ELECTRICAL SUBMERSIBLE PUMP WITH GAS VENTING SYSTEM
20210148202 · 2021-05-20
Inventors
Cpc classification
E21B47/008
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E21B41/0085
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E21B43/128
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
F04D25/0686
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
E21B43/12
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E21B21/08
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E21B41/00
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
A system and method for receiving hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir into a shroud that encapsulates an electrical submersible pump (ESP) system in a wellbore, wherein the hydrocarbons separate within the shroud into gaseous components and liquid components, and flowing via the ESP the liquid components through production tubing and a jet pump to the surface, and drawing by the jet pump the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface.
Claims
1. A well tool system comprising: an electrical submersible pump (ESP) system comprising: an ESP configured to be positioned in a wellbore formed through a surface of Earth into a hydrocarbon reservoir, the ESP configured to receive hydrocarbons that enter the wellbore from the hydrocarbon reservoir and to flow the hydrocarbons through production tubing to the surface from an uphole end of the ESP; and an ESP motor operatively coupled to the ESP to drive the ESP to flow the hydrocarbons through the production tubing to the surface; a shroud configured to encapsulate and fluidically seal the ESP system in the wellbore, wherein an uphole end of the shroud is configured to couple to the production tubing, wherein gaseous components of the hydrocarbons separate from liquid components of the hydrocarbons in the shroud, and wherein the shroud comprises a sealing assembly to form a fluidic seal at the uphole end of the downhole shroud; and a jet pump configured to be positioned uphole of the ESP along the production tubing to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the jet pump is configured to be positioned within the shroud downhole of the uphole end of the shroud, and wherein to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises to draw the gaseous components from within the shroud.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the jet pump is configured to be positioned uphole of the shroud, wherein a top of the shroud comprises ports to leak the gaseous components that accumulate in the shroud to uphole of the shroud, and wherein to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises to draw the gaseous components from uphole of the shroud.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the jet pump is configured to be positioned axially in-line with the production tubing, wherein the jet pump comprises a venturi configured to generate a pressure differential in response to the hydrocarbons comprising the liquid components flowing through the venturi, the pressure differential sufficient to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface.
5. The system of claim 1, comprising: vent line tubing fluidically coupled to the shroud and the production tubing, the vent line tubing configured to flow the gaseous components from the shroud to the production tubing; and a valve disposed along the vent line tubing between the shroud and the production tubing to control flow of the gaseous components through the vent line tubing from the shroud to the production tubing in response to pressure in the shroud or in response to volume percentage of gas in the hydrocarbons at an inlet of the ESP, or a combination thereof.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vent line tubing is fluidicially coupled to the jet pump.
7. The system of claim 1, comprising: vent line tubing fluidically coupled to the shroud and the jet pump, the vent line tubing configured to flow the gaseous components from the shroud to the jet pump for the jet pump to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface; and a valve disposed along the vent line tubing between the shroud and the production tubing to control flow of the gaseous components through the vent line tubing from the shroud to the jet pump in response to pressure in the shroud or in response to volume percentage of gas in the hydrocarbons at an inlet of the ESP, or a combination thereof.
8. A method comprising: receiving hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir into a shroud that encapsulates and fluidically seals an electrical submersible pump (ESP) system, the ESP system comprising an ESP and an ESP motor, wherein the ESP system is positioned in a wellbore that is formed through a surface of Earth into the hydrocarbon reservoir, and wherein the hydrocarbons separate within the shroud into gaseous components and liquid components; sealing, by a sealing assembly, an uphole end of the shroud; flowing, via the ESP, the liquid components through production tubing to the surface, wherein the liquid components flow through a jet pump disposed along the production tubing uphole of the ESP; and drawing, by the jet pump, the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the jet pump is positioned axially in-line with the production tubing, and wherein the jet pump comprises a venturi.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising generating a pressure differential in response to the liquid components flowing through the venturi, wherein the pressure differential is sufficient to draw the gaseous components into the production tubing towards the surface.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the jet pump is positioned within the shroud downhole of the uphole end of the shroud, and wherein drawing, by the jet pump, the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises drawing, by the jet pump, the gaseous components from within the shroud.
12. The method of claim 8, comprising leaking the gaseous components that accumulate in the shroud through ports in a top of the shroud into uphole of the shroud, wherein the jet pump is positioned uphole of the shroud, and wherein the jet pump drawing the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises the jet pump drawing the gaseous components from uphole of the shroud.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein drawing, by the jet pump, the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises flowing the gaseous components through vent line tubing from the shroud to the production tubing.
14. The method of claim 13, comprising controlling, via a valve disposed along the vent line tubing, flow of the gaseous components through the vent line tubing in response to pressure in the shroud or in response to volume percentage of gas in the hydrocarbons at an inlet of the ESP, or a combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the vent line tubing is fluidically coupled to the jet pump.
16. The method of claim 8, wherein drawing, by the jet pump, the gaseous components into the production tubing comprises flowing the gaseous components through vent line tubing from the shroud to the jet pump.
17. The method of claim 16, comprising controlling, via a valve disposed along the vent line tubing, flow of the gaseous components through the vent line tubing in response to pressure in the shroud or in response to volume percentage of gas in the hydrocarbons at an inlet of the ESP, or a combination thereof.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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[0037] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] In a wellbore in which an ESP is implemented, a gas lock may occur when liquid and gas separate in the tubing above the ESP or inside the ESP itself. Gas locking occurs when the pump is unable to lift the fluid column in the tubing above. The net result of excessive gas at the pump intake is that the gas can potentially accumulate into a long continuous column in the pump, thereby impeding the pumps ability to generate discharge pressure. In cases in which the pump does not actually gas lock, the pump can suffer head degradation and low efficiency when high vapor-to-liquid ratios are being pumped. Thus, ESP performance is limited by the amount of free gas that could be tolerated before gas locking would occur. Such gas locking can cause a catastrophic failure of the ESP because the pump is no longer moving fluid, resulting in overheating of the ESP during normal operation. Some techniques to minimize the possibility of or avoid gas lock include separating the gas from the fluid prior to entering the pump inlet or creating gas handling pumps which can pump larger gas by volume percentages of up to 70% before pump head degradation and gas locking occurs. Another technique is to ensure that the pump intake pressure remains above the bubble point pressure of fluid being produced.
