Submersible Pump Assembly Inside Subsea Flow Line Jumper and Method of Operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010434-A1
Application number	US-201414328345-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A subsea pumping assembly includes a flow line jumper connected between a well fluid source and a subsea flow line. A submersible pump assembly having a motor and pump os located in the flow line jumper. The pump has an intake in fluid communication with well fluid flowing into the flow line jumper. A bypass valve within the flow line jumper is coupled to a discharge of the pump. The bypass valve has a tubular housing, a bypass port extending through a wall of the housing, and a valve element upstream from the bypass port. The valve element is movable from a bypass position to a flow through position in response to discharge pressure of the pump. A spring biases the valve element toward the bypass position.

First claim

1 . A method for boosting well fluid pressure of well fluid flowing from a subsea well fluid source through a subsea flow line assembly to production equipment, comprising:
mounting a submersible pump assembly within a chamber of the flow line assembly, the submersible pump assembly comprising a motor and a pump having an intake downstream from the motor and a discharge leading to the production equipment and sealed from the chamber; mounting a bypass valve within the chamber and to the discharge of the pump, the bypass valve having a bypass port; while the pump is not operating, opening the bypass port and flowing well fluid from the well fluid source into the chamber past the pump, into the bypass port, and out the chamber to the production equipment; and while the pump is operating, closing the bypass port and flowing well fluid from the well fluid source into the chamber and into the intake of the pump, and discharging the well fluid out of the chamber through the discharge of the pump at an increased pressure into the production equipment.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein closing the bypass port occurs in response to response to the occurrence of discharge pressure of the pump greater than pressure within chamber exterior of the pump.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein opening the bypass port occurs in response to a spring biasing the bypass port open.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein opening and closing the bypass port is a function of discharge pressure of the pump.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising while the pump is not operating, preventing reverse flow through the bypass port into the chamber.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing first and second of the flow line assemblies, each having one of the chambers containing one of the submersible pump assemblies and one of the bypass valves; connecting the discharges of the pumps in parallel; mounting a check valve downstream of the bypass port of each of the bypass valves; and while the pump of the first flow line assembly is operating and the pump of the second flow line assembly is not, blocking reverse flow of well fluid through the bypass port into the chamber of the second flow line assembly.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein mounting the submersible well pump assembly in the chamber comprises orienting the chamber horizontally.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
isolating the discharge of the pump from the bypass port while the bypass port is open.

9 . An apparatus for boosting well fluid pressure of well fluid flowing from a subsea well fluid source through a subsea flow line assembly to a production equipment, comprising:
a submersible pump assembly mounted within a chamber of the flow line assembly, the submersible pump assembly comprising a motor and a pump having an intake downstream from the motor and a discharge sealed from the chamber; a bypass valve within the chamber at the discharge of the pump, the bypass valve having a bypass port; the bypass valve having an open position that occurs while the pump is not operating that opens the bypass port, enabling a flow of well fluid from the well fluid source into the chamber, past the pump, into the bypass port, and out the chamber to the production equipment; and the bypass valve having a closed position that occurs while the pump is operating, closing the bypass port, enabling flowing of well fluid from the well fluid source into the chamber and into the intake of the pump for discharging the well fluid out of the chamber through the discharge of the pump at an increased pressure.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the closed position of the bypass valve occurs in response to the discharge pressure of the pump being greater than pressure of the well fluid within the chamber.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the bypass valve is biased to the open position.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a check valve mounted downstream of the bypass port and configured to prevent any reverse flow through the bypass port into the chamber.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the bypass valve is configured such that during the closed position, the discharge of the pump is isolated from the bypass port.

14 . A subsea pumping apparatus, comprising:
at least one flow line jumper having an upstream end for connection to a well fluid source of flowing well fluid and a downstream end for connection to subsea flow line; a submersible pump assembly comprising a motor and a pump located in the flow line jumper, the pump having an intake downstream from the motor and in fluid communication with well fluid flowing into the flow line jumper from the upstream end; a bypass valve within the flow line jumper and coupled to a discharge of the pump, the bypass valve comprising: a tubular housing; a bypass port extending through a wall of the housing; a valve element in the housing upstream from the bypass port, the valve element being movable from a bypass position to a flow through position; wherein the bypass position allows flow from the well fluid source through the flow line jumper around the pump into the bypass port and out the discharge; and the flow through position blocks the bypass port and allows flow from the pump out the downstream end of the flow line jumper.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the bypass valve element moves from the bypass position to the flow through position in response to discharge pressure of the pump being greater than well fluid pressure in the jumper exterior of the pump.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the bypass valve element moves to the bypass position in response to cessation of pump discharge pressure.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a check valve downstream from the bypass port that prevents reverse flow from the downstream end of the flow line jumper out the bypass port and into the flow line jumper.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one flow line jumper comprises a plurality of flow line jumpers, each of the flow line jumpers containing one of the submersible pump assemblies and one of the bypass valves; the downstream ends of the flow line jumpers are connected in parallel; and wherein the apparatus further comprises: a check valve downstream from the bypass port of each of the flow line jumpers configured to prevent reverse flow through each of the bypass ports into each of the flow line jumpers.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the bypass valve further comprises a spring that urges the valve element toward the bypass position.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the valve element closes a passage from the discharge of the pump while in the bypass position.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Portman Lance
• Lawson Peter Francis
• Kelbie Graeme Michael

Classifications

• F04B47/06 Primary

  having motor-pump units situated at great depth · CPC title

• E21B43/01

  specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations · CPC title

• E21B34/08

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/121 Primary

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