US2951445A - Pumping assembly for well fluids - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 6, 1960 J. G. cALvERT ET AL 2,951,445

PUMPING ASSEMBLY FOR WELL FLUIDs Filed July 13. 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 6, 1960 J. G. cALvERT ET AL 2,951,445

PUMPING ASSEMBLY FOR WELL FLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13. 1955 INVENTORS. .Jo/m G. Calvert, Char/es 5. Cor/ey,dr.,

A T TOR/VE Y.

ate

2,951,445 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 PUlWPlNG ASSEMBLY FOR WELL FLUIDS John G. Calvert and Charles B. Corley, .lr., Tyler, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 13, V1955, Ser. No. 521,707

5 Clamsr. (Cl. 10S- 4) The present invention is directed to an assembly for pumping well fluids. More particularly, the invention is directed to apparatus for pumping well iluids from a plurality of earth formations. In its more specific aspects the invention is directed to apparatus for pumping well fluids comprising a plurality of interconnected, hydraulically operated, subsurface pumps retrievably arranged in a single tubing.

The present invention may be briefly described as ininvolving an assembly for pumping uids from a well bore penetrating a plurality of productive zones having a casing Aarranged therein perforated in at least two of said zones and provided with a tubing. The assembly includes at least two interconnected hydraulic pumps lowerable through and retrievably arranged in a housing provided on the lower end and forming part of the tubing. The housing has passageways for`conducting fluid from the productive zones to each of the pumps. The pumps are fluidly interconnected at the power ends thereof` and the assembly is provided withseparate valve means arranged in the tubing uidly connected to the suction of the pumps. The discharge of one of the pumps'uidly communicates with the tubing and the discharge of the other of the pumps uidly communicates with the casing-tubing annulus for conducting the pumped fluids to the earths surface. A common conduit means is connected to each of the pumps for delivering power fluid to said pumps.

The assembly is provided` with means for releasably maintaining the assembly in the tubing and/ or housing. This releasable means may be arranged on the lower end of the pumps or on the upper end of the assembly.

A particular feature of the present invention is the provision of two purnps and an assembly employing a common power means. In one embodiment, the power uid is provided to separate power ends of the pumps and in another embodiment the power fluid is provided to a common power unit for the two pumps.

In one embodiment of the invention, means are prof vided for introducing the power fluid at a controlled rate to the power ends of the pumps.

The present invention is of considerable utility and advantage in that it provides for a retrievable pump assembly embodying two pumps which may lbe retrieved from a housing forming part of the tubing string to allow a full opening tubing for conducting subsequent operations. This is particularly useful in permanent well completions where the lower open end of the tubing is arranged. at the level above a plurality of productiverinten vals and all recompletion and servicing operations are conducted through the tubing without moving the tubing. In such operations, a tubular extension member is sea able in the lower end of the tubing to form a iiow path from the tubing to conduct certaink operations at a level adjacent one or more of a plurality of formations or zones without moving the tubing.

Besides being usable in permanent well completion operations, the present invention provides a pump assembly for pumping fluids from a plurality of earth formations by utilizing only a common source of power iiuid and, therefore, is economical of operation and of maintenance.

The present invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which:

Figs. 1 and la illustrate one embodiment of the invention where iluidly interconnected pumps are provided with separate power pistons;

Figs. 2 and 2a show a modification where a common power piston is employed; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the devices of Figs. 1 and la and 2 and 2a in which the upper end of the assembly is modified to provide means for maintaining the assembly in the housing.

Referring now to the drawing in which identical numerals may be employed to designate identical parts, numeral 11 designates a well bore drilled from the earths surface (not shown) to penetrate a plurality of productive subsurface earth formations 12 and 13 separated by a non-productive interval 14, as the case may be. Arranged in the well bore 11 is a casing 15 which is cemented in place with a cement not shown. Run into and set in the casing 15 is a tubing string 17, the lower end, which forms part thereof, being provided with a housing or mandrel 18. This housing or mandrel 1? is provided with a rst passageway 19 defined by the walls 20 and 21 and a second passageway 22 defined by the walls 23 and 21. The housing or mandrel 18 is also provided with a tubular bypass connection 24, the purpose of which will be described further hereinafter and also with a conduit 2S which leads to a source of power fluid at the earths surface and connects into the mandrel 18.

