Downhole Three-Phase Separation Using Packers and Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrocarbon producing wells often produce mixtures of oil, gas, and water, leading to costly and environmentally damaging surface water disposal, as the existing methods fail to effectively separate these phases downhole, resulting in high expenses and infrastructure damage.
Innovation Solution
A system that separates oil, gas, and water phases downhole, using a cased well with production and disposal perforations, a pump assembly, and a separation chamber to isolate and manage each phase, with valves and coagulation media to control pressure and separation, ensuring minimal water in the oil stream and oil in the disposal stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If three-phase separation is performed at the surface with water stored in tankage and trucked away, then water disposal is achieved, but expenses increase and environmental damage occurs due to heavy trucks on secondary roads
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water separation and disposal function from the surface operations and relocates it downhole. The separation chamber downhole separates water from the oil-water-gas mixture, and the water is injected into a disposal zone through disposal perforations, eliminating the need for surface tankage and trucking operations that cause environmental damage and high expenses
Solution Approach 2:
The wellbore is segmented into distinct functional zones: a production zone with production perforations for hydrocarbon entry, a disposal zone with disposal perforations for water injection, and a separation chamber that divides the fluid stream. This segmentation allows simultaneous production of oil/gas and disposal of water through separate pathways, resolving the contradiction between achieving water disposal and avoiding environmental harm
2Loss of substance
If water is produced to the wellhead for disposal, then water removal is achieved, but the amount of water produced increases operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The separation chamber performs preliminary separation of water from the produced fluids downhole before the mixture reaches the wellhead. By separating water in advance and providing a direct injection pathway to the disposal zone, the system eliminates the need to produce water to the surface for disposal, thereby improving operational efficiency while achieving water removal
3Object-generated harmful factors
If separation is performed downhole with a separation chamber, then water disposal without surface trucking is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into the downhole separation chamber and associated components: separation of water from oil-gas mixture, pressure maintenance for oil flow, and direct water injection to disposal zone. By combining these functions in a single integrated downhole system, the patent achieves environmental benefits while managing device complexity through functional integration rather than separate surface systems
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
This approach reduces the amount of water produced at the wellhead, minimizes oil loss in the disposal stream, and eliminates the need for surface water storage and transportation, thereby reducing costs and environmental impact while maintaining efficient hydrocarbon production.
Implementation Method 1
a separation chamber to separate the oil/water/gas phases
Implementation Method 2
separates oil, gas, and water phases downhole
Implementation Method 3
The pump assembly has an intake positioned to draw fluid from the inside of the casing above the seal location and a discharge to discharge fluid into the inside of the casing below the seal location
Implementation Method 4
with valves and coagulation media to control pressure and separation
Data Source
AI summary
Three-phase separation is achieved downhole in a production well by forming an oil/liquid separation zone in the well between two packers which are positioned between producing and disposal zones. Gas is permitted to separate above the top packer. A pump is used to pump an oil/water mixture from above the top packer into the separation zone. Adequate residence time is permitted in the separation zone to achieve the separation. A check valve in the bottom packer is used to provide pressure to raise the oil to the wellhead. A control valve at the wellhead is used to control pressure in the separation zone and the relative sizes of the streams issuing therefrom.