Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6168388
-
Patent Number
6,168,388
-
Date Filed
Thursday, January 21, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 2, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Walberg; Teresa
- Pwu; Jeffrey
Agents
- Fletcher, Yoder & Van Someren
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 417 521
- 417 245
- 417 390
- 417 366
- 417 76
- 417 84
- 417 53
- 417 54
- 166 313
- 166 369
- 166 105
- 166 664
- 166 106
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A system and method that permits fluids, such as petroleum, to be pumped from two separate zones. A submergible pumping system, including a submergible electric motor driving a submergible pump, is deployed in a wellbore. The submergible pump intake is located in a first zone to intake a fluid. The fluid is discharged through a fluid-powered pump, such as a jet pump. The jet pump is coupled to a fluid intake disposed in a separate zone within the wellbore. The single system can be utilized to pump fluids from two different zones.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to submergible pumping systems for raising fluids from wells and, particularly, to a dual pump system in which a first pump is powered by an electric motor, and a second pump is powered by the fluid discharge from the first pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In producing petroleum and other useful fluids from production wells, it is generally known to provide a submergible pumping system for raising the fluids collected in a well. Production fluids enter a wellbore via perforations formed in a well casing adjacent a production formation. Fluids contained in the formation collect in the wellbore and may be raised by the submergible pumping system to a collection point above the earth's surface.
In an exemplary submergible pumping system, the system includes several components, such as a submergible electric motor that supplies energy to a submergible pump. The system may also include a variety of other components, such as motor protectors, pressure and temperature sensing instruments, gas separators and a variety of other components. A connector is used to connect the submergible pumping system to a deployment system. For example, a submergible pumping system may be deployed by production tubing through which production fluids, such as petroleum, are pumped to the surface of the earth. Other deployment systems include cable and coiled tubing.
Power is supplied to the submergible electric motor via a power cable that runs along the deployment system. For example, the power cable may be banded to the outside of the production tubing and directed to the submerged motor.
Generally conventional submergible pumping systems are used to pump fluids from a single location or zone within a wellbore. If fluid is to be pumped from another zone, an additional string of submergible pumping components must be deployed in that zone, either within the same wellbore or within another wellbore. This use of two separate submergible pumping systems, and possibly the requirement of two or more separate wellbores, is relatively complex and expensive.
It would be advantageous to have a dual pump, submergible pumping system, that could be utilized to draw fluids into separate intakes. The intakes could then be disposed in separate zones, e.g., above and beneath one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention features a method for pumping fluids from a pair of zones located in a subterranean environment. The method includes deploying a submergible pumping system of the type including a submergible pump and a submergible electric motor. The submergible pumping system is deployed at a first zone. The method further includes pumping a first fluid located in the first zone with the pump. The method also includes discharging the first fluid from the pump through a second, fluid-powered pump. This second pump is utilized to pump a second fluid from a second zone.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system is provided for pumping fluids from a wellbore. The system includes a submergible pumping system having a submergible electric motor connected to a submergible pump. The submergible pump has a pump intake and a pump outlet through which a fluid is discharged. The system further includes a second pump having a pump intake that may be disposed in a fluid within a wellbore. This second pump is powered by the fluid discharged by the submergible pump through its pump outlet.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for pumping fluids from at least two different zones in a subterranean environment. The method includes locating a first pump intake at a first subterranean zone, and locating a second pump intake at a second subterranean zone. The method further includes powering a first pump with an electric motor to intake a fluid from the first subterranean zone, and discharging the fluid through a second pump to power the second pump. The second pump is utilized to intake an additional fluid from the second zone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and:
FIG. 1
is a front elevational view of a submergible pumping system positioned in a wellbore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of a fluid-powered pump, taken generally along line
2
—
2
of FIG.
1
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring generally to
FIG. 1
, a dual pumping system
10
is illustrated according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Dual pumping system
10
preferably includes an electric submergible pumping system
11
.
