Deviation tolerant well plunger pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915257-B2
Application number	US-201414541322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A well pump assembly has an upper plunger and a lower plunger. A working fluid conduit extends between the upper and lower plunger. An upper piston in the working fluid conduit is connected with the upper plunger. A lower piston in the working fluid conduit is connected with the lower plunger. A downstroke working fluid is located between the upper and lower pistons in the working fluid conduit. An upstroke conduit extends between an upper port in the working fluid conduit above the upper piston and a lower port in working fluid conduit below the lower piston. An upstroke working fluid fills the upstroke conduit and the working fluid conduit above the upper piston and below the lower piston.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A well pump assembly for pumping well fluid from a well having an upper vertical section and a lower inclined section, comprising:
an upper lifting unit having an upper plunger configured for upward and downward movement within the upper vertical section of the well;
a coupling on an upper end of the upper plunger for connection to a string of sucker rods in the vertical section of the well to move the upper plunger upward and downward;
a lower lifting unit having a lower plunger configured for upward and downward movement within the lower inclined section of the well to pump well fluid up the well;
linking means configured to extend from the vertical section of the well to the inclined section of the well for causing the lower plunger to move upward in unison with the upper plunger, and to move downward in unison with the downward movement of the upper plunger; wherein the linking means comprises:
a working fluid conduit extending between the upper and the lower lifting units;
an upper piston in the working fluid conduit connected with the upper plunger for upward and downward movement in unison;
a lower piston in the working fluid conduit connected with the lower plunger, the lower plunger being movable in unison with the lower piston;
a downstroke working fluid in the working fluid conduit between the upper and lower pistons; and wherein
downward movement of the upper piston transmits a downward force through the downstroke working fluid to the lower piston, causing the lower piston to move downward.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the downstroke working fluid is trapped in the working fluid conduit between the upper piston and the lower piston, defining a fixed distance between the upper piston and the lower piston, the downstroke working fluid being sealed from the well fluid in the well.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an upstroke conduit extending between the upper and lower lifting units and containing an upstroke working fluid;
an upper portion of the upstroke working fluid being above the upper piston for applying pressure to the upstroke working fluid while the upper piston is moving upward; and
a lower portion of the upstroke working fluid being below the lower piston and in fluid communication with the upper portion of the upstroke working fluid via the upstroke conduit, such that the upward movement of the upper piston applies a pressure to the lower portion of the upstroke working fluid to move the lower piston upward in response.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein:
the upstroke conduit is sealed from well fluid in the vertical and inclined sections of the well.

5. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the upstroke working fluid is sealed from the downstroke working fluid by the upper piston and by the lower piston.

6. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein:
the upstroke conduit surrounds the working fluid conduit, defining an inner annulus between the upstroke conduit and the working fluid conduit; and the linking means further comprises:
an upper communication port extending from the upstroke conduit into the working fluid conduit above the upper piston;
a lower communication port extending from the upstroke conduit into the working fluid conduit below the lower piston; and wherein
the upstroke working fluid is in the inner annulus, in the working fluid conduit above the upper piston, and in the working fluid conduit below the lower piston.

7. The assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a section of production tubing extending between the upper and lower lifting units and surrounding the upstroke conduit, defining an outer annulus; and
the outer annulus communicates well fluid being pumped upward by the lower plunger to the upper lifting unit.

8. A well pump assembly, comprising:
an upper lifting unit having an upper plunger configured to be located within an upper section of the well and to move upward and downward;
a coupling on an upper end of the upper plunger for connecting the upper plunger to a string of sucker rods extending down the upper section of the well for moving the upper plunger upward and downward;
a lower lifting unit having a lower plunger configured to move upward and downward in unison with the upper plunger and within a lower section of the well that is inclined relative to the upper section of the well and below the upper lifting unit for pumping well fluid up the well;
a working fluid conduit between the upper and lower lifting units, the working fluid conduit having a lower section that is inclined relative to an upper section of the working fluid conduit;
an upper piston in the upper section of the working fluid conduit and connected with the upper plunger for upward and downward movement therewith;
a lower piston in the lower section of the working fluid conduit and connected with the lower plunger, the lower plunger being movable in unison with the lower piston;
a downstroke working fluid filled between the upper and lower pistons in the working fluid conduit, wherein downward movement of the upper piston exerts a downward force on the working fluid, causing the lower piston to move downward in unison with the upper piston;
an upstroke conduit, the upstroke conduit having a lower section that is inclined relative to an upper section of the upstroke conduit;
an upper port in the working fluid conduit above the upper piston in fluid communication with the upstroke conduit, and a lower port in the working fluid conduit below the lower piston in fluid communication with the upstroke conduit; and
an upstroke working fluid filling the upstroke conduit and the working fluid conduit above the upper piston and below the lower piston, wherein upward movement of the upper piston exerts an upward force on the upstroke working fluid above the upper piston, which transmits via the upstroke conduit to the upstroke working fluid below the lower piston, creating an upward force on the lower piston, causing the lower piston to move upward in unison with the upper piston.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 , wherein:
the upstroke conduit surrounds the working fluid conduit, defining an inner annulus containing the upstroke working fluid.

10. The assembly according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a lower section of production tubing extending between the lower lifting unit and the upper lifting unit for flowing well fluid from the lower lifting unit to the upper lifting unit, the lower section of production tubing enclosing the working fluid conduit and the upstroke conduit.

11. The assembly according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a lower section of production tubing extending between the lower lifting unit and the upper lifting unit; wherein
the upstroke conduit surrounds the working fluid conduit, defining an inner annulus containing the upstroke working fluid; and
the lower section of the production tubing surrounds the upstroke conduit, defining an outer annulus through which well fluid pumped by the lower plunger flows.

12. The assembly according to claim 8 , wherein:
the downstroke working fluid is sealed from the upstroke working fluid by the upper and lower pistons; and
the downstroke working fluid and the upstroke working fluid are sealed from the well fluid by the lower piston and the upstroke conduit.

13. A method of pumping well fluid from a well having a vertical upper section and an inclined lower section, comprising:
(a) connecting a linking arrangement between a lower lifting unit having a lower plunger and an upper lifting unit having an upper plunger;

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Garrett David
• Gunter Shawn N

Classifications

• F04B47/04 Primary

  the driving means incorporating fluid means · CPC title

• F04B9/117

  the pumping members not being mechanically connected to each other · CPC title

• E21B43/127

  Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems · CPC title