Baker Hughes Corporation

Joseph E Vandevier

John L Bearden

Mark Christopher James

Farral D Gay

A method for producing gas from a well with low pressure involves running a bottom hole pressure test to graph a P-Q curve. The operator computes a frictional pressure drop due to friction of the gas flowing through the production tubing to the surface. A packer is set above perforations in the well. A screw pump is selected that has a capacity equal to the sum of the frictional pressure drop plus a desired wellhead pressure. The screw pump has a flow rate capacity determined from the P-Q curve. The operator may vary the frequency of a downhole motor to achieve the desired wellhead pressure.

Downhole gas compressor

A centrifugal pump has impellers for pumping low flow, high viscous materials. The impellers have high exit angles greater than 30 degrees and preferably greater than 50 degrees. The impellers and diffusers have specific geometry that varies with viscosity. The pump has zones of impellers and diffusers with the exit angles and geometry in the zones differing from the other zones. The exit angles decrease and geometry varies in a downstream direction to account for a lower viscosity occurring due to heat being generated in the pump. One design employs small diameter impellers and high rotational speeds.

Electric submersible pump with specialized geometry for pumping viscous crude oil

A method and system for downhole treatment and pumping of well fluids enhances the pumping of viscous fluids to the surface. The first step is to separate the oil and water from the well fluid and then channel the oil to a chamber that encloses the motor. The heat from the motor will increase the heat of the crude oil flowing past the motor, thereby lowering the viscosity of the crude oil. The water flows separately past the motor in another passageway, and remixes with the oil. After the oil and water recombine, the treated well fluid has a lower viscosity, and the fluid is then pumped to the surface more efficiently than without treating the oil.

Method and system for below motor well fluid separation and conditioning

A centrifugal pump is lowered into a well and retrieved from the well by means of its power cable. The power cable has a single conductor. The pump has a downhole electrical motor which is three-phase. Single-phase AC power will be supplied from the surface down the conductor, with the return being the casing. A phase converter converts the single-phase AC power to three-phase AC power downhole for driving the pump motor.

Cable suspended pumping system

An electric submersible pump system has a pressure monitoring device for monitoring the pressure down the hole. The pressure monitoring device has a pressure transducer whose resistance varies with the pressure. The pressure transducer is connected to ground and is supplied with a DC current that is superimposed on the AC power cable. A temperature switch is connected between the pressure transducer and the motor winding. The temperature switch is normally open, and closes when it reaches a selected temperature. The temperature is selected to be above the ambient temperature in the well and below the temperature that occurs when the motor is operating and fully warmed up. The temperature switch isolates the windings from ground when the motor is shut off and cooled down. This enables the motor winding and power cable to be checked for insulation resistance.

Growing community of inventors

Owasso, OK, United States of America

Joseph E Vandevier