EP1392955B1 - System zur verstärkung von bohrlochförderung - Google Patents

System zur verstärkung von bohrlochförderung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1392955B1
EP1392955B1 EP02769513A EP02769513A EP1392955B1 EP 1392955 B1 EP1392955 B1 EP 1392955B1 EP 02769513 A EP02769513 A EP 02769513A EP 02769513 A EP02769513 A EP 02769513A EP 1392955 B1 EP1392955 B1 EP 1392955B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fluid
separation
facility
jetting fluid
production
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP02769513A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1392955A1 (de
Inventor
David Eric Appleford
Brian William Lane
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Alpha Thames Ltd
Original Assignee
Alpha Thames Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Alpha Thames Ltd filed Critical Alpha Thames Ltd
Publication of EP1392955A1 publication Critical patent/EP1392955A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1392955B1 publication Critical patent/EP1392955B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/12—Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells
    • E21B43/121—Lifting well fluids
    • E21B43/124—Adaptation of jet-pump systems
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/34—Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and system for boosting the supply of production fluid from a hydrocarbon wellbore or borehole.
  • One technique is to install a mechanical pump at a "downhole" location.
  • Such pumps are typically electrically driven by a supply of high voltage electricity provided from an associated host facility which may be tens of kilometres away.
  • the provision of a high voltage power supply for the pump motors is expensive.
  • the pump is installed in a hostile environment which is hot and corrosive and relatively inaccessible. Pump maintenance, which is almost inevitably required, necessitates shutting the well in, thus interrupting production and possibly leading to restarting problems.
  • Another newer but existing technique is to install a hydraulically driven mechanical pump at a downhole location.
  • Such pumps are typically driven by a supply of pressurised water, the supply of which is costly. Accessibility and maintenance problems apply as discussed above.
  • a different technique is to use a jet pump which is installed at a downhole location. Such a pump is supplied with pressurised jetting water from the host facility which is mixed with the production fluid by the jet pump. The resulting mixture is then conveyed back to the host facility. Additional costs arise from:
  • US-A-4 718 486 discloses a portable jet pump system mounted on a truck.
  • the truck is parked next to a well and a jet pump is lowered down the well.
  • Water is pumped from the system to the jet pump which entrains it with production fluid and the resulting mixture is conveyed to a separator in the system where gas is separated from the mixture.
  • the resulting separated liquid is conveyed to a separation tank where oil is separated from water and the water is recirculated to the jet pump for entraining with the production fluid.
  • US-A-4 790 376 discloses a system having a jet pump installed in a well. Water is pumped from a storage tank at the surface into the jet pump which entrains it with production fluid and the resulting mixture is conveyed to a gas-liquid separator at the surface where gas is separated from the mixture. The resulting separated liquid is conveyed to an oil-water separator where oil is separated from water and the water is conveyed to the storage tank. From there the water can be recirculated to the jet pump.
  • US-A-5 570 744 discloses a surface flowline separator system having a baffle-type separator which receives production fluid from a well.
  • the separator separates the production fluid into gas and liquid and the separated gas is conveyed to a gas lift well to entrain with the production fluid in the well to make the production fluid lighter so that it can reach the surface.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a method and system which overcome at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
  • a method of boosting production from a subsea wellbore having a downhole jet pump and a remote host facility comprising the steps of:
  • a single separation facility may provide jetting fluid to a plurality of and possibly all wellbores in a field.
  • Such a method may only require a relatively small diameter conduit for supplying a batch of jetting fluid to the separation facility. Once adequate jetting fluid has been provided, this conduit will no longer be required for this purpose.
  • the pipe for conveying production fluid from the separation facility to the host facility need not be enlarged to cater for conveying the jetting fluid. Separation at the host facility can be avoided as can the provision, from the host, of a continuous flow of appropriately treated jetting fluid. The problems associated with a downhole mechanical pump discussed above are also avoided.
  • the jetting fluid is separated from the mixture by the separation facility in order to minimise the volume of fluid for conveyance to the host facility and in order to minimise or preferably eliminate the requirement for additional jetting fluid from the host facility.
  • the separation facility is preferably situated at or close to the wellbores.
  • the separation facility includes a pump which is used to pressurise the separated jetting fluid for assisting its recirculation.
