Downhole Pumping Tool Sensor Control for Fluid Level Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In low productivity index reservoirs, traditional pumps are susceptible to burning due to low fluid levels, and sucker rod or plunger lift technologies have depth limitations, making them unsuitable for deeper wellbores, necessitating an alternative for efficient fluid extraction.
Innovation Solution
A downhole pumping tool with a pump, sensors, and packers forms an annulus with the wellbore casing, allowing fluid to be pumped to the surface only when the fluid level reaches a certain threshold, preventing pump burning by deactivating when the level falls below a safe limit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pumps are used in low productivity index reservoirs, then fluid extraction efficiency is improved, but pump burning risk increases due to low fluid levels
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs level sensors to continuously monitor fluid levels in the wellbore and provides feedback to a control system. When fluid levels drop below a predetermined threshold, the control system automatically shuts off the pump, preventing burning. When fluid levels rise above the threshold, the pump is activated to extract fluid. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling pump operation only when safe fluid levels are present, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by activating the pump only after confirming that fluid levels are sufficient through sensor detection. The control system checks fluid levels before initiating pump operation, ensuring that the pump never operates in conditions that would cause burning. This preliminary verification step enables safe pump operation in low productivity reservoirs while preventing the harmful effect of pump burning.
2Reliability
If sucker rod or plunger lift technologies are used, then pump burning is avoided, but depth limitations prevent use in deeper wellbores
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical sucker rod or plunger lift systems with an electrical submersible pump system controlled by sensors and electronics. The electrical pump system eliminates the mechanical depth limitations of traditional lift technologies while maintaining reliability through automated control. The pump is housed in a motorized assembly that can be deployed to greater depths, and the electrical control system manages pump operation based on real-time fluid level detection, thus resolving the depth limitation issue while avoiding pump burning.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are positioned to detect fluid levels accurately, then pump control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and isolates the sensing function from the pump assembly, positioning level sensors at specific locations within the wellbore to detect fluid levels. The sensors are separate detection elements that provide input to the control system, which then decides whether to activate the pump. This separation allows for precise fluid level detection without complicating the pump mechanism itself, as the sensors can be independently positioned and calibrated to provide accurate feedback for pump control decisions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the use of pumps like electrical submersible pumps in low productivity index reservoirs, reducing the risk of pump failure and extending the reach of drilling operations into previously inaccessible formations.
Implementation Method 1
The first sensor is configured to activate the pump when fluid in the annulus reaches a first fluid level
Implementation Method 2
The second sensor is configured to deactivate the pump when the fluid reaches a second fluid level that is below the first fluid level
Implementation Method 3
The pump defines an inlet from the annulus into the tubing, which can carry fluids to the surface
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: determining, based on at least one dimension of an annulus of a wellbore, a respective downhole position at which to position at least one of an upper sensor and a lower sensor of a downhole pumping tool that includes a pump; positioning the downhole pumping tool in the wellbore such that at least one of the upper sensor and the lower sensor are positioned at the respective downhole position; in response to the upper sensor detecting a first fluid level in the annulus, activating the pump so that the pump pumps fluid from the annulus into a tubing of the wellbore, where the tubing carries the fluid to the surface; and in response to the lower sensor detecting a second fluid level in the annulus, deactivating the pump, where the second fluid level is below the first fluid level.