US2368346A - Fluid-operated pumping mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 30, 1945. c. J. COBERLY 2,368,346

FLUID- OPERATED PUMPING MECHANI SM Original Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fivvavroa CLARENCE \J. CoeERLY imp;

Jan. 30, 1945. c. J. COBERLY FLUID-OPERATED PUMBING MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 2, 194 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M MI l idl l i l l i lH H H H I l l l l l l l l l l h H I IH I H I H H AA 5E? HARR/ KIECH FOJTIE'R I 2 HARE/J 22%??5 AT wars Patented Jan. 30, 1945 T OFFICE-j FLUID-OPERATED PUMPING MECHANISM .Clarence J. Coberly, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Roko Corporation, Reno, Nev., a corporation of Nevada.

Original application An 350,011. Divided an 16, .1942, Serial No.

My invention relates to the pump art, and more particularly to a fluid-operated pumping device and method adapted to be used in wells.

Although my invention is capable of many uses, it is of particular utility in connection with a fluid operated pump for use in oil wells, and, consequently, for the purpose of illustration will be described in connection therewith, although it is to be understood that I do not intend to be limited to such use of the invention.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 350,011, filed August 2, 1940, now Patent 2,307,451, Jan. 5, 1943, to which reference is hereby made.

In the hydraulic pump art it is standard practice to provide a fluid-operated pump having a fluid-operated motor operatively connected to a pumping unit adapted to pump fluid from a well to the surface of the ground. Such a device is shown and described in my Patent No. 2,134,174, issued October 25, 1938, and since the fluid-operated motor of such device is not a part of the present invention, it is not described in detail herein, reference being made to said earlier patent for the construction thereof.

It is also standard practice in the hydraulic pumping art, where a hydraulic pump unit is actuated by operating fluid conveyed to the pump unit under pressure through power tubing, to provide a special tubing bleeder in the line of the power tubing adjacent the pump unit which may be opened from the surface of the ground when desired to permit fluid in the power tubing to drain into the well. Such tubing bleeders are normally used when the pump unit is to be pulled to prevent what is known in the oil industry as a wet job, such a tubing bleeder being illustrated in my Patent No. 2,053,602, issued September 8, 1936. Such prior art tubing bleeders are expensive to make and install, and since they must be installed in the line of the power tubing above the pump, are never effective to drain the tubing completely. It is therefore an important object of my present invention to provide a fluid-operated pump unit in which a simple and practical power tubing bleeder is built into the pump unit so that when the pump unit is raised from its pumping position in a well, substantially all Of the fluid in the power tubing may be drained therefrom into the well.

I have discovered that in operating a fluidgust 2, 1940, Serial No.

d this application March 434,867 11 Claims.

clogging of the pumping equipment parts operated pump in a well it is frequently desirable or necessary to treat the well fluid in the well prior toconveying it to the pump so as to render it suitable for pumping by such a fluid-operated pump. Such treatment of the well fluid may be to cure a variety of defects in the characteristics of the well fluid. For example, in new oil wells it frequently occurs that the well oil carries a relatively high percentage by volume of sand, or other solid foreign material, which also sometimes occurs in wells which'have been producing for some time. If I the well oil contains a substantial amount of such sand or other foreign materials, they settle out in the pumping equipment, clogging the pump valves, the pump cylinder, and frequently the tubing conveying the pumped oil to the surface of the ground. This condition makes it impossible or impractical to operate a fluid-operated pump in the well, because even if the foreign materials pass through the pump fairly well, is so rapid that frequent cleaning jobs on the pumping equipment are required, which is uneconomical and impractical in commercial operations. I have discovered that where oil to be pumped from a well contains high quantitie of such foreign materials such as would render it impossible to pump it with standard pumping equipment, the percentage by volume of such foreignmaterials in the oil can be maintained below a predetermined maximum by diluting the well oil with clean oi1 during operation of the pumping equipment, which is a further object of my present invention. I prefer to accomplish this by diverting a portion of the clean oil normally used to operate the fluid-operated pump directly into the well oil in the Well to dilute the same to reduce the percentage of foreign materials by volume to a point at which the same will pass through the pumping equipment without clogging the same.

