Claims
- 1. A well pumping apparatus, comprising:
a string of production tubing located within a casing, defining a tubing annulus between the tubing and the casing; a submersible pump assembly having a pump, an electric motor, and an electrical motor connector, the submersible pump assembly being dimensioned for lowering and retrieving through the tubing; a power cable located in the tubing annulus; and a power-cable connector mounted to the tubing and connected to the power cable, the power-cable connector making electrical contact with the motor connector when the submersible pump assembly motor is landed in the tubing
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the power-cable connector comprises an arm extending inward from an inner surface of the production tubing and a stab extending upward from the arm, the stab having at least one conductor on an outer surface; and the motor connector comprises a receptacle for receiving the stab, the receptacle having at least one contact for engaging the conductor on the stab.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:
the stab comprises three conductors; and the receptacle comprises three contacts.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the power-cable connector comprises three conductors radially arrayed about an axis of the tubing in 120-degree increments; and the motor connector comprises three conductors radially arrayed about an axis of the submersible pump assembly in 120-degree increments.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the motor connector comprises at least one receptacle located on the submersible pump assembly; and the cable connector comprises at least one pin mounted to the tubing, each pin being selectively moved from a retracted position into engagement with one receptacle.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the motor connector comprises a plurality of receptacles located on the submersible pump assembly; and the cable connector comprises a plurality of pins carried by hydraulic cylinders mounted to the tubing, the hydraulic cylinders moving the pins from a retracted position into engagement with the receptacles.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the cable connector comprises a plurality of receptacles located on the tubing; and the motor connector comprises a plurality of pins mounted to the submersible pump assembly selectively moved from a retracted position into engagement with the receptacles.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an orienting guide mounted to the tubing for rotating the submersible pump assembly to a selected orientation while landing in the tubing.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the motor connector comprises a plurality of receptacles located on a connector assembly extending downward from the motor.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the motor connector comprises a plurality of pins mounted to the submersible pump assembly selectively moved from a retracted position into engagement with the receptacles, the motor connector being located above the pump; and further comprising a lead extending from the motor connector to the motor for conducting electricity from the motor connector to the motor.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a running tool adapted to be secured to a running line and to the submersible pump assembly for lowering the submersible pump assembly into the tubing, the running tool being releasable from the submersible pump assembly for retrieving the running line and running tool after landing the submersible pump assembly.
- 12. A well pump apparatus, comprising:
a submersible pump assembly having a pump, an electric motor, and an electrical receptacle assembly, the pump and motor being dimensioned for lowering and retrieving through a string of production tubing; a power cable adapted to be strapped to an exterior of the production tubing; and a connector-pin assembly adapted to be mounted to the tubing and connected to a lower end of the power cable for providing electricity to the motor, the pin assembly having a pin that is moved between a retracted position and an engaged position in engagement with the receptacle assembly,
- 13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
a hydraulic cylinder for moving the pin between the retracted and engaged positions.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
the electrical receptacle assembly comprises three receptacles spaced 120 degrees apart about an axis of the motor; and the pin assembly comprises three pins adapted to be radially arrayed in 120-degree increments about an axis of the tubing.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
an orienting guide adapted to be mounted to the tubing for rotating the pump and motor to a selected orientation while landing in the tubing.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
the electrical receptacle assembly is mounted to a connector depending from a bottom of the motor.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
a running tool adapted to be secured to a running line and to the submersible pump assembly for lowering the submersible pump assembly into the tubing, the running tool being releasable from the submersible pump assembly for retrieving the running line and running tool after landing the submersible pump assembly.
- 18. A method of installing a pumping apparatus in a well, the method comprising:
(a) mounting a power-cable connector and a power cable to a string of tubing and lowering the tubing into the well; (b) providing a submersible pump assembly having a pump, an electric motor, and an electrical motor connector; then (c) lowering the submersible pump assembly through the tubing; then (d) engaging the power-cable connector with the motor connector when the motor is landed in the tubing
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein:
the power-cable connector comprises an arm extending inward from an inner surface of the tubing and a stab extending upward from the arm, the stab having at least one conductor on an outer surface; the motor connector comprises a receptacle for receiving the stab, the receptacle having at least one contact for engaging the conductor on the stab; and in step (d), inserting the stab into the receptacle, each conductor engaging one contact.
- 20. The method of claim 18, wherein:
the motor connector comprises a at least one receptacle located on the submersible pump assembly; the power-cable connector comprises at least one pin mounted to the tubing; and in step (d), selectively moving each pin from a retracted position into engagement with one receptacle.
- 21. The method of claim 18, wherein:
the motor connector comprise a plurality of receptacles located on the submersible pump assembly; the power-cable connector comprises a plurality of pins carried by hydraulic cylinders mounted to the tubing; and step (d) comprises supplying fluid pressure to the hydraulic cylinders to move the pins from a retracted position into engagement with the receptacles.
- 22. The method of claim 18, wherein:
the motor connector comprises a plurality of pins located on the submersible pump assembly; the power-cable connector comprises a plurality of receptacles; and in step (d), selectively moving the pins from a retracted position into engagement with the receptacles.
- 23. The method of claim 18, wherein:
step (c) comprises lowering the submersible pump assembly on a line; and the method further comprising
releasing the line from the submersible pump assembly and retrieving the line.
- 24. A method of installing a pumping apparatus in a well, the method comprising:
(a) mounting a power-cable connector and a power cable to a string of tubing and lowering the tubing into the well; (b) providing a submersible pump assembly having a pump, an electric motor, and an electrical motor connector; then (c) lowering the submersible pump assembly through the tubing on a running line; then (d) moving pins contained in one of the power-cable connector and the motor connector into engagement with the other of the power-cable connector and the motor connector when the motor is landed in the tubing; then (e) releasing the running line from the submersible pump assembly and retrieving the running line.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein:
step (b) further comprises providing the submersible pump assembly with a first discharge tube of a first selected length above the submersible pump assembly; the method further comprising
retrieving the submersible pump assembly through the tubing for maintenance and replacing the first discharge tube with a second discharge tube of a second selected length that differs from the first selected length; and reinstalling the submersible pump assembly in the tubing.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein:
step (c) comprises installing a swab cup above the submersible pump assembly, the swab cup restricting the upward flow of fluid in the production tubing past the swab cup and preventing fluid from flowing downward past the swab cup; and installing a check valve in the tubing below the submersible pump assembly the check valve allowing fluid to flow upward through the check valve and preventing downward flow through the check valve.
- 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:
reattaching the running line to the submersible pump assembly for retrieving the submersible pump assembly; and pumping fluid downward through the running line and through the pump to cause a fluid pressure between the swab cup and the check valve, the pressure applying upward force on the submersible pump assembly to assist in retrieval.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Applicant's copending U.S. provisional application, Serial No. 60/236,485, filed on Sep. 29, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60236485 |
Sep 2000 |
US |