Rig-less ESP Deployment via Segmented Wet-Mate Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and complexity of installing and maintaining Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) in oil and gas wells require expensive workover rigs due to the need for frequent replacements and the difficulty of making and breaking electrical connections in a wet environment, which is not efficiently addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A rig-less deployment system using a static male connector and a moveable female connector with a docking station and motor connector that allows for secure, reversible electrical connections without protective sleeves, enabling pump-assisted installation and retrieval, and accommodating multiple connectors for power distribution to ESPs and other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a workover rig is used to install and maintain ESPs, then reliable electrical connections can be made, but the cost and complexity of installation and maintenance increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the electrical connection system into separate components: a permanent receptacle connector remaining in the well and a movable plug connector attached to the ESP motor. This segmentation allows the ESP to be replaced without removing or replacing the entire electrical connection system, eliminating the need for workover rigs while maintaining connection reliability through dedicated connector designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrical connection system from the ESP assembly, allowing the connectors to remain independent in the wellbore. The receptacle connector is permanently installed in the completion, while the plug connector is attached only to the ESP motor, enabling separate replacement of the ESP without disturbing the electrical infrastructure.
2Reliability
If traditional ESP installation methods are used, then electrical connections can be made, but expensive workover rigs are required for frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle connector is pre-installed in the well completion before ESP deployment. This preliminary action eliminates the need for expensive workover rigs during ESP replacements, as the electrical connection infrastructure is already in place and only the ESP motor with its plug connector needs to be deployed or retrieved.
3Reliability
If protective sleeves are used for electrical connectors, then connection reliability improves, but the through bore size decreases and installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the protective sleeve from the connector design, exposing the electrical contacts to the wellbore environment. This extraction simplifies the connector structure, increases the through bore size for easier ESP installation, and reduces installation complexity while maintaining connection reliability through the connector's inherent sealing and alignment features.
4Reliability
If rigid electrical connection systems are used, then stable power transmission is achieved, but flexibility for pump-assisted installation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic installation methods by allowing the ESP motor with plug connector to be deployed through the wellbore using pump-assisted techniques or wireline, rather than requiring rigid rig-based installation. The electrical connection remains stable once mated, while the deployment process becomes flexible and adaptable to different well conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A deployment system as a rig less docking station with an inline male wet mate-able connectors and power cable and a motor connector with inline female wet mate-able connectors coupled to an electric submersible pump (ESP), the docking station is at the bottom of a string of production tubing and remains in the well for the life of the system while the motor connector is mated to an ESP and lowered into the well by wireline or other suitable deployment method. The rig less deployment system has a lower initial cost, larger through-bore, improved debris tolerance, and the ability for pump-assisted installation and retrieval techniques. Both the moveable female and the static male connector are pressure balanced for temperature and volume variation and the male connector utilizes a heavy dielectric fluid in a reverse labyrinth design to isolate borehole fluid from the electrical connection.