Another difficulty occurs in deep well pumping when the well fluid, such as oil, is of high viscosity, in that a very viscous well fluid also tends to clog and gum the moving parts of the pumping equipment, and is diflicult to handle therein, even with a fluid-operated pump having a valve designed as illustrated and described herein. Accordingly, it is still another object of my invention to reduce the viscosity of well fluid to be pumped from a well before the same is conveyed to the pump. I prefer to accomplish this by diluting the well fluid in the well with a thinner during operation of the pumping equipment, such as, for example, kerosene or other thin hydrocarbon where an oil well is to be pumped which contains a highly viscous oil. In my preferred embodiment, such a thinner is added to the operating fluid normally used to operate a fluid-operj ated pump, a portion thereof being diverted and mixed with the well oil during pumping.

Still another difliculty in pumping well oil from wells is that the well oil is of such a nature as to produce a high head of foam on the top of the column of well oil, thu causing a pump inserted therein to pump substantial quantities of gas. This is inefilcient and otherwise undesirable, sometimes causing gas locks in the pumping equipment. Therefore, it is another object of my invention to treat well fluid in a well during pumping of the same with a de-foaming agent, such as, for example, kerosene, so as to break up the gas oil emulsion of such a foam. I prefer to accomplish this by conveying the de-foaming agent downwardly with the operating fluid normally used to operate a fluid-operated pump, and to divert and discharge a part of such operating fluid directly into the well oil so as to reduce the foam therein.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be evident from the specification and the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic utility view, partl in section, of my invention disposed in a well. i

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the motor and main valve construction of my device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of my device, continued downwardly from the bottom of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of my device, continued downwardly from the bottom of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a casin Ill set in a well, the lower end of which is filled with well fluid as indicated at H, the upper end of the casing having a casing head |2 connected thereto on which is rigidly positioned a tubing head l3. The casing head l2 and the tubing head |3 may :be of any type well known in the art.

Suspended from the tubing head I3 is a production tubing |4 provided at its lower end with a conical seat member l5, and also suspended from the tubing head is a power tubing M5 on the lower end of which is a fluid-operated pump unit H which includes a motor unit and a pump unit, generally designated as l8 and i9 respectively. The conical seat member is provided with a port |5a for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The lower end of the pump unit I9 is provided with a tapered seat surface adapted to seat in the conical seat member I5, making a fluid-tight joint therewith. Suitably connected to the tubing head I3 is a supply pipe 2| communicating between the power tubing I6 and a source of supply of operating fluid under pressure (not shown), and also connected to the tubin head is a production pipe 22 communicating between the production tubing l4 and a point of discharge or storage (not shown). The casing head I2 is provided with a vent pipe 23 communicating with the interior of the casing Ill through which gas may be taken off from the top of the casing.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, I show the motor unit l8 and valve mechanism 25 therefor, the specific construction and operation of which are not a part of the present invention, being fully illustrated and described in my No. 2,134,174, to which reference has been made. The main parts of the motor unit construction, however, are a motor cylinder 26 closed at its upper end by a head 21 and closed at its lower end by a central head 28, and having a motor piston 29 adapted to 'be actuated therein by operating fluid under pressure delivered through the power tubing is and through the valve mechanism 25 alternately to opposite ends of the motor cylinder. The motor piston 29 is provided with an upper piston rod 3|) which is connected to the motor piston and extends upwardly through the upper head 21 and into the path of the operating fluid delivered through the power-tubing IS. Also connected to the motor piston 29 is an intermediate piston rod 3| which passes downwardly ghroizigh the lower head 28 of the motor cylin- The pump unit l9 generally comprises a pump cylinder 33 threaded at its upper end to the central head 28 and threaded at its lower end to a lower head 34, there being a cylinder liner 36 proearlier Patent 73 vided in the pump cylinder 33 so as to be slidable relative thereto, the liner being supported as described hereinafter so as to provide a fluid space 35 therearound. A pump piston 31 is provided in the cylinder liner 36, being connected to the lower end of the intermediate piston rod 3|, and has connected to its lower.end a lower piston rod 38 which extends downwardly through the lower head 34. The pump piston 31 is provided with piston rings 18 held in suitable annular piston ring grooves formed in the outer surface of the pump piston, which operate to form a sliding fluid-tight firt between the pump piston and the interior of the cylinder liner 3-6. The piston rings 18 are adjusted to create more friction between the pump piston 31 and the cylinder liner 35 than exists between the cylinder liner and the inner walls of the pump cylinder 33, for a purpose to be described later, but it will b apparent that the use of the piston rings is preferable only, and that any other suitable means may be used to provide friction between the liner and the pump piston without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The lower end of the central head 23 is provided with a reduced diameter 33 and has formed therein an upper discharge valve means 40a, including an annular discharge valve chamber 4|), there being an upper valve cage 4| abutting against the lower end of the central head 23 so as to close the valve chamber 40, bein held in fluid-tight relation with the central head by means of a sleeve 42 threaded into the central head 28 and having a flange 43 engaging an annular shoulder 44 formed on the valve cage 4|. A plurality of ball valve seats 45 are formed in a valve seat ring 45 set in a recess 41 in the valve cage 4|, each of which is adapted to seat a ball valve element 48, all of the ball valve elements normally being held in seated position by an upper ring 49 held in yielding engagement therewith by a compression spring 50. Formed in the central head 28 and communicating between the upper portion of the valve chamber 40 and the exterior of the central head is an upper discharge passage 5|. Formed in the upper portion of the valve cage 4| are passages 52, each of which communicates between the valve seats 45 and the interior of the valve cage.

