Patent Application
20120067564
The field of the invention is placement and setting of a packer using an electric submersible pump (ESP) and more particularly the ability to remove the ESP while leaving the packer behind to secure the wellbore below.
ESPs have previously required a separate run to locate and set the packer. After the packer was set the ESP assembly would be run in and stabbed into the packer so the ESP could then be operated. More recently in U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,595 the ESP was run in together with an inflatable with a line from the pump discharge going to the inflatable so that when the desired location was reached the pump was turned on and the inflatable was inflated. When the pump was shut off the inflatable deflated and was taken out with the ESP.
Other art that relates generally to the field of inflatables or packers or ESPs comprises U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,320,182; 4,589,632 and 5,404,946. Also of interest is US Publication 2009/0255691.
What is needed and not provided in the past is a way to run in an ESP with a packer and not only set the packer using the ESP or some other way but also a way to disconnect from the set packer when it is time to remove the ESP for repair or other reasons. The removal from the packer mandrel will allow a valve to close to secure the formerly produced zone. The ESP can be run in with coiled or rigid tubing or on wireline, for example. The packer type can be set mechanically or with pressure from the ESP or another pressure source from the surface. Removal of the ESP can allow a valve in the packer mandrel to close to block off the zone from which the ESP had been pumping before its removal. Those skilled in the art will more readily appreciate the details of the invention from the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.
An ESP is run in to a desired subterranean location with a packer attached. Once at the desired location the packer is set either using the ESP or some other source of force or pressure. After the ESP has completed the task and needs to be removed, the packer stays set and the ESP releases from it. Removal of the ESP assembly allows a valve in the packer mandrel to close to isolate the zone from which the ESP had been pumping. The ESP can be run in on coiled tubing or rigid tubing or wireline.
Referring to
Alternative setting arrangements for the packer 34 are contemplated where the jumper line 40 is not required. The packer 34 can be set with mechanical force, torque, hydrostatic pressure, applied pressure with an onboard pressure source or other equivalent ways. The packer design can be an inflatable or a compression set type that is powered by applied force or pressure to set the sealing element and slips in a known way.
Existing packers can be set with the illustrated system and a newly designed packer is not required. The primary advantage of the above described system is the ability to release from the packer 34 that had been run in with the ESP 16 and to do so in a manner that allows isolation of the zone 36 that had previously been produced.
As an option if the pressure from the ESP 16 is not sufficient a pressure intensifier 46 can be added to the jumper line 40 to raise the pressure level high enough to set the packer 34.
The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below.