  • Separation is preferably effected by gravity separation which relies on the jetting fluid and the production fluid having different specific gravities. Gravity separators are robust and suitable for use in a hostile location which may be difficult to access.
  • the separator means includes at least one gravity separation chamber.
  • the separator means includes at least two separators for separating the mixture which are connected in parallel with each other.
  • the separator means includes throttling means arranged to control flows of production fluid and jetting fluid out of the separation chamber, control of the separation means can be easily effected, possibly from a control module situated at the separation means.
  • production fluid and jetting fluid will be employed. These will generally be oil and water (appropriately treated) respectively but could comprise other fluids or mixtures of fluids.
  • FIG. 1 A system for putting the invention into practice is shown in Fig. 1.
  • the system includes at least one wellhead tree 2 which routes fluids from a wellbore or lower production tubing 4 to a separation facility 6 via a mixture pipe 8.
  • a jetting fluid delivery pipe 10 extends from the separation facility 6 to the wellhead tree 2 for supplying jetting fluid to a downhole jetting fluid conduit 12 and hence to a downhole jet pump 14.
  • the separation facility 6 is connected to a host facility 16 by a production pipeline 18 and a jetting fluid supply pipe 20.
  • the separation facility 6 includes first and second duplicated separating means 22 and 24 only the first 22 of which will be described in detail. Only one separating means may be provided.
  • the mixture pipe 8 from the wellhead tree is connected to a mixture inlet 26 which is connected via a failsafe valve 28 to an inlet 30 of a separator chamber 32 containing a weir 34.
  • a first outlet 36 of the chamber 32 is connected by a jetting fluid conduit 39 containing a recirculation pump 38, a throttle valve 40 and a non-return valve 42 to a jetting fluid outlet 44 of the separation facility 6.
  • a recirculation loop pipe 46 containing a non-return valve 48 and a pressure restricting device 49, connects the jetting fluid conduit 39, downstream of the recirculation pump 38, to the inlet 30 of the chamber 32.
  • the chamber 32 includes a level sensor 56 for determining the level of the interface between the production fluid 58 and jetting fluid 60 within the chamber 32.
  • the jetting fluid supply pipe 20 from the processing equipment on the host facility is connected to a jetting fluid inlet 62 of the separation facility which is connected via a jetting fluid conduit 64, containing a non-return valve 66, to the jetting fluid outlet 44.
  • the host facility 16 includes apparatus (not shown) for processing production fluid 58 received through the production pipeline 18 and a pump 68 for pumping jetting fluid (water treated as required to inhibit corrosion and hydrate formation problems etc. upon mixing with the production fluid) to the separation facility 6.
  • apparatus not shown
  • jetting fluid water treated as required to inhibit corrosion and hydrate formation problems etc. upon mixing with the production fluid
  • the jet pump 14 shown in Fig. 3 is a conventional jet pump and will accordingly only be described in outline.
  • the jet pump includes a nozzle 69 into which jetting fluid is fed (arrow A) from the jetting fluid conduit 12.
  • Production fluid is routed to the jet pump via a lower production tubing conduit 70 (arrow B) from the lower production tubing 4, which opens into a low pressure entrainment region 72 at an outlet end of the nozzle 68.
  • An intake nozzle 74 also opening into the low pressure entrainment region 72, is connected to upper production tubing 76 for delivering a mixture of production and jetting fluid (arrow C) to the wellhead tree 2 via the wellbore riser 76.
  • a batch of jetting fluid will be pumped by the host pump 68 down the jetting fluid supply pipe 20 to the jetting fluid inlet 62 of the separation facility 6 where it passes through the conduit 64 to the jetting fluid outlet 44 and on through the jetting fluid delivery pipe 10 to the downhole jetting fluid conduit 12.
  • the jetting fluid then enters the jet pump 14 (arrow A) and is forced through the nozzle 69 into the entrainment region 72 where a lower pressure zone occurs causing production fluid to be drawn into the jet pump through the lower production tubing conduit 70 (arrow B) where it mixes in the entrainment region 72 with the jetting fluid.
  • the resulting mixture then passes into the intake nozzle 74 and leaves the jet pump 14 up the upper production tubing 76 (arrow C).
  • the mixture On emerging from the wellhead tree 2, the mixture passes through the mixture pipe 8 and is conveyed to the inlet 30 of the chamber 32 via the mixture inlet 26 and the failsafe valve 28.
  • the denser jetting fluid 60 water
  • the less dense production fluid passes over the weir 34 into the region to the right thereof.
  • jetting fluid 60 is drawn from the chamber 32 by the recirculating pump 38 and routed to the jetting fluid outlet 44 via the jetting fluid conduit 39 from where it travels on to the jet pump and recombines with further production fluid as described above. Meanwhile, production fluid leaves the chamber 32 via the second outlet 50 (as a consequence of chamber pressure) and passes via the throttle valve 52 to the production fluid outlet 54 and through the production pipeline 18 to the host facility for processing.