Cooperating with the lower end of the upper valve cage 4| is an upper poppet valve device 55, which includes an annular seat ring 56 rigidly set into the lower interior of the valve cage 4| and provided with an outwardly directed beveled seat 31 adapted to cooperate with an internally beveled seat 33 formed on a valve member 33 threaded to the upper end of the cylinder liner 33, and having upper intake ports 63 therein, formed in a sleeve portion -3l telescoping over the lower outer end of the valve cage 4| and forming a sliding fluidtight flt therewith and supporting the upper end of the liner in the pump cylinder 33. The upper intake ports 30 communicate at all times with the upper end of the fluid space 33.

The lower head 34 is provided with a lower discharge valve means 33 similar in construction to the upper discharge valve means 43a but inverted in position, which is adapted to discharge pumped fluid through a lower discharge passage 34. Threaded on the lower end of the cylinder liner 33 is a lower poppet valve devic 35, similar in construction to the upper poppet valve device 33 but inverted in position, and having lower intake ports 33. Also formed in the lower head 34 is an intake passage 31 communicating around the lower discharge valve means 33 and the lower poppet valve device 35 with the fluid space 35 around the cylinder liner 33. As will be noted, the pump piston 31 is provided with upper and lower tu'bular heads 31a and 31b, respectively, which enter the valve cages of the upper and lower poppet valve devices 33 and 35, respectively, at opposite ends of the pump piston stroke to reduce the clearance volume of the piston rods 3! and 33 at such times, so as to render the pumping device more efllcient if the pumped fluid contains relatively high percentages of gas.

As will be noted, the lower piston rod 33 extends downwardly through the lower head 34 and is provided with suitable packing 33 therearound, and projects downwardly into a closure tube 33 threaded into the lower end of the lower head 34. Abutting against the lower end of the lower head 34 is a spacer element having an inlet groove 1| formed therein which is adapted to be aligned with the intake passage 31 by means of a dowel pin 12 projecting into suitable registering openings in both the lower head and spacer element. Engaging the lower end of the spacer element 13 is a guard sleeve 13 concentric with and spaced from the closure tube 33 to protect the same, and which is adapted to be rigidly positioned relative to the spacer element by lock nuts 14 threaded on the lower end of the closure tube 39 and engaging an end ring 15 which in turn engages the guard sleeve.

Through the upper piston rod 30, the motor piston 23, the intermediate piston rod 3|, the pump piston 31, and the lower piston rod 38, is a longitudinal passage 13 communicating at its upper end with the interior of the power tubing l3 and communicating at its lower end with the interior of the closure tube 39. Formed in the lower head 34 is a bleeder port 11 which communicates between the interior of the closure tube 33 and a semicircular groove 13:: formed in the exterior of the lower head at the approximate center of the tapered seat surface 23 thereon.

