Patent Application
20090277628
The present application generally relates to an electric submersible pump device configured for sensing parameters a distance downhole from the electric submersible pump, and associated methods.
Fluids are located underground. The fluids can include hydrocarbons (oil) and water, for example. Extraction of at least the oil for consumption is desirable. A hole is drilled into the ground to extract the fluids. The hole is called a wellbore and is oftentimes cased with a metal tubular structure referred to as a casing. A number of other features such as cementing between the casing and the wellbore can be added. The wellbore can be essentially vertical, and can even be drilled in various directions, e.g. upward or horizontal.
Once the wellbore is cased, the casing is perforated. Perforating involves creating holes in the casing thereby connecting the wellbore outside of the casing to the inside of the casing. Perforating involves lowering a perforating gun into the casing. The perforating gun has charges that detonate and propel matter thought the casing thereby creating the holes in the casing and the surrounding formation and helping formation fluids flow from the formation and wellbore into the casing.
Sometimes the formation has enough pressure to drive well fluids uphole to surface. However, that situation is not always present and cannot be relied upon. Artificial lift devices are therefore needed to drive downhole well fluids uphole, e.g., to surface. The artificial lift devices are placed downhole inside the casing. Obtaining information relating to the operation of the artificial lift devices can be beneficial. One way of obtaining that information is with downhole sensors.
The present application describes a downhole electric submersible pump (ESP) with a sensor for sensing downhole parameters below the ESP and associated methods.
According to an embodiment, an electric submersible pump device, comprising: a pump; a motor, the motor being adjacent to the pump and having motor windings extending a first distance along the motor; a support member, the support member supporting the sensor and having a length so that the sensor is located the first distance downhole from the downhole distal end of the motor windings; the sensor device comprising at least one selected from the following: a temperature sensor, a flow-meter, a vibration sensor or a pressure sensor.
a and 4b show other embodiments of certain features.
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without many of these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments are possible.
As used here, the terms “above” and “below”; “up” and “down”; “upper” and “lower”; “upwardly” and “downwardly”; and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments of the invention. However, when applied to equipment and methods for use in wells that are deviated or horizontal, such terms may refer to a left to right, right to left, or diagonal relationship as appropriate.
Artificial lift devices are used to drive downhole fluids uphole. One such device is called an electric submersible pump (ESP). An ESP typically includes a pump, e.g., a centrifugal pump, which is mechanically connected to a motor. The motor drives the pump and is electrically powered. The motor is located downhole from the pump so that well fluids pass over the motor thereby helping keep the motor cool. The power is delivered from surface via an electrical wire. In addition to electric power, communication signals can be transmitted along the electric wire in certain situations. Also, an additional communication medium can be used. There are numerous ESP designs available commercially from Schlumberger. Specific designs of such are therefore not described in this application.
An ESP can be located above a perforated area of a casing. The pump can be positioned a certain distance uphole from the perforations. That is, the location where the well fluids flow into the casing can be below the ESP.
A sensor can be incorporated with an ESP to measure certain wellbore parameters. Some of those parameters are pressure, temperature, vibration, flow rate, density, fluid/gas mixture, voltage leak, etc. Those parameters can be measured in almost any location, e.g., at the level of the pump or motor, in the pump or motor, outside the pump or motor, in the casing, outside the casing, etc. However in the context of the present application, measuring at least one or some of those parameters within the casing and below the ESP at or near the perforations, e.g., the sandface, is particularly desirable.
Accordingly, the present application describes a sensor device that is a distance downhole from an ESP, e.g., a motor of the ESP and specifically a lower distal end of the windings in the motor, thereby locating the sensor device proximate to perforations.
As shown in
The adapter 200 is designed to connect the support device 130 and the motor 120.
As noted above, the sensor 140 can be connected electrically with the gauge 300. An electrical connection 315 is preferably established during deployment by connecting wire 146 with wire 310. The adapter 200 can be configured to facilitate that connection 315. For example, according to
The support device 130 can have a number of configurations, e.g., a hollow tubular shape, a u-shape, an I-shape, and/or of multiple strands. Normally the support device 130 is constructed from metal, but many other suitable materials are or will be available such as ceramics, polymers, and composites. The support device 130 can have a longitudinal length that is at least as great as the longitudinal length of the motor 120 or the pump 110, or the motor 120 and pump 110 together. The support device 130 can be multiple pieces that are connected by the connector 132. The connector 132 can be a threaded, a clamped, or a flanged connection. Alternatively, the support device may be of one piece, deployed form a spool.
There are numerous ways to deploy the sensor 140 according to the present application. For example, the ESP 100 can be downhole while the sensor 140 is connected electrically in the sensor casing 142. The sensor 140 can be located in the sensor casing before being electrically connected and before the ESP 100 is lowered downhole, after which the sensor 140 can be connect electrically. Another option is to locate the ESP 100 and sensor casing downhole without the sensor 140, and to then feed the sensor 140 downhole and into the sensor casing 142. It should be appreciated that a sensor casing 142 is not necessarily required according to the application, and these operations can be done with a device that does not include a sensor casing 142.
The sensor 140 can be connected to an electrical wire that connects with the motor 120, e.g., the electrical wire of the motor 120. Alternatively, the electrical wire 146 connecting with the sensor 140 could extend farther uphole than the ESP 100. The sensor 130 could also connect with a fiber-optic wire, or a combination of fiber-optic wire and electric wire.
The sensor 140 can be located at least 30, 60, or 100 meters below the bottom of the motor 120. The sensor 140 could also be a distance below the bottom of the motor 120 equal to at least the distance the motor windings extend along the motor 120 from top to bottom.
The embodiments referred to above are meant to illustrate a number of embodiments including a number of features included in the inventive idea. The embodiments are in no way meant to limit the scope of the claims herein.