The casing 15 is perforated in the hydrocarbon productive interval 12 by means of a gun perforator and the like which may be of the bullet gun or shaped charge type to form perforations 26 and is also perforated in the hydrocarbon productive interval 13 by a gun perforator and the like to form perforations 27. These hydrocarbon productive intervals are isolated one from the other by means of a packer 28 and from the upper portion of the well bore 11 by means of packer 29. The packer 2.9 may conveniently be -run in on the housing 1S while the packer 2S may be set between the intervals 12 and 13.

The lower portion of the housing or mandrel 13 is provided with a seating, supporting, or anchoring member 3i) which suitably may be a landing nipple, such as one described in the Composite Catalog of Oil Field'and Pipeline Equipment, 20th edition at page 4000. This seating member or landing member 30 is designed to provide an anchor, support, or a means for securing a portion of the assembly as will be described further.

Seated in the landing nipple 30 is a standing valve and flow directing means 31 which is provided with sealing or packing members 32 and 33. Arranged in the lower end of the member 31 is a check valve 34 provided with a seat 35 and a seating member 36. This valve will allow flow upwardly into the passageway 37 of the member 31 from the productive interval 13 through perforations 27 but will resist ow downwardly therethrough. A plug member 38 is designed to be ruptured when it is desired to release the iiuid from passageway 37.

The passageway 37 is closed olf by a blocking member 39 to prevent flow from passageway 37 into a second standing valve 40 which is seatable on the iishing head 41 of member 31 and is designed to be interconnectedV Y recess 84.

-3 Valve member 46 comprised of a seat 47 and a seating member 48 which will resist flow downwardly and which will allow ow in an upwardly direction. It is to be noted that the sealing member 33 on the member 31r and the sealing member l44 on the member 40 isolates a v space 49 in the housing 18 which communicates uidly with the passageway 22. A port 50 fluidly communicates passageway 45 with the space 49.

Arranged in the housing 18 and lowerable through the tubing 17 and into the housing 18 by vfloating or lubricating in is a pump assembly 51 which iluidly connects to the power conduit 25 through a port "52 which is isolated from the mandrel 18 by sealing means 53 and 54 allowing fluid to be delivered to the pump assembly 51.

The pump assembly 51 is-comprised of a iirst hydraulic pumping means 5 and a second hydraulic pumping means 55a. The pumping means 55 is provided with a power piston 56 and a pump piston 57 arranged on a common piston rod 58. The piston rod 58 also has an engine valve S9 arranged on a rst end thereof and the second end of the piston rod 58 projects into and moves slidably in a balance tube 60.

The port 52 communicates with a passageway 61 and delivers power fluid to the pump 5'5 `through an orifice member 62 having a selected sized orice 63 therein which delivers power iuid at a selected or predetermined rate to the pump 55.

The power iluid and the pumped fluid in pump 55 are isolated one from the other by a sealing means, such as an O-ring 64 arranged between the wall 21 and the outer surface of the pump 55.

It is to be noted that the piston 56 is slidably arranged in a chamber 65 while the piston 57 is slidably arranged in a chamber 66, the engine valve 59 being arranged slidably in a chamber 67.

The chamber 66 is provided with inlet check valves 6 and 69 and with outlet check valves 70 and 71.

The inlet 72 to the pump 5'5 communicates by a port 73 with the passageway 19 which, in turn, communicates by a port 74 with a port 75 in the member 31 which allows communication with passageway 37 and thence with the formation 13.

The upper end of the assembly 51 is provided with a fishing neck 76 which is engaged with a fishing head 77 also provided with a fishing neck 78. The fishing head 77 is provided with opposing cup packers 79.