[0039] This disclosure describes an ESP system encapsulated inside a shroud. Any gas will accumulate at the top of the shroud and will then be vented into the production tubing by a vent line. The vent line will enter the production tubing below the wellhead where the minimum pressure in the tubing exists compared to any other points in the tubing because of friction loss. Friction loss (or skin friction) is the loss of pressure or “head” that occurs in a tubing due to the effect of the fluid's viscosity near the surface of the tubing. The components described in this disclosure, for example, the ESP, the ESP motor, the shroud, and other components, are downhole components designed and constructed to operate in a downhole environment. That is, each component is ruggedized and constructed to operate, without failing, under the downhole environment which can include higher pressure or temperature compared to a surface of the Earth. Each component is also constructed to operate, without failing, in the presence of or upon contacting well fluids including hydrocarbons and debris, for example, subterranean zone rock or other debris, carried by the well fluids.
[0040]
TABLE-US-00001 Pump Outer Flow Range (cubic meters Diameter per day) @ best (inches) efficiency point (BEP) 5.38 227-1521 5.62 2053-3852 6.74 1267-1921
[0041] The ESP motor 105 can be a lower tandem model motor. Physical parameters and operational ranges of motors from which the ESP motor 105 can be selected are shown in the table below:
TABLE-US-00002 Motor Outer Name Plate Name Plate Diameter Horsepower @ Voltage Range @ Amperage Range @ (inches) 60 Hertz 60 Hertz 60 Hertz 5.43 480 1201-2525 94-43 5.62 210 2490-3720 52-34 5.62 441 2406-3855 111.4-69.6
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[0043]
[0044] In some implementations, a packer 112a is positioned uphole of the ESP system 102 and is coupled to the uphole end portion 111 of the shroud 104. The packer 112a fluidically isolates the portion of the wellbore (or, if the wellbore is cased, the portion of the casing 114) uphole of the packer 112a from the portion downhole of the packer 112a. The packer 112a can include an opening through which the uphole end portion 111 can pass. In some implementations, the packer 112a can be a deep set packer that can protect the casing annulus from contact with the hydrocarbons 111 and also serve as a barrier for well control. The packer 112a can include a packer penetrator system through which cables (for example, power cables or cable carrying other information) can be passed to the ESP motor 105. For example, the packer 112a can be a production packer with feedthrough ports for receive and pass through extension leads to the ESP motor 105.
[0045] In some implementations, a packer 112b is positioned downhole of the ESP system 102. Similar to the packer 112a, the packer 112b creates a fluidic isolation between portions uphole and downhole of the packer 112b. The packer 112b can include an opening through which tubing 115 through which the hydrocarbons 111 flow, can be passed to fluidically and sealingly couple to the bottom end portion 109 of the shroud 104. In some implementations, the packer 112b can be a permanent packer, that is, a mechanical packer with large packing surfaces that enables isolation of several zones. The packer 112b offers necessary anchoring to the ESP system 100. The packer 112b can connect, in sequence, with other well tools, for example, a hydraulic disconnect tool, a telescope joint, handling sub, cross overs and the sealing assembly 113a. In this manner, the packer 112b directs the hydrocarbons 111 released from the subterranean zone into the tubing 115, which then carries the hydrocarbons 111 into the shroud 104 to be received by the ESP system 102. The intake 102 of the ESP 103 draws the hydrocarbons 111 to be lifted to the surface and flows the hydrocarbons 111 into a production tubing 208 (
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[0047] The vent line 202 can also include a venting mechanism 201, for example, a vent valve. As described earlier, the gaseous components 108 can accumulate in an uphole end of the body 107. The venting mechanism 201 can vent the gaseous components 108 into the vent line 202 through the opening 200. In this manner, the gaseous components 108 can exit the body 107, thereby decreasing a pressure and quantity of the gaseous components 108 in the shroud 107. Subsequently, the venting mechanism 201 can close the opening 200 allowing the gaseous component 108 to once again fill the body 107. This cycle of filling and venting can continue thereby preventing the gaseous component 108 from entering the pump intake 106 (
[0048] The venting mechanism 201 can be implemented as a pressure valve. For example, the venting mechanism 201 can be a mechanically operated vent valve. When the pressure near an uphole end of the body 107 due to the gaseous component 108 increases beyond a threshold pressure, the venting valve can open to release the gaseous component 108 into the vent line 202. Release of the gaseous component 108 decreases the pressure in the body 107 causing the venting valve to close. Alternatively or in addition, the venting mechanism 201 can be a valve controllable using programmable logic control (PLC). Such a valve can include a spring and an electric magnet that is actuated by a programmable logic controller that sends a signal to the valve to open or close through a wire cable 205 connected to the valve, the wire cable fed through ports in the packer 112a. In such implementations, the programmable logic can include one or more of several factors including, for example, the pressure inside the body 107, volume percentage of gas in the fluid at the inlet of the ESP 103, combinations of them or other factors. Also, in some implementations, the programmable logic controller can be included in the surface of the drive of the ESP 103.
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[0051] Similar to the implementation of
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[0056] Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.