  • a control system receives signals from the level sensor 56 and a pressure sensor 78 and controls the throttle valves 40 and 52 and the recirculation pump 38 to maintain the interface between the fluids in the chamber 32 at the required level and the overall pressure in the chamber 32 at an appropriate level. For example, if the amount of jetting fluid in the chamber 32 needs to be increased, the throttle valve 40 will be closed slightly in order that jetting fluid will be forced through the recirculation loop pipe 46 back into the chamber 32.
  • the same batch of jetting fluid will be cycled repeatedly between the jet pump 14 and the separation facility 6.
  • a relatively small bore pipe 20 will be required for delivering the initial batch of jetting fluid to the separation facility 6 and the production pipeline 18 does not need to be unnecessarily enlarged so as to accommodate a flow of jetting fluid in addition to production fluid.
  • any tariff charged by the host facility owner will only be in respect of production fluid delivered thereto and will not be increased as a consequence of delivering jetting fluid thereto.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
  • Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)
  • Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
  • Jet Pumps And Other Pumps (AREA)
  • Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)
  • Superconductors And Manufacturing Methods Therefor (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)
  • Epoxy Resins (AREA)
  • Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)
  • Gas Separation By Absorption (AREA)
  • Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)
  • Physical Water Treatments (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Verfahren zum Fördern eines Produkts aus einem Unterwasser-Bohrloch (4), welches eine in die Tiefe gerichtete Bohrloch-Strahlförderpumpe (14) und eine entfernte Leiteinrichtung (16) aufweist, wobei das Verfahren folgende Schritte aufweist:
    (a) das Vorsehen einer Abscheideeinrichtung (6), welche auf dem Meeresboden und im Wesentlichen näher an dem Bohrloch (4) angeordnet ist als die Leiteinrichtung (16);
    (b) das Vorsehen von Mitteln (38, 68, ...) zur Förderung einer unter Druck stehenden strahlgeförderten Flüssigkeit (60) zur Strahlförderpumpe (14);
    (c) Mitnahme eines flüssigen Bohrlochproduktes mit dem Strom einer strahlbetriebenen Flüssigkeit in der Strahlförderpumpe (14) und Förderung des entstehenden Gemisches zu einer Abscheideeinrichtung (6);
    (d) Abscheidung des größten Teils der strahlgeförderten Flüssigkeit (60) aus dem Gemisch durch die Abscheidungseinrichtung (6); und
    (e) Rückführung der abgeschiedenen strahlgeförderten Flüssigkeit (60) zur Strahlförderpumpe (14) und Mitnahme weiterer Produktflüssigkeit damit.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, worin mindestens 90 Prozent der strahlgeförderten Flüssigkeit (60) des Gemischs durch die Abscheideeinrichtung (6) abgeschieden wird.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 2, worin im Wesentlichen die gesamte strahlgeförderte Flüssigkeit (60) des Gemischs durch die Abscheideeinrichtung (6) abgeschieden wird.
  4. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, worin die Abscheideeinrichtung (6) in der Nähe dem Bohrloch (4) angeordnet ist.
  5. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, worin die Abscheideeinrichtung (6) eine Pumpe (38) aufweist, welche dazu verwendet wird, die abgeschiedene, strahlgeförderte Flüssigkeit (60) unter Druck zu stellen, um deren Rückfluss zu unterstützen.
  6. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, worin die Abscheidung durch Schwerkrafttrennung erfolgt.
  7. System zum Fördern eines Produkts aus einem Bohrloch (4), welches sich entfernt von einer Leiteinrichtung (16) befindet, welches eine in die Tiefe gerichtete Strahlförderpumpe (14), drucksteigernde Mittel (38, 68) zur Speisung der Strahlförderpumpe (14) mit unter Druck stehender, strahlgetriebener Flüssigkeit (60) mit einem flüssigen Bohrlochprodukt, eine Abscheideeinrichtung (6), welche im Wesentlichen näher an dem Bohrloch (4) angeordnet ist als die Leiteinrichtung (16), welche ihrerseits Abscheidemittel (22, 24) zum Abscheiden eines Großteils der strahlgetriebenen Flüssigkeit (60) aus dem Gemisch einschließt, und Rückführungsmittel (10, 12, 38, 39) zur Lieferung der abgeschiedenen, strahlgetriebenen Flüssigkeit (60) zurück zur Strahlförderpumpe (14), um weitere Produktionsflüssigkeit mitzufördern, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Bohrloch (4) Unterwasser ist und dass sich die Abscheideeinrichtung (6) auf dem Meeresgrund angeordnet ist.
  8. System nach Anspruch 7, worin die Abscheidungsmittel (22, 24) mindestens eine Schwerkrafttrennkammer (32) enthalten.
  9. System nach Anspruch 7 oder 8, worin die Abscheidungsmittel (22, 24) mindestens zwei Abscheider (32) zum Abscheiden des Gemisches aufweisen, welche parallel miteinander verbunden sind.
  10. System nach Anspruch 7, 8 oder 9, worin die Abscheidungsmittel (22, 24) Drosselmittel (40, 52) aufweisen, welche dazu angeordnet sind den Fluss des Produktflusses und der strahlgetriebenen Flüssigkeit (60) der Abscheidungsmittel (22, 24) steuern.
EP02769513A 2001-05-17 2002-05-14 System zur verstärkung von bohrlochförderung Expired - Lifetime EP1392955B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0112107.8A GB0112107D0 (en) 2001-05-17 2001-05-17 Borehole production boosting system
GB0112107 2001-05-17
PCT/GB2002/002255 WO2002092965A1 (en) 2001-05-17 2002-05-14 Borehole production boosting system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1392955A1 EP1392955A1 (de) 2004-03-03
EP1392955B1 true EP1392955B1 (de) 2006-02-01