Submergible pumping system
11
may comprise a variety of components depending on the particular application or environment in which it is used. However, system
11
typically includes at least a submergible pump
12
powered by a submergible electric motor
14
. One example of a submergible pump
12
that may be utilized in a subterranean, wellbore environment is a centrifugal pump, such as is commonly used in the petroleum industry.
Dual pumping system
10
may be used in a variety of applications and environments for pumping a variety of fluids. A preferred utilization of pumping system
10
is deployment in a well
16
within a geological formation
18
containing desirable production fluids, such as petroleum. In this application, a wellbore
20
is drilled and lined with a wellbore casing
24
.
As illustrated, electric submergible pumping system
11
is disposed in wellbore
20
and includes several components. For example, submergible pump
12
is connected to a pump intake
26
that may comprise a gas separator. Additionally a motor protector
28
may be connected intermediate submergible motor
14
and submergible pump
12
. Motor protector
28
serves to isolate the well fluid from the internal motor oil within submergible motor
14
. Additionally, a pressure and temperature sensing instrument
30
may be included in submergible pumping system
11
.
In the illustrated embodiment, submergible pumping system
11
is connected to a fluid transfer housing, such as a Y-tool assembly
32
. Y-tool assembly
32
, in turn, is connected to a deployment system
34
. Deployment system
34
potentially may comprise cable, coil tubing or production tubing. In the illustrated embodiment, deployment system
34
comprises production tubing
36
through which production fluids, e.g. petroleum, are pumped to the surface of the earth. Typically, a power cable
38
is deployed along production tubing
36
and submergible pumping system
11
to provide power to submergible motor
14
. Power cable
38
may be banded to production tubing
36
.
A section of bypass tubing
40
also is connected to Y-tool assembly
32
. As illustrated, submergible pumping system
11
and bypass tubing
40
extend generally parallel to one another in wellbore
20
. Bypass tubing
40
includes an intake
42
through which fluids may enter. Preferably, bypass tubing intake
42
is disposed in a first location or zone
44
, and submergible pump intake
26
is disposed in a second location or zone
46
. A packer assembly
48
may be combined with dual pump system
10
to separate first zone
44
from second zone
46
.
Dual pump system
10
can be configured to pump fluids from a variety of different zones. However, in a typical application, first zone
44
is disposed beneath second zone
46
along wellbore
20
. Additionally, the same, similar or different fluids can be pumped from each zone
44
,
46
, respectively.
To pump fluids from first zone
44
through intake
42
and bypass tubing
40
, a second pump
50
is incorporated into dual pump system
10
. Second pump
50
preferably is disposed at least partially in Y-tool assembly
32
. Pump
50
is a fluid or hydraulic powered pump that is powered by the fluid discharged through a pump outlet
52
of submergible pump
12
. In other words, submergible pump
12
draws fluid from second zone
46
through intake
26
. This fluid then is pumped through submergible pump
12
and out pump outlet
52
. The fluid is directed through Y-tool assembly
32
and pump
50
. The energy of the fluid discharged from submergible pump
12
drives pump
50
which draws fluid through intake
42
and bypass tubing
40
. In the design illustrated, the fluids drawn through intake
26
and bypass tubing intake
42
are combined and pumped to the surface of the earth through production tubing
36
.
A preferred fluid-driven pump
50
comprises a jet pump assembly
52
, as illustrated in FIG.
2
. Jet pump assembly
52
utilizes a jet pump
54
to create the required vacuum in bypass tubing
40
to draw fluid from first zone
44
into tubing intake
42
and through the jet pump assembly
52
into production tubing
36
.
In operation, submergible pump
12
discharges fluid through pump outlet
52
and Y-tool assembly
32
to jet pump
54
. The fluid is forced through jet pump assembly openings
56
into an interior annular chamber
58
. From interior annular chamber
58
, the fluid is directed through a jet pump nozzle
60
and into a narrowed venturi passage
62
. As the fluid leaves venturi passage
62
, it moves into an expansion chamber
64
that directs the fluid into production tubing
36
.