Pump 55a is provided with a power piston 56a and a pump piston 57a arranged on a piston rod 58a and is provided with an engine valve 59a also arranged on the fpiston rod 58a. The end of the piston rod 58a is arranged and projects slidably in a balance tube 60a. It is to be noted that the piston 56a is slidably arranged in chamber 65a while the piston 57a is arranged slidably in chamber 66a. 'I'he engine valve 59a is arranged in chamber 67a.

The pumps S5 and 55a are interconnected by an eccentric connecting means 80 by mating threads 81, the connection 80 having a passageway 82 therein and a seal being provided between the pumps 55 and 55a by sealing A means such las an 0-ring or the like 83 arranged in a Like the pump 55, the pump 55a is provided with inlet check valves 68a and 69a and with outlet check valves 70a and 71a.

The lowerv end of the pump 55a has attached to it by a bolted flange 85 a releasable connecting means 87 provided with releasable latches, such as dogs 88 and the like, for engagement with the valve member 40 on stabbing in the passageway 45. The releasable means 87 is provided with -a seal, such as an 0ring 89.

The surface 91 of the pump assembly 55a may be suitably selected to provide a sufficient surface for retrieving the pump by hydraulic pressure exerted thereon through a passageway 92 which communicates the housing" 18 withV the tubing-easing annulus A. vIn other words,

the area of the surface 91 is selected to produce a predetermined lesser force than the force provided by the hydrostatic head in tubing v17 on the complete crosssectional area of the assembly head. The port 92 and the annulus A serve to conduct power fluid and pump fluid from the pump 55a to the surface of the earth While the tubing 17 serves to conduct pumped fluid from pump 55 to the earths surface. Power duid from pump 55 is also conducted to the earths surface by port 93 which communicates with the anuulus A.

By virtue of the sealing means 64, the pumped fluid from pump 55 is conducted through the tubular conduit 24 to the tubing 1,7, while the pumped fluid and power iluid from pu'mp 55a commin'gle in annulus A for conducting tothe earths surface.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 2a, it Will be seen that a tubing 17, which lower end thereof forms a mandrel or housing 18, has been run in a casing 15. The mandrel 18 of Figs. 2 and 2a have substantially the same arrangement as the mandrel 18 of Figs. 1 and 1a but may be dimensioned differently to accommodate the modified embodiment of Figs. 2 and 2a. In Figs. 2 and 2a, is a pumping assembly generally designated by numeral comprised of a first pump 101 and a second pump 101a. The pump assembly 100 has a common power piston 102 arranged in a power piston cylinder 103 which is attached to a piston rod 104. Slidably mounted in chamber 105 is a commonl engine valve 106 and slidably mounted in chamber 107 is a piston 108 for pump 101 and slidably mounted in chamber 109 is a piston 110 for pump 101:1.

The pump 101 is provided with check inlet valves 111 and 112 and check outlet valves 113 and 114.

The pump 101a is provided with cheek inlet valves 115 and 116 and check outlet valves 117 and 118.

In this embodiment of the invention, the power conduit 25 communicateswith the port 52 and passageway 61, as in Figs. 1 and la, and by virtue of sealing means 53 and 54 allows power fluid to be introduced into the chamber 105. By virtue of sealing means 94 and 95, like in Figs. l and la, the port 73 communicates with the passageway 19 which allows the'pump 101 to communicate by passageway 74 with port 75 and passageway 37 and thence with the lower productive interval 13 which is isolated by packer 28 from the productive interval 12.

The pump 101a communicates uidly with the productive interval 12 through a port 96 in the mandrel 18.

The upper part of the assembly 100 is provided with a fishing head 119 having a fishing neck 120 and opposing cup packers 121.

It is to be noted that the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 2a are similar to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and la with the exception that the assembly 100 has a common power piston, a common engine valve, and a common power cylinder, the standing valve members and the How directing means being identical.

