ESP Intake Bypass for Gas Slug Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In unconventional wells with horizontal lateral sections, gas slugs can accumulate and cause 'gas lock' conditions in ESPs, leading to reduced production and potential catastrophic damage due to the pump's inability to handle large gas quantities effectively.
Innovation Solution
A packer assembly and inverted shroud configuration are used to create a gas escape or bypass around the intake ports of the ESP pump, utilizing differences in inertia and buoyancy to separate gas from liquid, reducing the amount of gas ingested by the pump and protecting the pump from damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ESP pump intake ports are positioned to allow liquid flow, then liquid pumping capability is improved, but gas slugs can enter the pump causing gas lock and catastrophic damage
Solution Approach 1:
The pump intake area is segmented into separate zones: a liquid intake zone with ports positioned at the bottom of the pump housing, and a gas bypass zone above it. This segmentation allows liquid to be drawn in through lower ports while gas is directed away through upper bypass ports, resolving the contradiction between maintaining liquid pumping capability and preventing gas lock damage.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas is extracted from the fluid stream before entering the pump by providing dedicated gas bypass ports and channels that remove gas slugs from the intake flow. This extraction of the harmful gas phase allows the pump to operate reliably on liquid only, while gas is diverted through separate bypass pathways.
2Reliability
If gas bypass channels are added to protect the pump, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing structure serves multiple functions: it contains the liquid pumping mechanism, provides structural support, and incorporates integrated gas bypass channels and intake ports. By making the housing multi-functional, gas protection features are added without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the same structural elements perform both pumping and gas management functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas bypass channels are merged with the pump housing structure rather than being separate external components. The intake ports are combined into the housing wall, creating an integrated system where gas and liquid separation occurs within the existing pump envelope, minimizing additional complexity.
3Reliability
If intake ports are positioned at the bottom of the pump housing, then gas ingestion is reduced, but liquid flow access may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the pump housing are assigned different functions: bottom ports are optimized for liquid intake with larger openings and direct alignment with the impeller, while upper regions contain gas bypass ports. This local differentiation of port characteristics ensures that liquid flow access is maximized at the bottom while gas is diverted above, resolving the contradiction between gas ingestion reduction and liquid flow access.
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 solution effectively reduces gas ingestion by the ESP, increasing production uptime, reducing costs, and enhancing gas handling capabilities, leading to improved service quality and revenue.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing differences in inertia and buoyancy to separate gas from liquid
Implementation Method 2
utilizing differences in inertia and buoyancy to separate gas from liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A system for protecting an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) string from gas slugs in a downhole well environment. The system comprises an intake tube having a first and second end and one of a packer having a bypass channel and an inverted shroud coupled to the intake tube and the ESP string. The intake tube is independent of a pump and a motor of the ESP string. The system can comprise a bypass tube for channeling the gas slug downstream of the pump. The bypass tube is integrated with the packer. The inverted shroud is coupled with the first end of the intake tube and a section of production tubing downstream from the pump and the motor. The inverted shroud forms a bypass path channel within a casing annulus.