Baker Hughes Corporation

David Lester Olson

Steven Keith Tetzlaff

David B Dillon

Josh Prather

Bruce Erwin Proctor

Nicholas Daniel Johnson

Edward C Kanady

Kelley L Phillips

Ray A Watson

Robert Timothy Dempsey

Doug W Berry

Albert David William St Clair

An apparatus and methods of spacing a tool from walls of tubing are provided as embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus can include a centralizer that is inserted in the tubing, the centralizer having inwardly arched sides or inwardly arched bow springs so that an inner diameter of the centralizer increases from a longitudinal midpoint to a longitudinal end point of the centralizer. The centralizer has a smaller diameter than the tubing so that it can be positioned inside of the tubing downstream of a seating ring in a relaxed position so that when the tool passes through the centralizer, the inwardly arched sides or inverted bow springs expand towards an inner wall of the tubing to centralize and inhibit radial movement of the tool when deployed through the inwardly arched sides of the centralizer.

ID centralizer

A method of producing a well fluid includes securing a motor to a string of outer tubing and lowering the outer tubing and motor into the well. A rotary pump is secured to a string of inner tubing and lowered into the outer tubing. The pump stabs into cooperative engagement with the motor. Supplying power to the motor rotates the pump, causing well fluid to flow into the outer tubing to an intake of the pump, which pumps the well fluid through the inner tubing to an upper end of the well. Removing the well fluid allows gas to flow up an annulus surrounding the outer tubing to the upper end of the well.

High velocity string for well pump and method for producing well fluid

A through tubing conveyed electrical submersible pumping system for use in a wellbore. The system includes a tubing string with an attached deployed drive system having a pump motor and a pump engaging receptacle, a pumping assembly insertable into the tubing deployed system, and sealing elements on both the tubing string and pumping assembly. Engaging the sealing elements while inserting the pumping assembly forms a seal. The system further includes mating latch members on the pumping assembly and the tubing string, the latch members selectively activated by engaging one another. The latch may include locking fingers disposed on the pumping system and a shoulder protruding into the tubing string; wherein inserting the pumping system into the tubing deployed system locking fingers with the shoulder for securing the pumping system to the tubing string.

Mechanical seal and lock for tubing conveyed pump system

A progressing cavity pump (PCP) system that may be deployed in an existing well configuration without the need for a workover rig. A stator and tubing stop are first set in a conduit, such as production tubing, at a desired depth. In subsequent wireline runs, a pack-off and upper tubing stop are installed above the stator, which results in the stator assembly being set by tubing stops on top and bottom and results in the conduit above the PCP being isolated from the wellbore below. Installation of the system is completed by installing the rotor and by installing top-side drive equipment in the usual way. The PCP system allows the deployment of lift systems within existing well configurations without any element being deployed on tubing and provides the ability to retrofit a well with an insertable pump within existing tubing.

Non-tubing deployed well artificial lift system

A gas dissipation chamber, installed between the tubing crossover and the production tubing string, for a through tubing conveyed ESP pumping system prevents gas discharged from the gas separator from entering the pump intake and subsequently gas locking the pumping system. The gas dissipation chamber secures to a lower end of production tubing. An electrical motor assembly is suspended on the lower end of the chamber. The gas separator and the pump are lowered through the tubing and land in the chamber in operative engagement with the motor assembly. Well fluid flows into the chamber to the separator, and gas separated by the separator vents out of the chamber into the casing. Liquid separated from the well fluid by the separator is pumped by the pump into the production tubing.

Gas dissipation chamber for through tubing conveyed ESP pumping systems

A hydraulic washer or spacer is used to reduce friction between a planet gear and the planet carrier. The washer has a top side and a bottom side, an inner diameter and an outer diameter. A mating profile extends from the inner diameter to the outer diameter along the bottom side adjacent the planet gear. The top side has a pumping land, pressure pocket, and bearing surface arranged from the inner diameter to the outer diameter respectively. The pumping land extends from the inner diameter outward radially to the pressure pocket. The pressure pocket is recessed relative to the pumping land and extends from the pumping land outward radially to a containment edge. The containment edge is raised relative to the pressure pocket and pumping land. Extending from the containment edge to the outer diameter is a bearing surface that is also raised relative to the pressure pocket and pumping land. As the washer rotates, the surrounding fluid is subject to centrifugal forces. The fluid passes over the pumping land and into the pressure pocket. Once sufficient pressure has developed, the fluid passes over the containment edge to form a hydraulic barrier between the bearing surface and the planet carrier.

Well pump gear box hydrodynamic washer

An artificial lift assembly is suspended from a string of conduit in a well inside a well casing. An encapsulation module is independently suspended from the conduit and encases the pump assembly with a jacket. A series of well fluid conditioning tools are mounted to the lower end of the jacket, including a tubular screen, a desander located behind the screen, a string of disposal conduit extending below the desander, and a nucleation device located above the desander. The entire weight of this fluid conditioning equipment is completely supported by the jacket and the conduit. The encapsulation module is completely sealed so that the well bore fluid is limited to entering the module and pump through the screen. The screen removes larger contaminants from the fluid such as rubber and trash. After the fluid passes through the screen, it enters the desander where solid matter such as sediment is removed from the fluid and eliminated through the disposal conduit. Finally, the fluid enters the nucleation device where its scale is decomposed. After these three clarifying phases, the fluid enters the pump assembly and is pumped to the surface.

System and method for enhanced conditioning of well fluids circulating in and around artificial lift assemblies

A submersible pump assembly suspended on a string of tubing in a well has a valve that drains the tubing above the pump when the pump shuts down. The valve includes a valve housing installed with the tubing string above the submersible pump assembly. The valve housing has an interior in communication with fluid in the string of tubing above the valve housing, and a shunt port communicating the interior of the valve housing with an annulus surrounding the string of tubing. A valve cage is slidably received within the valve housing for movement between upper and lower positions. The valve cage blocks communication through the shunt port while in the upper position, and while in the lower position, opens the shunt port. A valve seat is located in the valve cage, and a valve member moves between a lower position, sealingly engaging the valve seat, and an upper position, allowing flow through the valve seat from the pump to the tubing string. Pump pressure causes the valve cage and the valve member to move to the upper positions. Ceasing operation of the submersible pump assembly causes the valve cage and the valve member to move to the lower positions, allowing fluid in the tubing string to flow out the shunt port to equalize with fluid in the annulus.

Production tubing shunt valve

A progressive cavity pump housing is secured to the lower end of a string of tubing. A motor is secured to the progressive cavity housing. An electrical power cable is strapped to the motor alongside the tubing. The pump has a pump rotor located within a stator. The pump rotor has a driven shaft extending downward from its lower end which mates with a drive shaft extending upward from the motor. When the pump reaches the motor, the driven shaft will stab into the drive shaft. The upper end of the pump rotor extends above the stator and is configured to engage an overshot retrieval tool. To retrieve the rotor, the operator lowers an overshot retrieval tool through the production tubing and latches it to the upper end of the pump rotor. The operator pulls the rotor out of the pump, thereby disengaging the rotor from the drive shaft of the motor, and leaving the remainder of the pump and the motor in place. After flushing the pump stator, the rotor may be lowered back through the tubing into the stator and reengaged to the drive shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Los Alamitos, CA, United States of America

David Lester Olson