The present invention relates generally to enhancements in boosting of hydrocarbons from a subsea production well, and more particularly to a system for producing hydrocarbons utilizing a multiphase pump to condition and pressure hydrocarbons before entering a primary booster pump comprising centrifugal pump stages used in one or more electrical submersible pumps.
A wide variety of systems are known for producing fluids of economic interest from subterranean geological formations. In formations providing sufficient pressure to force the fluids to the earth's surface, the fluids may be collected and processed without the use of artificial lifting systems. Where, however, well pressures are insufficient to raise fluids to the collection point, artificial means are typically employed, such as pumping systems.
The particular configurations of an artificial lift pumping systems may vary widely depending upon the well conditions, the geological formations present, and the desired completion approach. In general however, such systems typically include an electric motor driven by power supplied from the earth's surface. The motor is coupled to a pump, which draws wellbore fluids from a production horizon and imparts sufficient head to force the fluids to the collection point. Such systems may include additional components especially adapted for the particular wellbore fluids or mix of fluids, including gas/oil separators, oil/water separators, water injection pumps, and so forth.
One such artificial lift pumping system is an electrical submersible pump (ESP). An ESP typically includes a motor section, a pump section, and a motor protector to seal the clean motor oil from wellbore fluids, and is deployed in a wellbore where it receives power via an electrical cable. An ESP is capable of generating a large pressure boost sufficient to lift production fluids even in ultra deep-water subsea developments. However, ESPs are typically confined by the amount of free gas content they can handle (especially at low intake pressures).
Another artificial lift pumping system is a multiphase pump (MPP). MPPs may, for example, include helico-axial, twin-screw and piston pumps, and are important for artificial lift in subsea oil and gas field operations (especially, in ultra deep-water subsea developments). MPPs can handle high gas volumes as well as the slugging and different flow regimes associated with multiphase production, including flows having high water and/or high gas content (as high as 100-percent water or gas). Using MPPs allows development of remote locations or previously uneconomical fields. Additionally, since the surface equipment, including separators, heater-treaters, dehydrators and pipes, is reduced, the impact on the environment is also reduced. A production deficiency, however, is that MPPs are typically not able to provide the high pressure required, without a large number of pumps aligned in series.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an artificial lift pumping system capable of handling a production fluid with various phase flow regimes while providing a sufficient pressure boost to lift the production fluid to a collection location.
In general, according to one embodiment, the present invention provides a system for boosting subsea production fluid flow via a combination pumping system comprising one or more multiphase pumps and one or more electrical submersible pumps. The pumping system receives production fluid flow via one or more import lines and distributes pressure-boosted production flow via one or more export lines.
Other or alternative features will be apparent from the following description, from the drawings, and from the claims.
The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached drawings in which:
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawing(s) illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
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 these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
In the specification and appended claims: the terms “connect”, “connection”, “connected”, “in connection with”, and “connecting” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via another element”; and the term “set” is used to mean “one element” or “more than one element”. As used herein, the terms “up” and “down”, “upper” and “lower”, “upwardly” and downwardly”, “upstream” and “downstream”; “above” and “below”; and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly described 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 other relationship as appropriate.
Generally, in some embodiments of the present invention, a solution is provided to overcome the deficiencies in multiphase pump and electrical submersible pump artificial lift systems by combining the two systems. In accordance with the present invention, an improved artificial lift pumping system includes one or more MPPs in hydraulic connection with one or more ESPs. In one embodiment, the present invention includes to a system for producing hydrocarbons utilizing a seabed based MPP to condition and pressure hydrocarbons before entering a primary booster pump made up of centrifugal pump stages used in one or more ESPs.
With reference to
In some embodiments of the present invention, a universal termination head (UTH) 160 (or other electrical power hub) is connected by power cables or jumpers to each ESP 130 and MPP (alternatively, the electrical connection can be established to each ESP through the shaft and housing connection) allowing the use of dry mate connections to facilitate power and control transmission to the MPPs and ESPs, as well as provide MPP makeup seal and motor lubrication fluids, reservoir fluid chemical treatment or hydraulic control fluids. In some embodiments, a power umbilical 170 may be connected to the UTH 160 using a wet mate connection (e.g., as by a remote operated subsea vehicle) to provide power and control functionality from a surface or other remote location. Moreover, the system may be installed on a skid or a series of skids or independently as the particular parameters of the job requires.
Still with respect to
In operation, the production fluid is pumped from the import line 250 into the MPP 210 to boost the production fluid flow to approximately 1600 psi at a combined rate of approximately 80,000 barrels per day (BPD). The production fluid flow is pumped from the MPP 210 into the intake manifold 215. The manifold 215 directs the flow of the production fluid into the primary set of ESPs 220A. The first ESP 220A1 boosts the pressure by approximately 830 psi to approximately 2430 psi. The production fluid flow then is directed into the second ESP 220A2, which boosts the pressure by approximately 830 psi to approximately 3260 psi. The production fluid flow then is directed into the third ESP 220A3, which boosts the pressure by approximately 830 psi to approximately 4090 psi. Finally, the production fluid flow is directed into the fourth ESP 220A4, which boosts the pressure by approximately 830 psi to approximately 4920 psi. The production fluid is then collected by the outtake manifold 225 and directed to the surface or another location via one or more export lines 260. Other embodiments of the pumping system may include various arrangements and configurations of MPP's and ESP's to facilitate boosting a production fluid having any particular bubble point such that the free gas in the fluid would either be above bubble point pressure or compressed sufficiently that it would not interfere with the performance of the ESP.
With reference again to
In another embodiment of the present invention, a composite subsea pump includes a MPP integrated into a set of one or more ESPs through the use of mechanical connections (e.g., via a shaft and coupling) and hydraulic connections by way of the ESP housing. The MPP is mechanically connected to the ESP via a shaft coupling to drive both the ESP and MPP using a common motor. Moreover, in some embodiments, the MPP and ESP may also be arranged within a shared housing.
For example, as shown in
In operation, when the composite pump 300 is off, the reservoir fluid 400 is directed into the annulus 304 of the housing 302 and into the export line 420 via the valve 380 to bypass the lower pump components.
When the composite pump 300 is on, the reservoir fluid 400 is directed into the annulus 304 of the housing 302 and drawn by the MPP 310 into the intake 340. The shroud 360 directs the reservoir fluid 400 past the motor 330 thus providing a cooling effect. The MPP 310 condition and pressures the reservoir fluid 400 and the centrifugal stage pump 320 provides the primary boost to energize the reservoir fluid 400. The reservoir fluid 400 is then directed into the export line 420 via the discharge 370.
While the invention has been disclosed with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations there from. It is intended that the appended claims cover such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,270, entitled, “SUBSEA PUMPING SYSTEM”, issued on Jan. 27, 2009 which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/522,802, entitled, “SUBSEA PUMPING SYSTEM,” filed on Nov. 9, 2004.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20090032264 A1 | Feb 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60522802 | Nov 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11163959 | Nov 2005 | US |
Child | 12251142 | US |