IP Library Granted Patent US 10,323,494
Granted Patent B2
US 10,323,494 · App. 15/196,737 · Granted Jun 18, 2019

Hydrocarbon production system and an associated method thereof

Inventors: Mahendra Ladharam Joshi (Katy, TX); Xuele Qi (Edmond, OK); Raymond Patrick Murphy (Waddell, AZ); Stewart Blake Brazil (Edmond, OK); Haifeng Jiang (Edmond, OK); Dewey Lavonne Parkey, Jr. (Oklahama City, OK)
Assignee: General Electric Company
E21B43/38E21B43/385E21B43/40E21B43/124E21B43/128E21B47/00E21B2049/085
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,323,494
App. No.
15/196,737
Granted
Jun 18, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a casing-liner, a first downhole separator, a production pump, and a second downhole separator disposed within a wellbore casing disposed in a wellbore. An annular disposal zone is defined between the casing-liner and the wellbore casing. First downhole separator is configured to receive a production fluid from a production zone and generate a hydrocarbon rich stream and a water stream including a solid medium. Production pump is configured to pump the hydrocarbon rich stream from the first downhole separator to a surface unit. Second downhole separator is configured to receive the water stream including the solid medium from the first downhole separator, separate the solid medium to generate a separated water stream, and dispose the solid medium to the annular disposal zone. The system further includes a tube configured to dispose the separated water stream from the second downhole separator to a water disposal zone in wellbore.

Claims (40)

1. A system comprising:

a casing-liner disposed within a wellbore casing disposed in a wellbore to define an annular disposal zone between the casing-liner and the wellbore casing;

a first downhole separator disposed within the wellbore casing and configured to receive a production fluid from a production zone and generate a hydrocarbon rich stream and a water stream comprising a solid medium, from the production fluid;

a production pump disposed within the wellbore casing and coupled to the first downhole separator and a surface unit, wherein the production pump is configured to pump the hydrocarbon rich stream from the first downhole separator to the surface unit via a channel;

a second downhole separator disposed above the casing-liner within the wellbore casing and coupled to the first downhole separator and configured to receive the water stream comprising the solid medium from the first downhole separator and separate the solid medium from the water stream to generate a separated water stream, wherein the second downhole separator is configured to dispose the solid medium to the annular disposal zone;

a tube coupled to the second downhole separator and configured to dispose the separated water stream from the second downhole separator to a water disposal zone in the wellbore; and

a spring loaded centralizer coupled to the casing-liner and the wellbore casing.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a packer disposed within the wellbore casing and located above the first downhole separator, wherein the packer is configured to prevent flow of the production fluid directly from the production zone to the production pump.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a packer coupled to a bottom end portion of the casing-liner and the wellbore casing and configured to seal the annular disposal zone, wherein the casing-liner is disposed above the water disposal zone.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a packer disposed within the wellbore casing and coupled to the casing-liner, wherein the packer is located below the second downhole separator and configured to isolate the water disposal zone from the production zone.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first jet pump coupled to the first downhole separator and configured to transfer the production fluid from the production zone to the first downhole separator.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a second jet pump coupled to the first downhole separator and the second downhole separator, wherein the second jet pump is configured to the transfer the water stream comprising the solid medium from the first downhole separator to the second downhole separator.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a surface separator coupled to the production pump and the surface unit, wherein the surface separator is configured to receive the hydrocarbon rich stream from the first downhole separator and generate oil and a water rich stream and feed the oil to the surface unit.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a booster pump coupled to the tube and configured to pressurize the separated water stream and dispose the separated water stream in the water disposal zone.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a motor disposed within the wellbore casing and coupled to the first downhole separator; and

a jumper cable coupled to the motor and a lift system including the production pump, wherein the motor is configured to drive the first downhole separator.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a first sensor operatively coupled to an outlet of the first downhole separator and a second sensor operatively coupled to the channel, wherein the first sensor is configured to measure a flow rate of the hydrocarbon rich stream and wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a density of the hydrocarbon rich stream.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a control unit communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and configured to receive at least one of a first signal and a second signal from the first sensor and the second sensor respectively, wherein the first signal is representative of the flow rate of the hydrocarbon rich stream and the second signal is representative of the density of the hydrocarbon rich stream.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is communicatively coupled to the motor and configured to control a speed of the motor based on the at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a control valve coupled to the channel and communicatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the control valve is configured to control an outlet pressure of the hydrocarbon rich stream based on the at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first downhole separator comprises a centrifugal separator.

15. A method comprising:

transferring a production fluid from a production zone to a first downhole separator disposed within a wellbore casing disposed within a wellbore;

generating a hydrocarbon rich stream and a water stream comprising a solid medium, from the production fluid, using the first downhole separator disposed within the wellbore casing;

feeding the hydrocarbon rich stream from the first downhole separator, using a production pump to a surface unit via a channel, wherein the production pump is disposed within the wellbore casing;

transferring the water stream comprising the solid medium, from the first downhole separator to a second downhole separator disposed within the wellbore casing;

separating the solid medium from the water stream to generate a separated water stream, using the second downhole separator;

disposing the solid medium from the second downhole separator to an annular disposal zone defined there between a casing-liner and the wellbore casing, wherein the casing-liner is disposed within the wellbore casing and below the second downhole separator; and

disposing the separated water stream from the second downhole separator to a water disposal zone in the wellbore, via a tube.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising preventing flow of the production fluid directly from the production zone to the production pump via a packer located above the first downhole separator, wherein the packer is disposed within the wellbore casing.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sealing the annular disposal zone using a packer located within the wellbore casing and above the water disposal zone, wherein the packer is coupled to a bottom end portion of the casing-liner and the wellbore casing.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising isolating the water disposal zone from the production zone via a packer located below the second downhole separator in the wellbore casing, wherein the packer is coupled to the casing-liner.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein disposing the separated water stream to the water disposal zone comprises pressurizing the water stream using a booster pump coupled to the tube.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

supplying power to a motor disposed within the wellbore casing via a jumper cable coupled to a lift system including the production pump; and

driving the first downhole separator using the motor.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising measuring at least one of a flow rate of the hydrocarbon rich stream using a first sensor and a density of the hydrocarbon rich stream using a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is operatively coupled to an outlet of the first downhole separator and the second sensor is operatively coupled to the channel.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising controlling a speed of the motor via a control unit based on at least one of a first signal from the first sensor and a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the first signal is representative of the flow rate of the hydrocarbon rich stream and the second signal is representative of the density of the hydrocarbon rich stream.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising controlling a control valve via a control unit to control an outlet pressure of the hydrocarbon rich stream based on at least one of a first signal from the first sensor and a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the first signal is representative of the flow rate of the hydrocarbon rich stream and the second signal is representative of the density of the hydrocarbon rich stream, wherein the control valve is coupled to the channel.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2020
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051708/0186 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2020
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051620/0268 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2016
From: JOSHI, MAHENDRA LADHARAM; QI, XUELE; MURPHY, RAYMOND PATRICK; BRAZIL, STEWART BLAKE; JIANG, HAIFENG; PARKEY, DEWEY LAVONNE, JR.
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 039044/0180 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62195814 · Jul 23, 2015
Related Publication 20170022797A1 · Jan 26, 2017
Cited By (4)
US 12,497,882 US 12,529,301 US 12,687,098 US 12,698,686