Abstract: An electric submersible pumping system includes a motor filled with motor lubricant, a pump driven by the motor, and a fluid expansion chamber connected to the motor. The fluid expansion chamber includes a seal bag filled with a seal bag lubricant and a bellows contained within the seal bag. The bellows includes an interior in fluid communication with the motor and an exterior in fluid communication with the seal bag lubricant.

Abstract: A virtual sensor system includes one or more electric submersible pumping systems deployed in a reservoir and a computer system that receives data from the one or more electric submersible pumping systems. Field data is provided to computerized statistical models for predicting whether individual electric submersible pumping systems and the reservoir have undergone changes in condition. The statistical models are established with reference data obtained by running electric submersible pumping systems of known working condition in test wells under a variety of controlled conditions.

Abstract: A port for use in introducing a fluid into an internal fluid chamber includes a plug bore, a valve disposed in the plug bore and a plug. The plug includes one or more seal grooves and a ring seal in each of the one or more seal grooves. The ring seal creates a seal between the plug and the plug bore. The port further includes a positive stop barrier that prevents the plug from being removed from the plug bore.

Abstract: A method of operating a submersible pumping system includes the steps of placing the pumping system in a normal mode of operation and then detecting the possible presence of a gas slug in proximity to the pumping system by measuring a decrease in the load on the motor. Once the possibility of a gas slug has been detected, the method continues by placing the pumping system in a reduced speed cycle. The pumping system is kept in the reduced speed cycle until the absence of a gas slug in proximity to the pumping system is detected by evaluating two independent conditions within the pumping system.

Abstract: A volumetric compensator assembly for use in the seal section of a pumping system includes an envelope bladder that in turn includes a flexible top sheet and a bottom sheet connected to the top sheet along a pair of side seams and an end seam. The top sheet and bottom sheet together define a bladder interior that has a variable capacity. The volumetric compensator assembly also has a bladder support tube and the envelope bladder is coiled around the bag support tube.

Abstract: A fluid processor for use in a downhole pumping operation includes a fluid processing stag, a nozzle stage and a gas compressor stage. The nozzle chamber is configured as a convergent-divergent nozzle and the variable metering member is configured for axial displacement within the convergent section to adjust the open cross-sectional area of the nozzle. A method for producing fluid hydrocarbons from a subterranean wellbore with a pumping system includes the steps of measuring a first gas-to-liquid ratio of the fluid hydrocarbons and operating a motor within the pumping system to operate at a first rotational speed. The method continues with the steps of measuring a second gas-to-liquid ration of the fluid hydrocarbons with the sensor module, where the second gas-to-liquid ratio is greater than the first gas-to-liquid ratio, and operating the motor at a second rotational speed that is faster than the first rotational speed.

Abstract: A pumping system includes a motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a pump driven by shaft, a thrust bearing housing and a thrust bearing assembly contained within the thrust bearing housing. The thrust bearing assembly includes a rotating component connected to the shaft, a first bearing adjacent to the rotating component and an adjustment mechanism for the adjusting the distance between the rotating component and the first bearing. The adjustment mechanism can be externally manipulated from outside the thrust bearing housing.

Abstract: An electric submersible pumping system for use in pumping fluids from a wellbore includes a motor, a pump driven by the motor, and a fluid expansion module connected to the motor. The fluid expansion module includes a piston seal housing and a piston assembly contained within the piston seal housing. The piston assembly includes a piston body having an exterior surface, a plurality of seals connected to the exterior surface of the piston body and a pressure equalization system. The pressure equalization system reduces a pressure differential between fluid in an annular space between the plurality of seals and fluid surrounding the first piston assembly.

Abstract: A submersible pumping system has an electric motor, a rotary hydraulic pump driven by the electric motor, and a linear hydraulic pump that is configured to move a production fluid. The rotary hydraulic pump produces a pressurized working fluid that drives the linear hydraulic pump. In another aspect, a method is disclosed for controlling the temperature of an electric motor within a submersible pumping system disposed in a wellbore. The method includes the steps of circulating motor lubricant through a hydraulically driven production pump to reduce the temperature of the motor lubricant.

Abstract: An electric machine is presented. The electric machine includes a stator and a rotor disposed concentric to the stator. At least one of the rotor and the stator includes a core including a plurality of laminates stacked along the axial direction of the electric machine, where the stacked plurality of laminates defines a plurality of axial slots. The at least one of the rotor and the stator further includes a permanent magnet assembly disposed in one or more of the plurality of axial slots, where the permanent magnet assembly includes two or more permanent magnets disposed serially along the axial direction of the electric machine such that adjacently disposed permanent magnets overlap one another to form an overlapped interface. The overlapped interface spans at least two laminates of the plurality of laminates of the core.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided herein a system and method for producing a well lifecycle lift plan that includes considerations of multiple types of lift, multiple lift configurations associated with each lift type, and can be used to provide a prediction of when or if it would be desirable to change the lift plan at some time in the future. Another embodiment utilizes a heuristic database with rules that might be used to limit the solution space in some instances by restricting the solution to feasible configurations. A further embodiment teaches how multiple individual well optimization results might be combined with a reservoir model to obtain an optimized lift schedule for an entire field.