In operation, operating fluid under relatively high pressure is conveyed downwardly through the power tubing l3 to the motor unit I3 through the valve mechanism 23 to reciprocate the motor piston 23 in the motor cylinder 23, as described in my said Patent No. 2,134,174. Reciprocation oi the motor piston 29 causes a corresponding reciprocation of the pump piston 31 in the pump cylinder 33. The parts of the device are so designed that when the upper poppet valve device 33 is in its open position as shown in Fig. 3, the lower po pet valve device 33 will be in its closed position as shown in Fig. 4. When in such posltion, well fluid may flow from the well through the inlet grooves 1| and the intake passage 31 into and upwardly through the fluid space 33 of the pump unit l3, and may flow therefrom through the upper intake ports 33 of the upper poppet valve device 33 into the upper end of the cylinder liner 33 above the pump piston 31. When the parts are in such position, fluid below the pump piston 31 may not flow out through the lower poppet valve device 33, since the same is closed, but flows downwardly through the lower discharge valve means 33 to discharge from the pump unit through the lower discharge passage 34. With the pump piston 31 in the position shown in Fig. 4, it is just completing its downstroke. When it starts its upstroke, friction created between the pump piston and the cylinder liner 33 by the packing rings 13 on the pump piston will cause the cylinder liner to move upwardly with the pump piston until the valve member 33 of the upper po pet valve device 35 seats on thebeveled seat 31 of the annular seat ring 33, atwhich time the upper. poppet valve device will be closed and the lower poppet valve device will be open. As soon as the valve member 33 engages the annular seat ring 33, upward movement of the cylinder liner 33 will be stopped. and during the remainder of the upward stroke 01' the pump piston 31, the pump piston will move relative to the cylinder liner. Upon reversal of the direction of movement or the pump piston 31, the cylinder liner 33 will then move downwardly with the pump piston by reason of the friction created therebetween by the packing rings 13 to open the upper poppet valve device 55 and close the lower poppet valve device 33. As will be understood, the upper and lower poppet valve devices 33 and 33 comprise inlet valve means for the pump unit 13. By using this type of inlet valve construction, it is possible to make the area of the inlet ports as large as may be desired, so as to enable a hydraulic pump of my present construction to be used satisfactorily in pumping fluids having high viscosity, which is a particular advantage of my invention.

During normal operation, the fluid-operated pump unit I1 is seated in the conical seat member I3 0! the production tubing l4, so that the groove 13a is out of registry with the port l3a so that the seat effectively closes the outer end of the bleeder port 11. When the power tubing I3 is pulled from the well, to repair the fluidoperated pump unit l1, or for other reasons, it is desirable to permit the operating fluid therein to drain therefrom so as to prevent the operating fluid from flooding the area around the casing head l2 as the tubing joints are broken, known in' the industry as a wet Job. This is accomplished in my present construction by the bleeder port 11, which is open to the well as soon as the fluid-operated pump unit l1 is raised .from the conical seat member l3, thus permitting the operating fluid in the power tubing i3 to drain therefrom through the longitudinal passage 13 of the piston rod, the closure tube 39, and the bleeder port 11, the fluid then passing downwardly through the conical seat member at the lower end of the production tubing I 4. Obviously, as soon as the fluid-operated pump unit i1 is raised from the conical seat member l3, all well fluid in the production tubing I 4 will also be permitted to drain downwardly through the conical seat member it and back into the well so that the production tubing may also be pulled free from the oil which would otherwise be therein. By providing this feeder construction at the lower end of the fluid-operated pump unit, substantially all of the oil in both the production tubing 14 and the power tubing It may be drained therefrom, which is a distinct advantage over the bleeder devices of the prior art. By incorporating my bleeder construction in my fluid-operated pump unit, I also obviate the necessity of providing a separate bleeder device above the fluidoperated pump unit in the line of the production and power tubing, which would otherwise be necessary, thus materially decreasing the cost of such installation and simplifying the assembly thereof.

