Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Eni S.p.a.

Shell International Exploration & Production B.v.

Total Fiza Elf

William F. Howard

William F Howard

William C Lane

Jackie C Sims

Ronald W Schmidt

Dudley L Robinson

Darren James Wiltse

William Lane

A positive displacement pump for pumping fluids from a downhole formation to the earth's surface is provided. The pump first comprises a plunger. The plunger is reciprocated axially within the wellbore by a linear actuator, such as a submersible electrical pump, in order to form an upstroke and a downstroke. A pump inlet is disposed near the bottom end of the plunger, while a pump outlet is disposed near the top end of the plunger. The pump is configured such that it is able to pump a first volume of fluid upward within the wellbore during the pump's upstroke, and a second volume of fluid upward within the wellbore during the pump's downstroke. Thus, the pump is 'double-acting.'

Double-acting reciprocating downhole pump

Apparatus and methods for improving production from a wellbore are provided. In one embodiment, a downhole pump for use in a wellbore includes a chamber for accumulating formation fluids and a valve assembly for filling and venting gas to and from the chamber. In another embodiment, a gas operated pump for moving wellbore fluids in a wellbore includes a chamber for accumulating wellbore fluids, wherein the chamber in fluid communication with a production tubular and a surface mounted valve assembly in fluid communication with the chamber, wherein the valve assembly adapted to regulate gas flow to or from the chamber. In another embodiment, the valve assembly comprises a removable control valve disposed in a housing.

Gas operated pump for hydrocarbon wells

The present invention generally provides a method and apparatus for injecting a compressible fluid at a controlled flow rate into a geological formation at multiple zones of interest. In one aspect, the invention provides a tubing string with a pocket and a nozzle at each isolated zone. The nozzle permits a predetermined, controlled flow rate to be maintained at higher annulus to tubing pressure ratios. In another aspect, the present invention assures that the fluid is supplied uniformly to a long horizontal wellbore by providing controlled injection at multiple locations that are distributed throughout the length of the wellbore. In another aspect, the invention ensures that saturated steam is injected into a formation in a predetermined proportion of water and vapor by providing a plurality of apertures between a tubing wall and a pocket.

Method and apparatus for injecting steam into a geological formation

Oil is recovered from a borehole using a pump having limited high temperature breakdown resistance. The pump is located in a borehole having a cooling zone, in which the temperature of the well fluid is reduced to, or below, the temperature at which the temperature breakdown resistance of the pump is commercially acceptable. In one embodiment, the pump is a positive displacement pump which is mechanically driven from the well head location, such as through a rotating rod. The cooling zone is provided by positioning and controlling the pump to maintain a sufficiently low pressure at the pump intake to cause a portion of the liquid well fluid to vaporize prior to entry of the liquid into the pump, creating bubbles which pass upwardly in the wellbore in a zone passing the pump. The evolution of the vapor cools the well fluid to the acceptable temperature.

Method of wellbore pumping apparatus with improved temperature performance and method of use

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for improving production from a wellbore. In one aspect, a downhole pump for use in a wellbore is provided. The downhole pump includes two or more chambers for the accumulation of formation fluids and a valve assembly for filling and venting gas to and from the two or more chambers. The downhole pump further includes a fluid passageway for connecting the two or more chambers to a production tube. In another aspect, a downhole pump including a chamber for the accumulation of formation fluids is provided. In another aspect, a method for improving production in a wellbore is provided. In yet another aspect, a method for improving production in a steam assisted gravity drainage operation is provided. Additionally, a pump system for use in a wellbore is provided.

An improved electrical pump is first provided for use in a wellbore. The pump comprises a stator and a stator housing, and an armature and an armature housing. The stator housing and the armature housing define concentrically nested tubular bodies. The armature housing is configured to permit production fluids to flow therethrough. In one aspect, the stator and armature are assembled in connectible and interchangeable sections called 'modules' that can be attached in series. In one aspect, the electrical operation of coils within the stator is protected from individual coil short-circuiting or failure by wiring them in parallel, rather than in series. In addition, each module may be wired in parallel. In this way, a failure of one stator module will not result in the failure of another stator module. In an embodiment of the present invention, the valves of the pump are capable of being retrieved by a wireline, without pulling the entire production string. A method for using a plurality of electrical pumps is also provided. The configuration of the electrical pumps allows multiple linear pumps to be placed in series with the production tubular member. Alternatively, a rotary pump design is provided which allows multiple rotary pumps to be placed in series with the production tubular member.

Submersible electric pump

A positive displacement pump for pumping fluids from a downhole formation to the earth's surface is provided. The pump first comprises a plunger. The plunger is reciprocated axially within the wellbore by a linear actuator, such as a submersible electrical pump, in order to form an upstroke and a downstroke. A pump inlet is disposed near the bottom end of the plunger, while a pump outlet is disposed near the top end of the plunger. The pump is configured such that it is able to pump a first volume of fluid upward within the wellbore during the pump's upstroke, and a second volume of fluid upward within the wellbore during the pump's downstroke. Thus, the pump is &ldquo;double-acting.&rdquo;

The present invention generally provides a method and apparatus for injecting a compressible fluid at a controlled flow rate into a geological formation at multiple zones of interest. In one aspect, the invention provides a tubing string with a pocket and a nozzle at each isolated zone. The nozzle permits a predetermined, controlled flow rate to be maintained at higher annulus to tubing pressure ratios. The nozzle includes a diffuser portion to recover lost steam pressure associated with critical flow as the steam exits the nozzle and enters a formation via perforations in wellbore casing. In another aspect, the invention ensures steam is injected into a formation in a predetermined proportion of water and vapor by providing a plurality of apertures between a tubing wall and a pocket. The apertures provide distribution of steam that maintains a relative mixture of water and vapor. In another aspect of the invention, a single source of steam is provided to multiple, separate wellbores using the nozzle of the invention to provide a controlled flow of steam to each wellbore.

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West Columbia, TX, United States of America

William F Howard