Murphy Oil Company Ltd.

Linden Bland

Clifford J Anderson

A downhole pump is actuated by a reciprocating unit comprising a tubular rod string, a valve assembly, and a tubular plunger rod. A flow passage extends through the reciprocating unit when the valve assembly is in an 'open' position, whereby liquid may be injected into the pump barrel chamber to ensure the presence of incompressible fluid in the chamber from the beginning of the up stroke, to thereby reduce or eliminate gas locking of the pump. The valve assembly, which moves together with the reciprocating unit of which it is part, is adapted to interact with a stop member on the stationary pump barrel, to initiate opening of the valve as the rod string approaches the bottom of its stroke. The valve assembly is further adapted to automatically close when lifted away from the stop shortly after the beginning of the up stroke. The valve thus remains open only during the bottoming out phase of the stroke, when only limited travel of the reciprocating unit occurs. The valve assembly is adapted to accommodate this limited travel while remaining open.

Oil well downhole liquid injection assembly

The separator accepts both the casing annulus and tubing production streams issuing from an in situ combustion project production well. Most of the gas in the flow is first separated from the liquid and solids, by centrifugal action. This gas is removed from the separator. The remaining mixture is accumulated until a pre-determined weight is in hand, at which point the accumulated batch is dumped. The time taken to accumulate the batch is noted. Computational elements then determine the mass flow rate of the dumped mixture. The separator comprises an upright cylindrical vessel having tangential inlet means at its upper end and a dump outlet at its base. The gas-liquid-solids production mixture enters the vessel chamber through the inlet means and is spun, to form a central gas vortex and an outer, downwardly descending liquid-solids mixture. The separated gas leaves the chamber through an outlet line at the upper end of the vessel. The liquid-solids mixture accumulates as a batch in a collection zone in the lower end of the vessel chamber. Elements are provided for maintaining a generally constant backpressure in the vessel, to provide the drive needed for discharging the batch of liquid-solids mixture therefrom. A pair of pressure sensors are positioned in the chamber, one at the base of the chamber and the other part way up its length. These pressure sensors are connected with a unit adapted to measure the pressure differential and emit a signal indicative thereof. When the pressure differential signals reach a pre-determined value, a dump valve in the outlet line is opened by elements responsive to the signals. When the pressure differential signals reach a pre-determined minimum value, the dump valve is closed. A computer is utilized to calculate the liquid mass flow rate from the weight and time measurements.

Metering separator for determining the liquid mass flow rate in a

A method and apparatus for the treatment of oilfield heavy oil emulsions is provided. The method utilizes, in combination, the steps of evaporation, vapor/liquid separation, and solids settling to dehydrate, degassify and remove solids from the heavy oil emulsion and produce oil having less than 0.5% by volume basic solids and water. The apparatus comprises an insulated, horizontal, cylindrical vessel. Mounted in the upper end of the vessel chamber is an inclined, tubular member having a closed upper end and an open lower end. At its closed end, the member forms a receiving chamber. A mechanical foam breaker extends transversely across the interior of the tubular member, downstream of the chamber. A stack of angularly inclined, heated trays, arranged in zigzag fashion, are positioned beneath the tubular member, to provide an elongate flowpath. The lower end of the tubular member is positioned to feed onto the upper end of the first tray. The flowpath formed by the stack of trays terminates at a level above the bottom of the vessel, so that a quiescent settling sump is provided by the base of the vessel. The vessel includes a feed inlet opening into the receiving chamber, a vapor outlet leading from the top of said vessel, and liquid and solids outlets leading from the sump. A stream of pre-heated heavy oil emulsion is fed to the receiving chamber, wherein part of the contained water in the vapor form breaks out. The foaming stream is contained by the tubular member and is substantially disintegrated by the foam breaker. The stream then issues onto the upper end of the stack of trays and is heated as it passes as a shallow, broad layer over the trays, to gradually evaporate the remaining water from the emulsion and solids. The dehydrated solids are settled out in the sump, leaving oil containing less than 0.5% basic solids and water.

Growing community of inventors

Calgary, Canada

Linden Bland