In the event-that my invention is intended to be used in a well in which the: well fluid has characteristics normally detrimental to the operation of the pump, such as, for example, unduly high foreign matter content or viscosity, or an undesirable foam or emulsion condition, all as pointed out hereinabove, I provide means whereby the well fluid may be treated to render it suitable for pumping during the normal operation of my fluid-operated pump unit l1 and prior to the time when the well fluid passes into the inlet of the pump unit through the groove ,Ii. This is accomplished by relative rotation of the production tubing 14 and the power tubing I 6 so as to cause the groove 16a to register with the port Ito, thus permitting a small portion of th operating fluid to discharge outwardly through the bleeder port 11 and the port ltd directly into the fluid in the well. This discharge of operating fluid is preferably continued as long as necessary during the operation of the fluid-operated pump unit ll. Due to the relatively small cross-sectional area of the port Ito, only a small proportion of the operating fluid may be discharged therethrough, although, obviously, the size of the port Ito may be varied as desired, depending upon the pressure of the operating fluid and the amount of flow desired through the port 15a. Since the operating fluid is normally clean oil, or clean fluid 01' the same type as that to be pumped, if it is desired to merely reduce the percentage by volume of foreign material in the pumped well fluid, a portion of the operating fluid may be diverted directly through the bleeder port I1 and the port I511 to dilute the well fluid in the well, and thus reduce the percentage by volume of foreign material therein. If other types of treatment of the well fluid are necessary, a treating substance may be added to the operating fluid at its source (not shown), as is well known in the art, and the treating substance may thus be discharged with the diverted operating fluid directly through the bleeder port 1'! and the port Iia into the well fluid in the well during operation of the fluid operated pump l'l. Thus, if the well fluid naturally has such a high viscosity as to prevent proper operation of the fluid-operated pump H, a treating agent comprising a thinner, such as, for example, light oil, may be used as the operating fluid or may be added to the operating fluid, which, when mixed with the well fluid, causes a material reduction of the viscosity of the well fluid before the same enters the pump unit through the groove ii. Again, if the well fluid in the well is comprised largely of a foam, emulsion, or gas-liquid mixture containing large quantities of gas, a de-foaming or de-emulsifying agent may be added to the operating fluid at its aaoasec source. so that as a portion of the operating fluid is discharged into the well fluid thro h the port Ito, the de-foaming or de-emuisifying agent will act on the foam or emulsion comprising the well fluid to break the same, thus permitting liquid substantially free of gas to enter the pump unit through the groove II. It is to be noted that in practicing all off these methods of treating the well fluid, the treatment may be carried on continuously during the operation of the fluid-operated pump unit H, which is an important [feature of my invention. Obviously, if at any time during operation of the fluid-operated pump unit ll it is desired to discontinue the treatment of the well fluid in the well, relative rotation of the tection of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of pumping well fluid from a well having a pump therein, the well fluid normally being made up substantially of a foam consisting of well fluid and gas so as to be detrimental to the normal operation of the pump, including the steps of operating the pump to pump well fluid from the well; and conveying a tie-foaming substance into the well fluid in the well during the operation of the pump and before the well fluid enters the pump to break up a substantial quantity of the foam in the well fluid to render the well fluid suitable for pumping by the pump.

2. In a fluid-operated pumping device for use in a well, the combination of: power tubing extending downwardly through the well for conveying an operating fluid; a pump seat in said well and having a fluid conduit therein; and a'fluidoperated pump connected to the lower end of said power tubing and adapted .to seat on said pump seat, said pump having a fluid passage communicating between said powertubing and a port formed in said pump, said pump being movable relative to said pump seat to open or close fluid communication between said port and said fluid conduit.

3. In a fluid-operated pumping device, the combination of: a motor cylinder having a power piston therein; a pump cylinder having a pump piston therein; power tubing extending downwardly through said well to said motor cylinder and adapted to convey an operating fluid therethrough; valve means for conveying said operating fluid from said power tubing to said motor cylinder to operate said power piston therein; piston rod means operatively connecting said power piston and said pump piston and having a passage therein at all times communicating with the operating fluid in said power tubing; and port means in the wall of said pump cylinder and communicating with said passage, adapted to convey operating fluid from said power tubing through said passage and said port means to the exterior of said pump cylinder while the pumping device is in the well.

4. In a fluid-operated pumping device, the combination of: a motor cylinder having upper and lower heads closing the ends thereof; a pump cylinder disposed below said motor cylinder and having upper and lower heads closing the ends of said pump cylinder; power tubing extending downwardly through said well to said motor cylinder and adapted to convey an operat ing fluid therethrough; valve means for conveying operating fluid from said power tubing to said motor cylinder to operate said power piston therein; piston rod means operatively connecting said power piston and said pump piston, said piston rod means having an upper end extending through the upper head of said motor cylinder and communicating with the operating fluid in said power tubing, said piston rod means having a lower end extending through the lower head of said pump cylinder, said piston rod means having a longitudinal fluid passage therethrough communicating at its upper end with said operating fluid in said power tubing; and port means communicating with the lower end of said passage and adapted to convey operating fluid from said power tubing through said passage and said port means to a point below said lower head of said pump cylinder.

