Alberta Research Council Incorporated

Mario DeRocco

Rodney K Ridley

The invention is an apparatus for moving reservoir fluids from an underground reservoir using a wellbore extending from the surface to an end beneath the surface, wherein the wellbore communicates with the reservoir such that reservoir fluids enter the wellbore and separate into a liquid phase and a gas phase at a gas pressure. The apparatus includes a first pump, for containing within the wellbore in communication with the liquid, for pumping the liquid phase. The apparatus further includes a pump drive, for containing within the wellbore, operably connected to the first pump for driving the first pump. The pump drive is powered using the gas pressure of the gas phase in the wellbore. An intake communicates with the gas phase in the wellbore and directs the gas phase to the pump drive in order to power the pump drive, while an exhaust directs the gas phase from the pump drive. Further, the invention is a method for moving reservoir fluids from an underground reservoir using a wellbore. The method includes the steps of intaking the gas phase from the wellbore into the pump drive, powering the pump drive using the gas pressure of the gas phase in the wellbore, pumping the liquid phase from the wellbore by the first pump and exhausting the gas phase from the pump drive.

Reservoir fluids production apparatus and method

The invention is a method for producing reservoir fluids from an underground reservoir through the wellbore. The method includes the steps of intaking the gas phase from the wellbore into the wellbore-contained pump drive, powering the pump drive using the gas pressure of the gas phase in the wellbore, pumping the liquid phase from the wellbore towards the surface by a first pump and exhausting the gas phase from the pump drive towards the surface.

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Leduc, Canada

Mario DeRocco