Abstract: A pumping system for use in a subterranean wellbore below a surface includes a motor assembly, a pump driven by the motor assembly, and one or more sensors configured to measure an operating parameter within the pumping system and output a signal representative of the measured parameter. The pumping system further includes a wireless telemetry system that is configured to transmit data representative of the measured parameter from the pumping system to the surface. The one or more sensors may include acoustically active sensors that operate according to surface acoustic wave principles.

Abstract: An adapter is used to connect a first component within a downhole pumping system to a second component within the downhole pumping system. The adapter includes an upstream section adjacent the first component and a downstream section adjacent the second component. The adapter further includes an articulating joint that permits the angular movement of the first component with respect to the second component. The articulating joint includes a flexible metal casing extending between the upstream section and the downstream section.

Abstract: A passive multiphase separator is configured to separate gas from a two-phase fluid in a wellbore. The passive multiphase separator includes an intake tube that has an intake end, a discharge end and an interior section between the intake end and the discharge end. The interior section includes a rifled interior surface that induces rotation in fluids passing through the interior section. The passive multiphase separator further includes a head assembly connected to the discharge end of the intake tube. The head assembly includes a crossover tube extending into the interior section, one or more gas vents extending from an interior of the crossover tube to an exterior of the head assembly and a liquid discharge. The passive multiphase separator can be deployed in a variety of hydrocarbon recovery systems.

Abstract: An electric submersible pumping system is configured to pump fluids from a wellbore. The electric submersible pumping system includes a motor filled with dielectric motor lubricant and a pump driven by the motor. The electric submersible pumping system further includes an upper seal section connected to the motor and filled with seal section oil. The electric submersible pumping system also includes a lower seal section connected to the motor. In preferred embodiments, the lower seal section includes an expansible bladder that isolates the dielectric motor lubricant from wellbore fluids. The upper seal section is in fluid isolation from the motor. The lower seal section is in fluid communication with the motor.

Abstract: A thrust control assembly for use in a horizontal pumping system includes a thrust bearing chamber that is filled with a fluid lubricant, a thrust bearing assembly contained within the thrust bearing chamber, a first radial bearing chamber, a first radial bearing assembly contained within the first radial bearing chamber and a first metering assembly. The first metering assembly controls the flow of lubricant from the thrust bearing chamber to the first radial bearing chamber. The first metering assembly may include an orifice plate.

Abstract: A multistage centrifugal pump includes a housing, a rotatable shaft and first and second turbomachinery stages. The first turbomachinery stage includes a first diffuser connected to the housing, a first impeller connected to the rotatable shaft. The second turbomachinery stage includes a second diffuser connected to the housing and a second impeller connected to the rotatable shaft. The multistage centrifugal pump further includes an integral axial load and bearing system that includes at least one diffuser bushing and at least one impeller bearing. The integral axial load and bearing system permits the independent axial movement of the first and second impellers. The integral axial load and bearing system also provides an opposite force to up-thrust and down-thrust produced by the first and second turbomachinery stages.

Abstract: A suction chamber for use in a horizontal fluid pumping system is supported by a fixed vertical bracket, which is attached to a platform. The suction chamber is positioned between a motor and a pump in the horizontal pumping system. The pumping system may also include a thrust bearing chamber positioned between the motor and the suction chamber. The pumping system may also include a bearing chamber adapter positioned between the thrust bearing chamber and the suction chamber. The suction chamber has a suction chamber pump end and a suction chamber motor end. The suction chamber enables both motor-end seal removal and pump-end seal removal. In both motor end seal removal and pump end seal removal, the suction chamber of the invention remains connected to the vertical bracket. The pumping system may also include an integrated lifting device connected to the vertical bracket to lift the thrust bearing assembly.

Abstract: A seal section for use in a downhole submersible pumping system includes one or more fluid separation mechanisms, a shaft and one or more primary mechanical seals. Each of the one or more primary mechanical seals is disposed along the shaft. The seal section also includes one or more redundant shaft seals that each substantially surrounds a corresponding one of the one or more primary mechanical seals. In another aspect, a seal section for use in a pumping system includes one or more fluid separation mechanisms, a shaft, a primary mechanical seal and a redundant shaft seal. The redundant shaft seal substantially surrounds the primary mechanical seal. The seal section further includes an internal seal chamber defined by the annular space between the primary mechanical seal and the redundant shaft seal.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly configured to reduce the axial displacement of a shaft includes a stationary thrust bearing, a thrust runner adjacent to the thrust bearing and a taper sleeve driver. The thrust runner includes a central passage. The taper sleeve driver includes an interior surface in contact with the shaft and an exterior surface in contact with the central passage of the thrust runner. The taper sleeve driver has a tapered exterior surface that applies a radially directed clamping force against the thrust runner as the taper sleeve driver is engaged within the central passage.