including a nozzle inlet body, a nozzle, a throat insert and mixing tube body;
• mixing produced fluid from the subterranean wellbore with the power fluid in the mixing tube body;
• pumping the power fluid through one of the first and second tubular conduits and through the nozzle inlet body and through the nozzle to create a venturi effect in the power section to draw produced fluids into the throat insert to mix the power fluid with the produced fluid in the throat insert to form a mixed fluid, to conduct the mixed fluid out of the power section and through one of the lower and upper insert adapter and into the other of the first and second tubular conduit, and to lift the mixed fluid to the surface through the other of the first and second tubular conduit;
• sensing at least one of a fluid pressure and a fluid temperature in the through bore of the insert assembly;
• transmitting at least one fluid pressure signal and at least one fluid temperature signal to a recorder;
• and
• modifying at least one jet pump operating parameter in response to the sensed at least one fluid pressure signal and fluid temperature signal.