Distributed lift systems for oil and gas extraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9598943-B2
Application number	US-201314081991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A distributed artificial lift system is configured for use in a wellbore that includes a vertical section and at least one lateral section connected to the vertical section. The distributed artificial lift system includes a first remote assembly positioned within the first lateral section. The first remote assembly includes an equipment deployment vehicle and cargo selected from the group consisting of electric remote pumping units, tubing, tubing connectors, tubing adaptors, sensor packages, gas separators, perforating tools, injection pumps and other downhole components. The first remote assembly is optionally self-propelled and remotely-controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric submersible pumping system for use in recovering fluids from a wellbore, the electric submersible pumping system comprising:
a base assembly, wherein the base assembly is connected to production tubing, and wherein the base assembly comprises:
an electric motor; and
a pump assembly driven by the electric motor and connected to the production tubing; and

a remote assembly spaced apart from the base assembly and connected to the base assembly with an umbilical, wherein the remote assembly comprises:
a remote motor;
a remote pump driven by the remote motor; and
an equipment deployment vehicle and wherein the remote motor and remote pump are supported by the equipment deployment vehicle.

2. The electric submersible pumping system of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore comprises a vertical section and a lateral portion and wherein the base assembly is positioned within the vertical section and the remote assembly is positioned in the lateral portion.

3. The electric submersible pumping system of claim 1 , wherein the equipment deployment vehicle comprises:
a drive motor; and
a mobility assembly.

4. The electric submersible pumping system of claim 3 , wherein the equipment deployment vehicle is self-propelled and remotely-controlled.

5. The electric submersible pumping system of claim 1 further comprising surface facilities and wherein the remote assembly is connected to the surface facilities with the umbilical.

6. A distributed artificial lift system for use in a wellbore that includes at least a first lateral, a second lateral and at least one vertical section, wherein the first lateral is connected to the second lateral only through the vertical section, the distributed artificial lift system comprising:
a first remote assembly positioned within the first lateral, wherein first the remote assembly comprises:
an equipment deployment vehicle; and
cargo, wherein the cargo of the first remote assembly comprises:
a remote motor; and
a remote pump driven by the remote motor; and

a second remote assembly positioned within the second lateral, wherein the second remote assembly comprises:
an equipment deployment vehicle; and
cargo, wherein the cargo is selected from the group consisting of electric remote pumping units, tubing, tubing connectors, tubing adaptors, sensor packages, gas separators, perforating tools, and injection pumps.

7. The distributed artificial lift system of claim 6 , wherein the equipment deployment vehicle of the first remote assembly comprises a drive motor and a mobility assembly driven by the drive motor.

8. A distributed artificial lift system for use in a wellbore that includes at least a first lateral, a second lateral and at least one vertical section, wherein the first lateral is connected to the second lateral only through the vertical section, the distributed artificial lift system comprising:
a first remote assembly positioned within the first lateral, wherein first the remote assembly comprises:
an equipment deployment vehicle; and
cargo, wherein the cargo is selected from the group consisting of electric remote pumping units, tubing, tubing connectors, tubing adaptors, sensor packages, gas separators, perforating tools, and injection pumps; and

a second remote assembly positioned within the second lateral, wherein the second remote assembly comprises:
an equipment deployment vehicle; and
cargo, wherein the cargo is selected from the group consisting of electric remote pumping units, tubing, tubing connectors, tubing adaptors, sensor packages, gas separators, perforating tools, and injection pumps; and

wherein the equipment deployment vehicles of the first remote assembly and second remote assembly are each remotely-controlled and self-propelled.

9. The distributed artificial lift system of claim 8 further comprising a base assembly positioned within the vertical section, wherein the base assembly comprises:
an electric motor; and
a pump assembly driven by the electric motor.

10. The distributed artificial lift system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second remote assemblies each comprise:
a remote motor; and
a remote pump driven by the remote motor.

11. A method for recovering fluids from a subterranean reservoir through a wellbore, wherein the wellbore includes a first vertical and a first lateral connected to the first vertical, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first base assembly, wherein the first base assembly comprises a motor assembly and a pump assembly driven by the motor assembly;
providing a first remote assembly connected to the first base assembly with an umbilical, wherein the first remote assembly comprises an equipment deployment vehicle and a remote pump supported by the equipment deployment vehicle;
lowering the first base assembly to a desired location in the first vertical;
lowering the first remote assembly through the first vertical of the wellbore to the first lateral;
driving the equipment deployment vehicle of the first remote assembly to a desired location within the first lateral;
activating the remote pump of the first remote assembly to remove fluids from the first lateral; and
activating the pump assembly of the first base assembly to remove fluids from the first vertical.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of activating the remote pump of the first remote assembly further comprises the step of activating the remote pump of the first remote assembly to remove fluids from the first lateral to the first vertical.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first vertical further comprises a sump section below the first lateral and the step of lowering the base assembly further comprises lowering the base assembly into the sump section of the first vertical.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore further comprises a second lateral connected to the first vertical and wherein the method further comprises:
providing a second remote assembly, wherein the second remote assembly comprises an equipment deployment vehicle and a remote pump supported by the equipment deployment vehicle;
lowering the second remote assembly through the first vertical of the wellbore to the second lateral;
driving the equipment deployment vehicle of the second remote assembly to a desired location within the second lateral; and
activating the remote pump of the second remote assembly to remove fluids from the second lateral.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore further comprises a second vertical connected to the first lateral and wherein the method further comprises:
providing a second base assembly, wherein the second base assembly comprises a motor assembly and a pump assembly driven by the motor assembly;
lowering the second base assembly to a desired location in the second vertical; and
activating the pump assembly of the second base assembly to remove fluids from the second vertical.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wellbore further comprises a second lateral connected to the first vertical and wherein the method further comprises:
providing a second remote assembly, wherein the second remote assembly comprises an equipment deployment vehicle and a remote pump supported by the equipment deployment vehicle;
lowering the second remote assembly through the first vertical of the wellbore to the second lateral;
driving the equipment deployment vehicle of the second remote assembly to a desired location within the second lateral; and
activating the remote pump of the second remote assembly to remove fluids from th

Assignees

• Ge Oil & Gas Esp Inc

Inventors

• Hughes Michael Franklin
• Van Dam Jeremy Daniel
• Bahadur Vaibhav
• Muhammed Aboel Hassan

Classifications

• E21B43/305

  comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well · CPC title

• E21B23/001

  Self-propelling systems or apparatus, e.g. for moving tools within the horizontal portion of a borehole · CPC title

• E21B43/122

  Gas lift · CPC title

• E21B43/128 Primary

  Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives · CPC title

• E21B2023/008

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic