Mobile ESP with Expandable Packer for Well Cleanup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic submersible pumps (ESPs) in the oil and gas industry are limited by their fixed deployment, requiring costly and time-consuming installation of permanent receptacles, and pose safety risks due to the use of coiled tubing and pressurized nitrogen for well cleanup operations, which are also inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A mobile electronic submersible pump system deployable on a coiled deployment cable within the production tubing, featuring a radially expandable packer for securement, integrated electrical and control lines for real-time data transmission, and a motor for efficient fluid removal, allowing repositioning and temporary assistance at varying depths without the need for a permanent receptacle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent receptacle is installed for ESP deployment, then the ESP can be securely positioned at a fixed location, but the equipment complexity and installation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The packer assembly transitions from a static fixed-position system to a dynamic movable system. The packer can be deployed at different depths along the production tubing and repositioned as needed, eliminating the need for permanent receptacles while maintaining secure ESP positioning through inflatable sealing elements that expand against the tubing wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of the receptacle (securing the ESP at a position) and separates it from the permanent installation requirement. The packer assembly provides the positioning function temporarily without requiring permanent receptacle installation, thereby reducing overall system complexity and installation costs.
2Productivity
If coiled tubing and pressurized nitrogen are used for well cleanup, then fluid can be displaced to assist flow, but safety risks and equipment footprint increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical/coiled tubing-based nitrogen lifting system with an electrical submersible pump system. Instead of using pressurized gas to displace fluid, the ESP directly pumps fluid from the well, eliminating the need for coiled tubing handling and pressurized nitrogen infrastructure, thereby reducing safety risks and equipment footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The packer assembly acts as an intermediary that seals around the ESP and production tubing, creating a controlled environment for fluid removal. This eliminates the need for direct coiled tubing insertion and pressurized gas handling, reducing safety hazards while maintaining effective fluid production assistance.
3Reliability
If a permanent receptacle with narrow inner diameter is installed, then the ESP can be securely mounted, but well intervention activities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a fixed permanent receptacle to a dynamic packer assembly that can be deployed at various depths. The packer inflates to secure the ESP against the production tubing wall, providing reliable mounting without constraining the outer diameter, thereby allowing well intervention activities to proceed without limitation.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional ESP deployment with permanent receptacle is used, then long-term deployment is designed, but the well cleanup operation becomes more time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The movable packer assembly allows the ESP to be rapidly deployed and repositioned during well cleanup operations without requiring permanent receptacle installation. The packer can be quickly inflated and deflated to facilitate ESP removal and repositioning, significantly reducing the time required for well cleanup operations while maintaining the capability for long-term deployment when needed.
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 quick and safe well cleanup operations with reduced equipment footprint, eliminating the need for permanent installations and cumbersome coiled tubing, enhancing operational efficiency and safety by providing flexible and efficient fluid removal without nitrogen injection.
Implementation Method 1
The packer is radially expandable and can be inflated to seal against an inner wall surface of the production tubing
Implementation Method 2
An electronic submersible pump (ESP) includes a motor for removing fluid from a well
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of removing fluid from a well using a downhole pump includes deploying the downhole pump to a vertical position within a production tubing disposed in the well, securing the downhole pump to the production tubing at the vertical position, powering a motor of the downhole pump with an electrical line of the downhole pump that extends from a surface of the well and that terminates at a profile of the downhole pump, and activating the motor to pump fluid out of the well.