Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: determining a level of accumulation of a hydrocarbon-water emulsion in an annulus of a wellbore; based on the level of accumulation, determining an operating setting of a hydrocarbon-water separator and operating the hydrocarbon-water separator at the operating setting, where the hydrocarbon-water separator separates the hydrocarbon-water emulsion into water and a hydrocarbon fluid; activating, in response to a first sensor detecting a first water level in the annulus, a pump that pumps the water from the annulus into a water zone below the wellbore; and deactivating the pump in response to a second sensor detecting a second water level in the annulus, where the second sensor is located below the first sensor.

A lubricating element for drag reduction in production and transportation of water-cut heavy oil in a wellbore comprises a flow guide component and a shell component; the flow guide component is fixed in a cyclone chamber of the shell component, and is provided with an intermediate rod to connect and fix a center cone, a flow stabilizing cone and flow guide blades. The lubricating element is a static element integrating three functions of oil-water separation, water control and liquid ring formation, thereby reducing energy consumption for production and transportation of heavy crude oil, and cutting down surface water treatment facilities.

Embodiments of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. One embodiment comprises adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid and adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment.

A downhole separator and method for use of the same for fluid mediums with low viscosity are disclosed. In one embodiment, the downhole separator has a housing with inlet openings that draw a fluid flow into an elongated annular separation chamber within the housing. The fluid flow advances under angular momentum imparted by a rotation of a shaft located in the housing. The shaft includes a profiled surface that imparts drag to the fluid medium and two local pressure increasing units to effect at least partial separation of the fluid medium into the following: (i) a liquid portion upwardly traversing the fluid passageway of the shaft via the inlet ports; (ii) a gaseous portion upwardly traversing the elongated annular separation chamber to the plurality of upper gaseous portion outlets; and (iii) a solid portion downwardly traversing the elongated annular separation chamber to the plurality of lower solid portion outlets.

This document relates to systems and techniques for downhole separation of water and oil in oil well operations.

An oil-water fractionation system for use in a wellbore is described herein. The fractionation system is positioned within a wellbore on a subsurface end of a production tubing proximate to a production region. The fractionation system includes a permeable hydrophobic media for preferentially conveying an oil-enriched stream (reduced water-cut presence) from the production region into the production tubing, and a permeable oleophobic media for preferentially conveying a water-enriched stream (reduced oil-cut presence) into a second flow path. The permeable hydrophobic media and the permeable oleophobic media are in simultaneous hydraulic communication with the production region. The permeable hydrophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to oil, allowing the oil-enriched stream to flow through the permeable hydrophobic media into the production tubing. In contrast, the permeable oleophobic media is manufactured with a relatively high effective permeability to water, allowing the water-enriched stream to flow through the permeable oleophobic media into the second flow path.

A method and apparatus for separating of gas from liquids in a wellbore, the apparatus enabling the receiving of wellbore fluids into two or more production separation chambers, operating in parallel. The apparatus further enabling the receiving of production separation chamber fluids into a production pipe through a thief jet port disposed in a lower chamber beneath the production separation chambers. The apparatus further enabling extraction of bottom hole gas fluids in the wellbore from under the two or more production separation chambers and disposing the gas fluids back into the wellbore above the two or more production separation chambers.

This document relates to systems and techniques for downhole separation of water and oil in oil well operations.

A high-speed downhole motor-driven artificial-lift gas compressor assembly comprising an aerodynamic, gas-bearing supported, multi-stage centrifugal compressor is deployed downhole to work with other components such as electric submersible pumps and separators disposed in a multizone reservoir. Water may be injected into an injection water zone and hydrocarbons allowed to escape from a hydrocarbon producing zone to the surface. Compressed gas may be introduced into an annulus between a casing and tubing and directed into an injection gas zone. In addition, gas being produced in the hydrocarbon producing zone may flow back through the annulus between the casing and tubing or through one or more water separators and/or gas separators into the high-speed downhole motor-driven artificial-lift gas compressor assembly and, once compressed, exit the high-speed downhole motor-driven artificial-lift gas compressor assembly and routed back to the injection gas zone. Thus, water and gas may be separated from the fluid flows and injected back downhole or, alternatively, water may be separated from the fluid flows and hydrocarbons such as oil and/or gas allowed to flow to the surface.

An assembly and a method for filtering a particulate from a wellbore fluid flow entering a downhole shut-in device in a wellbore are described. The downhole shut-in device includes a valve body with an inlet. An inner sleeve is coupled to an inner surface of the valve body and moves between a closed position and an open position to control a fluid flow from the wellbore through the inlet of the valve body. The downhole shut-in device includes a screen surrounding an outer surface of the valve body to filter the particulate from the fluid flow through the inlet of the valve body. Some devices also include a strainer tool with a cylindrical housing and an internal strainer. The method includes identifying a production fluid flow containing particulates of a size and quantity to be filtered from entering the downhole shut-in device.