As the production fluid from second zone
46
is forced through jet pump nozzle
60
and narrowed venturi passage
62
, a lower pressure is created in a low pressure chamber
66
surrounding jet pump nozzle
60
. Low pressure chamber
66
is in fluid communication with a jet pump assembly inlet
68
which, in turn, is in fluid communication with bypass tubing
40
. The reduced pressure in low pressure chamber
66
is sufficient to draw a second fluid from first zone
44
into intake
42
and up through bypass tubing
40
into low pressure chamber
66
of jet pump assembly
52
. At this point, the second fluid is effectively pulled through narrowed venturi passage
62
with the fluid discharged from submergible pump
12
through jet pump nozzle
60
. The combined fluids flow through jet pump assembly
52
and are pumped to the earth's surface via production tubing
36
. It should be noted that the particular fluids pumped from first zone
44
and second zone
46
may be the same or different types of fluid.
The use of fluid-powered pump
50
allows production fluids to be lifted from two zones in a single wellbore without the requirement of running two electric submergible pumping systems and two production tubing strings into the wellbore. The illustrated embodiment is a preferred embodiment, but it can be adapted to perform a variety of functions in a variety of environments. For example, the fluid-powered pump
50
could be used to move fluids into another zone, around a packer assembly, etc.
It will be understood that the foregoing description is of a preferred embodiment of this invention, and that the invention is not limited to the specific form shown. For example, numerous submergible pumping system configurations can be employed; a variety of jet pump designs may be utilized; and the dual pump system can be adapted to pump fluids from vertically or transversely separated zones. These and other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A method for pumping fluids from a pair of zones located in a subterranean environment, comprising:deploying a submergible pumping system, including a pump and an electric motor, at a first zone; pumping a first fluid, located in the first zone, with the pump; discharging the first fluid through a fluid powered pump; and pumping a second fluid from a second zone by the fluid powered pump.
- 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein deploying includes deploying the submergible pumping system in a wellbore.
- 3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising deploying the fluid powered pump in the wellbore.
- 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein pumping a first fluid includes pumping a fluid comprising petroleum.
- 5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein discharging includes discharging the first fluid through a jet pump.
- 6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein pumping comprises pumping the second fluid from the second zone located at a greater distance beneath the earth's surface than the first zone.
- 7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein pumping a second fluid includes pumping a fluid comprising petroleum.
- 8. A system for pumping fluids from a wellbore, comprising:a submergible pumping system including a submergible electric motor connected to a submergible pump having a submergible pump intake and a submergible pump outlet through which a pumped fluid is discharged; and a second pump having pump intake that may be disposed in a fluid within a wellbore, wherein the second pump is powered by the pumped fluid that is discharged from the submergible pump outlet.
- 9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the second pump includes a venturi.
- 10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the second pump comprises a jet pump.
- 11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the submergible pump intake and the pump intake are separated a desired distance to accommodate pumping of fluids from separate subterranean zones.
- 12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the submergible pump is connected to the second pump by a Y-tool assembly.
- 13. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a production tubing disposed in fluid communication with the submergible pumping system and the second pump.
- 14. A method for pumping fluids from at least two different zones in a subterranean environment, comprising:locating a first pump at a first subterranean zone; locating a second pump at a second subterranean zone; and discharging the fluid through the second pump to power the second pump for intaking an additional fluid from the second zone.
- 15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein locating a first pump includes locating the first pump in a wellbore.
- 16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein locating a second pump includes locating the second pump in the wellbore.
- 17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising pumping the fluid and the additional fluid to a surface of the earth.
- 18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein pumping the fluid and the additional fluid includes pumping petroleum.
- 19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising assembling the first pump and the electric motor in an electric submergible pumping system.
- 20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein discharging includes discharging the fluid through a jet pump.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2 261 030 |
May 1993 |
GB |
0 342 670 |
Apr 2000 |
GB |