Downhole pump assembly and method of recovering well fluids
AssigneeRotech Holdings Limited
InventorsKenneth Roderick Stewart, Hector Fillipus Alexander Van Drentham Susman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a downhole tool. In particular, the present invention relates to a downhole pump assembly, a downhole tool assembly including a downhole pump assembly, a well including a downhole pump assembly and to a method of recovering well fluids. In one embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a downhole tool assembly (10) for location in a borehole (16) of a well (12), the tool assembly (10) including a downhole pump assembly (18). The pump assembly (18) comprises a turbine (26) coupled to a pump (28), for driving the pump (28) to recover well fluid.
Claims40
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump, and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump, fluid outlet;
- wherein the pump is fluidly isolated from the turbine by a packer, and wherein the pump is adapted to be located in the packer such that the packer seals an annulus defined between the pump and a borehole in which the assembly is located.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the pump is fluidly isolated from the turbine by a packer, and wherein the pump is adapted to be located in the packer such that the packer seals an annulus defined between the pump and a borehole in which the assembly is located, wherein the turbine and pump include outlets disposed upstream of the packer.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the downhole pump assembly is adapted to be coupled directly to downhole tubing for supplying turbine drive fluid to the assembly, and wherein the assembly is adapted to recover well fluid through an annulus defined between a borehole in which the assembly is located and the assembly, further comprising discharge tubing extending through the turbine and the pump to a discharge location spaced from the assembly.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine,
- wherein the turbine, in use, drive fluid entering a chamber from a supply passage via nozzle means impacts turbine blade means, the drive fluid exhausting from the chamber via outlet apertures angularly spaced from the nozzle means in a downstream direction and into exhaust passages.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine,
- wherein the turbine comprises a tubular casing enclosing a chamber having rotatably mounted therein a rotor comprising enclosing a chamber having rotatably mounted therein a rotor comprising at least one turbine wheel blade array with an annular array of angularly distributed blades orientated with drive fluid receiving faces thereof facing generally rearwardly of a forward direction of rotation of the rotor, and a generally axially extending inner drive fluid passage generally radially inwardly of said rotor, said casing having a generally axially extending outer drive fluid passage, one of said inner and outer drive fluid passages constituting a drive fluid supply passage and being provided with at least one outlet nozzle formed and arranged for directing at least one jet of drive fluid onto said blade drive fluid receiving faces of said at least one blade array as said blades traverse said nozzle for imparting rotary drive to said rotor, the other constituting a drive fluid exhaust passage and being provided with at least one exhaust aperture for exhausting drive fluid from said at least one turbine wheel blade array.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine,
- wherein the turbine comprises a tubular casing enclosing a chamber having rotatably mounted therein a rotor having at least two turbine wheel blade arrays each with an annular array of angularly distributed blades orientated with drive fluid receiving faces thereof facing generally rearwardly of a forward direction of rotation of the rotor, and a generally axially extending inner drive fluid passage generally radially inwardly of each said turbine wheel blade array, said casing having a respective generally axially extending outer drive fluid passage associated with each said turbine wheel blade array, one of said inner and outer drive fluid passages constituting a drive fluid supply passage and being provided with at least one outlet nozzle formed and arranged for directing at least one jet of drive fluid onto said blade drive fluid receiving faces as said blades traverse said at least one nozzle for imparting rotary drive to said rotor, the other constituting a drive fluid exhaust passage and being provided with at least one exhaust aperture for exhausting drive fluid from said turbine wheel blade arrays, neighbouring turbine wheel blade arrays being axially spaced apart from each other and provided with drive fluid return flow passages therebetween connecting the exhaust passage of an upstream turbine wheel blade array to the supply passage of a downstream turbine wheel blade array for serial interconnection of said turbine wheel blade arrays.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine,
- wherein the rotational velocity of the turbine is adjustable to balance the rotational velocity of the turbine with that of the pump,
- wherein the size of a nozzle of the turbine is adjustable to vary the rotational velocity of the turbine, to balance the rotational velocity of the turbine to that of the pump.
A downhole pump assembly comprising a turbine and a pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump, and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump fluid outlet;
- wherein the pump is adapted to pump well fluid uphole so as to recover well fluid to surface;
- and
- wherein a fluid outlet of the pump is disposed in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of the turbine.
A method of recovering well fluids, the method comprising:
- coupling a turbine to a pump to form a downhole pump assembly, the downhole assembly comprising the turbine and the pump, wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump, and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump fluid outlet, and the pump being adapted to pump well fluid uphole so as to recover well fluid to surface;
- and
- coupling the downhole pump assembly to downhole tubing;
- running the downhole tubing and downhole pump assembly into a borehole of a well and locating the pump assembly in a region of a well fluid producing formation;
- and
- supplying drive fluid downhole to drive the turbine, to in turn drive the pump and recover well fluid from the borehole, the method further comprising:
- coupling the turbine directly to production tubing and supplying drive fluid through the production tubing to drive the turbine, and recovering well fluid through an annulus defined between the downhole pump assembly and the borehole.
A method of recovering well fluids, the method comprising:
- coupling a turbine to a pump to form a downhole pump assembly, the downhole assembly comprising the turbine and the pump, wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump, and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump fluid outlet, and the pump is adapted to pump well fluid uphole so as to recover well fluid to surface;
- coupling the downhole pump assembly to downhole tubing;
- running the downhole tubing and downhole pump assembly into a borehole of a well and locating the pump assembly in a region of a well fluid producing formation;
- supplying drive fluid downhole to drive the turbine, to in turn drive the pump and recover well fluid from the borehole;
- and
- mixing well fluid with turbine drive fluid discharged from the turbine in the region of an outlet of the pump and returning the well fluid to surface.
A method of recovering well fluids, the method comprising:
- coupling a turbine to a pump to form a downhole pump assembly, the downhole assembly comprising the turbine and the pump, wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump fluid outlet, and the pump is adapted to pump well fluid uphole so as to recover well fluid to surface;
- coupling the downhole pump assembly to downhole tubing;
- running the downhole tubing and downhole pump assembly into a borehole of a well and locating the pump assembly in a region of a well fluid producing formation;
- supplying drive fluid downhole to drive the turbine, to in turn drive the pump and recover well fluid from the borehole;
- and
- balancing the operational velocity of the turbine to that of the pump.
A method of recovering well fluids, the method comprising:
- coupling a turbine to a pump to form a downhole pump assembly, the downhole assembly comprising the turbine and the pump, the turbine being coupled to the pump for driving the pump, and wherein the turbine is a radial flow turbine, wherein the turbine includes a fluid outlet isolated from a fluid outlet of the pump, wherein the turbine fluid outlet is spaced from the pump for discharging turbine drive fluid at a location spaced from the pump, and wherein the turbine fluid outlet is located, in use, further downhole than the pump fluid outlet;
- and
- coupling the downhole pump assembly to downhole tubing;
- running the downhole tubing and downhole pump assembly into a borehole of a well and locating the pump assembly in a region of a well fluid producing formation;
- and
- supplying drive fluid downhole to drive the turbine, to in turn drive the pump and recover well fluid from the borehole;
- further comprising balancing the operational velocity of the turbine to that of the pump;
- and
- adjusting the size of an outlet nozzle of the turbine formed and arranged for directing at least one jet of drive fluid onto a turbine blade array of the turbine to vary the flow velocity of fluid through the turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.