Abstract: The centrifugal pump is of the submersible type and is useful in pumping sand laden fluids. The pump includes a rotatable impeller and fixed diffuser and has an improved bearing that comprises an annular thrust member that is constructed from material having a hardness greater than the hardness of sand. The thrust member is attached to the impeller and has a bearing surface thereon. A second annular bearing member, which is also constructed from material having hardness greater than sand, is attached to the diffuser and has a bearing surface thereon disposed in juxtaposition with the bearing surface on the thrust member.

Abstract: An anti-gas locking apparatus for a downhole pump comprises a sleeve disposed below the pump and in fluid communication with the pump inlet, a housing disposed about the sleeve and fluidly communicating at its upper end with the well in which the pump is disposed, and a cross-over assembly communicating lower portions of the housing with the lower end of the sleeve. The cross-over assembly comprises a cross-over diffuser including a jacket member, the upper end of which mates with the lower end of the sleeve, and a dome member within the jacket member. Apertures are formed through the jacket member and dome member and webs extend between these members to form inlet passages into the interior of the dome member from the annulus between the housing and the sleeve and outlet passages about the dome member to the sleeve. An impeller is disposed within the jacket member below the dome member.

Abstract: A seal section for connecting a downhole motor and pump used to remove fluids from an oil well comprising a plurality of balance chambers which are vertically stacked and fluidly interconnected in a serial manner such that a fluid path between the well and the motor extends through a series of balance chambers. Each balance chamber is comprised of two concentric, open ended tubes disposed within a tubular casing member and the tubes of each balance chamber are mounted on different ones of seal heads which are spaced vertically along the seal section to delimit the ends of the balance chambers. Each seal head intermediate the seal heads disposed at upper and lower ends of the seal section is provided with one upperwardly extending tube and one downwardly extending tube such that any selected number of balance chambers can be formed by selecting the number of intermediate seal heads to be incorporated into the seal section.