Isolating wet connect components for deployed electrical submersible pumps

An electric submersible pumping system comprising:

• a well tubing string disposed within a wellbore;
• a pumping system deployable through the well tubing string and having a pump with a fluid inlet and a pump motor mechanically coupled to the pump;
• a receptacle assembly adapted to be secured to a lower end of the tubing string;
• a power conduit for placement alongside the tubing string;
• wherein the power conduit is electrically connected to a plurality of supply contacts formed within the receptacle assembly;
• a wet connect assembly coupled to the pumping system, having a plurality of transfer contacts and having motor lead lines electrically connecting the plurality of transfer contacts to the pump motor;
• wherein the pumping system is deployable through the tubing string so that the wet connect assembly lands in the receptacle assembly with the supply contacts and the transfer contacts electrically connected to each other to supply electrical power through the power conduit to the motor;
• and
• a hydraulic isolation assembly within the receptacle assembly that is selectively movable from a power transfer position to an isolation position to isolate the transfer contacts from the supply contacts for diagnostic testing of the power conduit.

A method for powering an electric motor of an electric submersible pump comprising:

• (a) providing a receptacle assembly on a lower end of a tubing string and having a plurality of supply contacts on an inner diameter of the receptacle assembly;
• (b) deploying the tubing string in a well and extending a power cable from the receptacle assembly alongside the tubing string;
• (c) providing the submersible pump with a wet connect assembly having a plurality of transfer contacts formed on an outer diameter of the wet connect assembly and motor lead lines electrically connecting the transfer contacts to the electric motor;
• (d) lowering the submersible pump through the tubing string and engaging the transfer contacts with the supply contacts;
• (e) supplying electrical power to the electric motor through the power cable, the supply contacts, the transfer contacts, and the motor lead lines to operate the submersible pump and to test integrity of the power cable;
• and
• (f) remotely actuating an isolation assembly formed within the receptacle assembly to separate the transfer contacts from the supply contacts without withdrawing the submersible pump from the tubing string.