Artificial lift system for a resource exploration and recovery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060385-B2
Application number	US-201916273824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

An artificial lift system including a tubular extending into a wellbore. The tubular includes a first end arranged at a surface of a formation, a second end terminating in the wellbore, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes a plurality of gas lift valves. A jet pump is fluidically connected to the second end of the tubular. A liquid supply conduit includes a terminal end arranged at the first end of the tubular and a gas supply conduit includes a terminal end portion arranged at the first end of the tubular.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial lift system comprising:
a tubular extending into a wellbore having an annulus defined about the tubular, the tubular including a first end arranged at a surface of a formation, a second end terminating in the wellbore, and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including a plurality of gas lift valves fluidically exposed to the annulus;
a jet pump mechanically and fluidically connected to the second end of the tubular;
a liquid supply conduit including a terminal end arranged in the annulus at the first end of the tubular uphole of the plurality of gas lift valve; and
a gas supply conduit including a terminal end portion arranged in the annulus at the first end of the tubular uphole of the plurality of gas lift valves.

2. The artificial lift system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a gas pump fluidically connected to the gas supply conduit, the gas pump being operable to deliver a flow of gas that forces liquid through the jet pump and passes into the plurality of gas lift valves to motivate production fluids to the surface of the formation.

3. The artificial lift system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gas lift valves includes an adjustable orifice.

4. The artificial lift system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a packer mounted to the tubular downhole of the second end.

5. The artificial lift system according to claim 4 , wherein the jet pump is supported at the packer.

6. The artificial lift system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gas lift valves includes an orifice that creates a pressure drop greater than about 50 PSIG (about 345 kpa).

7. A resource exploration and recovery system comprising:
a first system arranged at a surface of a formation, the first system including fluid storage members and one or more pumps; and
an artificial lift system fluidically connected to the first system, the artificial lift system including a tubular extending into a wellbore having an annulus defined about the tubular formed in the formation from the first system, the tubular including a first end arranged at the first system, a second end terminating in the wellbore, and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including a plurality of gas lift valves fluidically exposed to the annulus;
a jet pump mechanically and fluidically connected to the second end of the tubular;
a liquid supply conduit including a terminal end arranged in the annulus at the first end of the tubular uphole of the plurality of gas lift valve; and
a gas supply conduit including a terminal end portion arranged in the annulus at the first end of the tubular uphole of the plurality of gas lift valves.

8. The resource exploration and recovery system according to claim 7 , wherein one of the one or more pumps of the first system is operable to deliver a flow of gas that forces liquid through the jet pump and forces gas into the plurality of gas lift valves to motivate production fluids to the surface of the formation.

9. The resource exploration and recovery system according to claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of gas lift valves includes an adjustable orifice.

10. The resource exploration and recovery system according to claim 7 , further comprising: a packer mounted to the tubular downhole of the second end.

11. The resource exploration and recovery system according to claim 10 , wherein the jet pump is supported at the packer.

12. The resource exploration and recovery system according to claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of gas lift valves includes an orifice that creates a pressure drop greater than about 50 PSIG (about 345 kpa).

13. A method of motivating formation fluids toward a surface of a formation, the method comprising:
flowing an amount of liquid along a tubular extending into a wellbore;
pooling the amount of liquid around a jet pump supported by the tubular;
forcing an amount of gas along the tubular into the wellbore;
urging the amount of liquid through the jet pump with the amount of gas causing formation fluids to flow into the tubular; and
motivating the formation fluids to flow through the tubular by delivering the amount of gas through one or more gas lift valves provided on the tubular.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein delivering the amount of gas through the one or more gas lift valves includes flowing the amount of gas through a restriction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein flowing the amount of gas through the restriction includes creating a pressure drop greater than about 50 PSIG (about 345 kpa).

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein flowing the amount of gas through the restriction includes creating a plurality of pressure boost zones along the tubular.

Assignees

• Vandam Jeremy Daniel
• Reeves Brian
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Vandam Jeremy Daniel
• Reeves Brian

Classifications

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B43/121

  Lifting well fluids (monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008) · CPC title

• E21B43/124 Primary

  Adaptation of jet-pump systems · CPC title

• E21B43/123

  Gas lift valves · CPC title

• E21B21/08

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title