5. In a fluid-operated pumping device, the combination of: a motor cylinder having upper and lower heads closing the ends thereof; a pump cylinder disposed below said motor cylinder and having upper and lower heads closing the ends of said pump cylinder; power tubing extending downwardly through said well to said motor cylinder and adapted to convey an operating fluid therethrough; valve means for conveying operating fluid from said power tubing to said motor cylinder to operate said power piston therein; piston rod means operatively connecting said power piston and said pump piston, said piston rod means having an upper end extending through the upper head of said motor cylinder and communicating with the operating fluid in said power tubing, said piston rod means having a lower end extending through the lower head of said pump cylinder, said piston rod means having a longitudinal fluid passage therethrough. communicating at its upper end with said operating fluid in said power tubing; port means communicating with the lower end of said passage and adapted to convey operating fluid from said power tubing through said passage and said port means to a point below said lower head of said pump cylinder; seat means adapted to support said pump cylinder in said well, said seat means closing said port means when said pump cylinder is seated on said seat means; and means for moving said pump cylinder relative to said seat means to open said port means.

6. In a fluid-operated pumping devicefor wells, the combination of: pump cylinder means containing a fluid-operated pumping mechanism adapted to be actuated by a supply of operating fluid delivered under pressure thereto to pump fluid from a well, said pump cylinder means having an inlet port for receiving said operating fluid and conveying it to said fluid-operated pumping mechanism, and having a pump seating face formed adjacent the lower end thereof adapted to seat on a pump seat; and passage means providing fluid communication between said inlet port and a point in said pump seating face so as to permit a flow of said operating fluid through said pump to the exterior of said pump seating face.

7. In a fluid-operated pumping device, the combination of: a fluid-operated motor; pumping mechanism; means for operatively connecting said motor and said pumping mechanism whereby operation of said motor operates said pumping mechanism; power tubing connected to said motor and adapted to supply operating fluid thereto to operate the same; port means in an exterior wall of said pumping mechanism; and passage means connecting said port means and said power tubing whereby a supply of said operating fluid can be conveyed through said passage means to said port means during the operation of said pumping mechanism.

8. In a fluid-operated pumping device for use in a well, the combination of power tubing extending downwardly through the well for conveying an operating fluid; a member in said well and having a fluid conduit therein; and a fluidoperated pump connected to the lower end of said power tubing, said fluid-operated pump being adapted to engage said member, said pump having a fluid passage communicating between said power tubing and a port formed in said pump, said pump and said member being relatively movable to open or close fluid communication be tween said port and said fluid conduit.

9. A method of operating a fluid-operated pump in a well, the well fluid normally including substantial quantities of a foam consisting of well fluid and gas so as to be detrimental to the normal operation of the pump, including the steps of :conveying an operating fluid downwardly through said well to the pump to operate it to pump well fluid from the well; introducing a defoaming substance into the operating fluid conveyed to the pump; and introducing at least a portion of said operating fluid and de-foaming agent into the well adjacent the inlet of the pump during the operation of the pump and before the well fluid enters the pump to break up a substantial quantity of foam in the well fluid to render the well fluid suitable for pumping by the pump.

10. A method of operating a fluid-operated pump in a well, the well fluid having natural characteristics detrimental to the operation of the pump, including the steps of: conveying an operating fluid downwardly through the well to the pump to operate it to pump well fluid from the well; introducing an independent treating agent int the operating fluid conveyed to the r pump, said treating agent being capable of changing the characteristics of said well fluid; and diverting a portion of said operating fluid containing said treating agent continuously into the well and during the operation of the pump and before the well fluid enters the pump to treat the well fluid so as to change the characteristics thereof.

11. In a fluid-operated pumping device for use in a well, the combination of: a fluid-operated motor; pumping mechanism; means for operatively connecting said motor and said pumping mechanism whereby operation 01' said motor operates said pumping mechanism: power tubing connected to said motor and adapted to supply operating fluid thereto to operate the same; port means in a wall of said pumping mechanism; a member engaging said wall and having a fluid conduit adapted t communicate with said port means; and passage means connecting said port means and said power tubing whereby a supply of said operating fluid can be conveyed through said passage means to said port means and therethrough to said fluid conduit during the operation of said pumping mechanism.

CLARENCE J. COBERLY.

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