Family

ID=9914836

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02769513A Expired - Lifetime EP1392955B1 (de) 2001-05-17 2002-05-14 System zur verstärkung von bohrlochförderung

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US20040154794A1 (de)
EP (1) EP1392955B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE317054T1 (de)
BR (1) BR0209622A (de)
DE (1) DE60209022D1 (de)
GB (1) GB0112107D0 (de)
NO (1) NO20035070D0 (de)
WO (1) WO2002092965A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO324778B1 (no) * 2002-10-29 2007-12-10 Vetco Gray Scandinavia As System og fremgangsmate for separasjon av fluider.
GB2399864A (en) * 2003-03-22 2004-09-29 Ellastar Ltd A system and process for pumping multiphase fluids
FR2899288B1 (fr) * 2006-03-30 2008-06-13 Total Sa Procede et dispositif pour la compression d'un fluide multiphasique
BRPI0703726B1 (pt) 2007-10-10 2018-06-12 Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Módulo de bombeio e sistema para bombeio submarino de produção de hidrocarbonetos com alta fração de gás associado
US7963335B2 (en) * 2007-12-18 2011-06-21 Kellogg Brown & Root Llc Subsea hydraulic and pneumatic power
US8708042B2 (en) * 2010-02-17 2014-04-29 Baker Hughes Incorporated Apparatus and method for valve actuation
CN103603649A (zh) * 2013-11-29 2014-02-26 中国石油集团川庆钻探工程有限公司 油气节流保温分离计量一体化设备
BR112018012807A2 (pt) * 2015-12-22 2018-12-04 Shell Int Research aparelho de elevação à gás com base em riser aprimorado
US9797223B1 (en) * 2016-08-17 2017-10-24 Onesubsea Ip Uk Limited Systems and methods for hydrate removal

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3951457A (en) * 1973-12-07 1976-04-20 Texaco Exploration Canada Ltd. Hydraulic mining technique for recovering bitumen from tar sand deposit
US3887008A (en) * 1974-03-21 1975-06-03 Charles L Canfield Downhole gas compression technique
US4603735A (en) * 1984-10-17 1986-08-05 New Pro Technology, Inc. Down the hole reverse up flow jet pump
US4718486A (en) * 1986-06-24 1988-01-12 Black John B Portable jet pump system with pump lowered down hole and raised with coiled pipe and return line
US4790376A (en) * 1986-11-28 1988-12-13 Texas Independent Tools & Unlimited Services, Inc. Downhole jet pump
US5570744A (en) * 1994-11-28 1996-11-05 Atlantic Richfield Company Separator systems for well production fluids
CA2188839C (en) * 1996-10-25 2001-01-02 David Speed Recovery of gas from drilling fluid returns in underbalanced drilling
CA2271168A1 (en) * 1996-11-07 1998-05-14 Baker Hughes Limited Fluid separation and reinjection systems for oil wells
GB9711130D0 (en) * 1997-05-29 1997-07-23 Kvaerner Process Systems As Multi-phase separation

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE317054T1 (de) 2006-02-15
DE60209022D1 (de) 2006-04-13
NO20035070D0 (no) 2003-11-14
BR0209622A (pt) 2004-03-23
EP1392955A1 (de) 2004-03-03
US20040154794A1 (en) 2004-08-12
WO2002092965A1 (en) 2002-11-21
GB0112107D0 (en) 2001-07-11

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