Referring now -to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the upper end of the shing head 119 is modified to provide a mechanical hold-down means which suitably comprises a plurality of spring-biased members adapted to move outwardly and lock into a recess 131 in the mandrel 18. Thus instead o f providing a hold-down member, such as 87, as in Figs. 1, la, 2 and 2a, an assembly such as in Fig. 3 may be provided or, if desired, an assembly, such as in Fig. 3 and such as in Figs. la, 2, and 2a may be employed such that positive locking above and below the pump assembly is provided. If desired, hold-down means may be provided on either the lower end or on the upper end of the pumping assembly, as may be desired.

The device of Figs. 1 and 1a operates in the following manner: y

The production packer, such as 28, which suitably may be a packer such as described in the Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equipment, 20th edition, page 496, is in and vSet to isolate the formations 13 and 12 which may haveV previously been perforated by running a gun perforator into the well casing and operating same. The mandrel 18 and tubing 17 are then run in yand set With the packer 29 to isolate the annulus A from lthe productive intervals. The assembly 31 attached, as desired tothe assembly 40, is then lowered in the mandrel 18 either on a wire line or allowed to gravitate downwardly and yallowed to seat in the landing nipple 30. Assemblies 31 and 40 may be run in separately if desired. Thereafter the assembly 51 comprising the pumps 55 and 55a is either oated in by gravity or pumped down until the releasable lattaching means 87 is stabbed in the passageway 45 and the dogs 88 latched to the assembly 40. Thereafter power iluid is supplied through the conduit 25 to operate the pumps 55 and 55a.

Referring to the pump 55, suction is taken through the passageway 37 from the interval 13 and thence through passageway 19 into suction 72 and thence by check valves 68 and 69 into chamber 66. On the upstroke of power piston 56, the fluid from interval 13 is discharged through check valves 70 into the space between sealing means 64 and packing means 95 and thence by passageway 24 into the tubing 17 to the earths surface as indicated by the arrows. On the down-stroke of piston 56, iiuid in chamber 66 is discharged through check valve 71 and thence conducted to the earths surface as has been described.

The pump 55a operates in an identical manner with the exception that suction is taken on the interval 12 through port 96 into space 96a and thence into passageway 22 and into space 49 and by way of port 50 into passageway 45 and thence through the passageway 87a into the suction 72a of pump 55a, the `fluid proceeding through check valve 68a into chamber 66u on the up-stroke and through check valve 69a on the down-stroke. The fluid is discharged through check valve 70a on the down-stroke and through check valve 71a on the up-stroke, this uid passing into the space between packers 54 and 44 by way of port 92 into annulus A commingles with the power fluid discharged therebetween through port 97. The power fluid from chamber 67 discharges into the space between sealing members 53 and 64 by port 98 and thence through port 93 into annulus A.

In this particular embodiment of the invention where the power iluid to the two pump assemblies is commingled with the production duid, it will be desirable to use the production uid from the interval 12 as power fluid.

The embodiment of Figs. 2 land 2a works in a similar manner as that of Figs. l and la `with the exception that a common power piston, piston cylinder, and engine valve are provided, the operation being identical.

When it is desired to retrieve the assemblies of i`Figs. 1 and la from the tubing 17 and housing 18, tluid pressure is exerted on the annulus A through port 92 against the surface 91 of the pump assembly 51. This pressure is suicient to overcome the hydraulic head of well fluids on the pump assembly 51 and as a result of this excess pressure the latching dogs 88 are released from engagement and the assembly `51 is oated upwardly in the tubing 17.

Thereafter the assemblies 40 and 31 may be retrieved either separately or as one unit. When the assemblies 40 and 31 are retrieved as one unit, a wire line shing tool engages with the fishing head 43 and the assemblies 40 and 31 are retrieved from the housing |18 through the tubing 17. If desired, the frangible means 42 may be designed to rupture at a predetermined pull and the assembly 40 may be retrieved by wire line and thereafter the assembly 31 may be retrieved by engagement with the shing head 41 by a wire line tool. Retrievement of the pump assembly 51 and the standing valve assemblies 40 and 31 leaves the tubing 17 and the mandrel 18 with a full-opening bore for conducting other operations therethrough, such as gun perforating, well 6 l servicing operations, such as sand washing, cementing; and the like.

