Flow control system and method for downhole oil-water processing
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsMatthew R. Hackworth, Matthew Garber, Alejandro Camacho, Lance I. Fielder, Ryan Cox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique is provided for processing well fluid downhole. The technique utilizes equipment for separating a well fluid downhole into a water component and an oil component. The separation of water and oil can be controlled by selecting an appropriately sized flow restrictor for use in limiting the flow of one or both of the water and the oil. Additionally, a sensor system is used to monitor a well characteristic that enables adjustment of the downhole fluid processing based on well characteristic data from the sensor system.
Claims15
A downhole device, comprising:
- an oil/water separator device having a well fluid inlet, an oil stream outlet conduit, and a water stream outlet conduit;
- a removable flow-restrictor located in at least one of the water stream outlet conduit or the oil stream outlet conduit;
- the removable flow-restrictor being removable from the downhole device while downhole by a downhole tool relayed by at least one selected from a group consisting of:
- wireline, slickline and coil tubing;
- and
- a sensor package positioned downhole in communication with at least one of the water stream outlet conduit or the oil stream outlet conduit.
A method of downhole fluid processing, comprising:
- separating a downhole fluid into an oil stream and a water stream at a downhole location;
- restricting flow of at least one of the oil stream or the water stream with a first flow-restrictor and in a manner to facilitate separation;
- sensing characteristics of at least one of the oil stream or the water stream;
- and
- replacing, at a downhole location, the interchangeable flow-restrictor with a different interchangeable flow-restrictor by way of one selected from a group consisting of:
- wireline, slickline and coil tubing;
- the different interchangeable flow restrictor being selected based on the sensed characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.