Claims
- 1. An apparatus for moving reservoir fluids from an underground reservoir using a wellbore having an inner wall and extending from the surface to an end beneath the surface, wherein the wellbore communicates with the reservoir such that the reservoir fluids enter the wellbore and separate into a liquid phase and a gas phase at a gas pressure, the apparatus comprising:(a) a first pump for pumping the liquid phase, wherein the first pump is containable within the wellbore in communication with the liquid phase; (b) a pump drive operably connected to the first pump, for driving the first pump, wherein the pump drive is containable within the wellbore and wherein the pump drive is powered using the gas pressure of the gas phase in the wellbore and wherein the pump drive is comprised of a turbine having a rotary drive shaft extending longitudinally therethrough which is powered using the gas pressure of the gas phase in the wellbore, the rotary drive shaft being operably connected to the first pump such that rotation of the drive shaft drives the first pump in order to pump the liquid phase; (c) an intake for communicating with the gas phase in the wellbore and for directing the gas phase to the pump drive in order to power the pump drive; (d) an exhaust for directing the gas phase from the pump drive; and (e) means, associated with the wellbore, for controlling the release of the gas phase within the wellbore so that the gas phase is available to power the pump drive.
- 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first pump is a rotary pump having a first pump shaft operably connected to the drive shaft such that rotation of the drive shaft rotates the first pump shaft to pump the liquid phase.
- 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the exhaust directs the gas phase towards the surface.
- 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first pump pumps the liquid phase towards a location outside the wellbore.
- 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first pump pumps the liquid phase towards the surface.
- 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wellbore is comprised of a lower wellbore section adjacent the end of the wellbore for containing the first pump and the pump drive and which communicates with the reservoir, and an upper wellbore section which extends from the lower wellbore section to the surface, and wherein the controlling means is comprised of a packer sealingly engaging the inner wall of the wellbore between the upper wellbore section and the lower wellbore section.
- 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the exhaust directs the gas phase from the pump drive past the packer.
- 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the wellbore is further comprised of a casing, which lines the inner wall of the wellbore and defines a plurality of perforations in the lower wellbore section for communication between the reservoir and the lower wellbore section, and wherein the exhaust is comprised of at least one exhaust conduit which releases the gas phase from the pump drive into the upper wellbore section.
- 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the apparatus is further comprised of a second pump, for containing within the upper wellbore section, for pumping a condensate liquid contained in the upper wellbore section.
- 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the second pump is driven by the pump drive.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in art of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/620,941 filed on Mar. 22, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,795.
US Referenced Citations (24)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1167760 |
May 1984 |
CA |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/620941 |
Mar 1996 |
US |
Child |
09/158668 |
|
US |