The devices of Figs. Zand 2a are retrieved in a similar manner.

The device of Fig. 3 may be retrieved in a similar manner by exerting pressure against the assembly by pressure exerted on the casing-tubing annulus or by wire line.

If desired, the assemblies may be retrieved by wire line by engaging wire line fishing tools with the Vheads 78 and 120 in the cases of Figs. 1 and laand 2 andla or in the case of Fig. 3. The reversal ofthe 'subsurface hydraulic engines are actuated hydraulically. The means of actuation are not shown on the schematic drawings. As an example of the operation, reference is made to engine valve 59a of Fig. la. Reversal at the end of the down-stroke of piston 56a occurs when a port is opened which allows high pressure to be applied to a differential area on engine valve 59a. This shifts the engine valve to an upward position, which, in turn, causes power uid to be directed to the underside of the power piston 56a. At the end of the up-stroke of piston 56a, reversal occurs when ports in the piston rod 58a pass into the engine valve and allow pressure on the underside of the engine valve to be released. This results in the engine valve being shifted to a downward position whereby flow of power uid is diverted to the upper side of piston 56a.

The present invention is of considera-ble advantage and utility in that it is possible to pump from a plurality of subsurface productive intervals with an assembly which is lowerable through and retrievable from a tubing and is comprised of a minimum of working parts by virtue of having the pumps inter-connected at the power ends thereof.

The mandrel 18 is suitably dimensioned to provide a full-opening tubing having a full-opening bore for lowering through and retrieving Well tools through the mandrel 18 and the tubing 17.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what we wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for producing fluids from a borehole penetrating a plurality of productive formations comprising a casing arranged in said borehole, said casing being perforated adjacent two of said productive formations, a tubing arranged in said casing forming thereby a casing-tubing annulus, a hydraulic pump assembly arranged in said tubing, said hydraulic pump assembly including power means adapted to receive and discharge power fluid and two spaced-apart pump means each adapted to receive and discharge well fluids, said power means being positioned between said pump means, said pump assembly being lowerable and retrievable through said tubing, a single power uid means fluidly communicating with said power means adapted to supply power fluid to said power means, iiow directing means arranged in said tubing below said pump assembly, said ow directing means being lowerable and retrevable through said tubing separate from said pump assembly, rst packing means positioned in said casing-tubing annulus between said two formations adapted to prevent iiuid flow therethrough in said annulus, second packing means positioned in the casing-tubing annulus above said upper of said two formations and below said pump assembly adapted to prevent iluid flow therethrough in said annulus, said tubing being formed to provide separate passageways cooperating with said uid ilow directing means to separately fluidly communicate one of said formations with one of said pump means and the other of said formations with the other of said pump means and re-l leasable hold-down means provided on said pump assembly adapted to cooperate with said flow directing meansI to restrain movement of said pump assembly.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said power 7 iens `'includes two power sections, one for each of said pumpv means.

3. 1device "as recited Ein 'claim 1 .wherein said `power means includes a single power section for both Vof said 'pump means.

4. A device a's recited in :claim 2 wherein valves are provided in `said uid ow Idirecting lmeans adapted to permit duid iow from said formations to saidpump means and to 'prevent uid How from said pur'np means to said formations.

5. A device as reeited in c1aim-3 VMrlzierein valve means are provided in siaidvow directing means adapted 'to permit uid flow from said formations to said -purnp means and to prevent uid flow Yfrom said'pump -means to said for-mations..

References Cited in the leof :this .patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,499,357 Coberly Mar. 7, 1950 2,605,712 Davis et al. Aug` 5, 1952 '2,642,803 Morris et al June 23, 1953 2,668,500 Hoier Feb. 9, 1954

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