Shell Oil Comapny

James William Hall

Frederick Gordon Carl, Jr

William Mountjoy Savage

Robert Rex Burnett

John Michele Hirsch

Harold J Vinegar

George Leo Stegemeier

Neil Griffiths

Arthur William Galloway

Joseph Larry Johnson

Gary Nettleship

A method for monitoring the pressure difference across an ESP comprises:&#x2014;connecting the ESP () to a production tubing ()&#x2014;providing the production tubing () with a side pocket () which comprises an opening ()&#x2014;inserting a pressure sensor assembly () into the side packet () such that the opening () is located between a pair of annular seals ()&#x2014;monitoring the pressure difference across the ESP () by inducing the sensor assembly to measure a pressure difference between an upper section of the side pocket which is in communication with the interior of the tubing and a middle section () of the interior of the side packet () which is located between the annular seals ().

Monitoring fluid pressure in a well and retrievable pressure sensor assembly for use in the method

A method is disclosed for injecting lift gas or other fluid into a production conduit of an oil well via one or more wear resistant downhole gas lift flow control devices which each comprise: a tubular valve housing () comprising a flow passage () having an upstream end () which is connected to a lift gas supply conduit and a downstream end () which is connected to the interior of the production conduit; a flapper type valve body () which is pivotally connected to the valve housing () and is arranged in the flow passage () such that if the valve body is pivoted in the open position the valve body is oriented substantially parallel to the flow passage and that if the valve body is pivoted in the closed position the valve body is oriented substantially perpendicular to the flow passage and is pressed against a ring shaped valve seat (), thereby blocking passage of lift gas through the flow passage (); a valve protection sleeve () which is slidably arranged in the flow passage () between a first position (shown in FIG.) wherein the sleeve () extends through the ring-shaped valve seat, whilst the valve body () is pivoted in the open position thereof, thereby protecting the valve body and seat against wear by the flux of lift gas or other fluid and a second position (shown in FIG.) wherein the sleeve () extends through the section of the flow passage () upstream of the valve seat (), whilst the valve body () is pivoted in the closed position thereof; and a flow restrictor () forming part of the valve protection sleeve (), which is dimensioned such that the flux of lift gas flowing through the flow restrictor () creates a pressure difference which induces the sleeve () to move towards the first position.

Method of injecting lift gas and gas lift flow control device

A reservoir production control system includes a plurality of wells for producing a reservoir linked to a central computer over a downhole communication network and a surface communication network. Both the downhole and the surface communication networks are wireless communications paths for transmitting downhole data and surface data to the central computer. Both networks include a series of interconnected tubing or pipe that allows transmission of data over electrically isolated portions of the pipe and tubing. After integrating and analyzing all relevant data and comparing the data with a reservoir model, the central computer initiates changes in a plurality of downhole control devices associated with the wells, thereby optimizing the production of the reservoir.

Wireless reservoir production control

A gas-lift petroleum well and method for producing petroleum products using downhole pressurized gas to provide lift. The gas-lift well having a well casing, a production tubing, a packer, and a gas-lift valve. The well casing extends within a wellbore of the well, and the wellbore extends through oil and gas zones. The production tubing extends within the casing. The tubing having an opening formed therein, which is in fluid communication with an oil zone. The packer is located downhole in the casing and coupled to the tubing. The packer can have an electrically controllable packer valve, which is adapted to control a flow of downhole pressurized gas from one side of the packer to another. The downhole pressurized gas is provided by a gas zone that the wellbore passes through. The downhole gas-lift valve is coupled to the tubing and is adapted to control a flow of downhole pressurized gas into oil in the tubing for lifting the oil. The gas-lift valve can be an electrically controllable valve. The tubing and casing are used as electrical conductors for supplying power and/or communications downhole. The current in the tubing is routed using a ferromagnetic induction choke to create a voltage potential, which provides electrical power to downhole electrical devices. Also, there may be a bypass passageway to route downhole gas to gas-lift valves. There may also be downhole sensors to measure physical quantities (e.g., pressure). Such measurements can be used for feedback control of downhole electrically controllable valves.

Use of downhole high pressure gas in a gas-lift well and associated methods

A system and method of communicating among devices via a piping structure using at least one induction choke about the piping structure to route a time-varying current carrying communication signals between the devices. A communications system comprises a piping structure, a first communication device, a second communication device, and an induction choke. The piping structure comprises a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between the first and second locations. The first and second locations are distally spaced along the piping structure. The first and second communication devices are each electrically connected to the electrically conductive portion of the piping structure along the first location and second location, respectively, and each is adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current. The induction choke is located about an electrically choked portion of the electrically conductive portion of the piping structure, such that the induction choke is adapted to route time-varying current within the piping structure between the electrical connection location for the first communication device and the electrical connection location for the second communication device, and such that the first communication device can communicate with the second communication device via the piping structure. A preferred application of the present invention is a well for producing petroleum products (e.g., oil, natural gas), comprising a communication system as described above.

Permanent downhole, wireless, two-way telemetry backbone using redundant repeaters

A method for optimizing the production of a petroleum well is provided. The petroleum well includes a borehole, a piping structure positioned within the borehole, and a tubing string positioned within the borehole for conveying a production fluid. Production of the well is optimized by determining a flow rate of the production fluid within the tubing string and determining a lift-gas injection rate for the gas being injected into the tubing string. The flow rate and injection rate data is communicated along the piping structure of the well to a selected location, where the data is collected and analyzed. After analysis of the data, an optimum operating point for the well can be determined.

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Rijswijk, Netherlands

James William Hall