Abstract: An electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly that includes an electric motor with a splined drive shaft with drive shaft teeth, an ESP mechanically coupled to the electric motor that includes a splined ESP shaft with ESP shaft teeth, and a downhole component mechanically coupled to the electric motor that includes a splined component shaft with component shaft teeth. Splined couplings each include a central axis and grooves through the coupling with groove sidewalls sized to receive the shaft teeth. The grooves are angled relative to the central axis to form a space on either side of each tooth in each groove for at least a portion of the overlapped length of the tooth within the groove. Each coupling is engageable with the teeth of two of the drive shaft, the pump shaft, or the component shaft to mechanically couple the electric motor, the ESP, and the downhole component.

Abstract: Pumping of wellbore fluid to a surface may have a detrimental effect on the pump performance due to high gas concentrations in the fluid. A pump system that utilizes a helix gas separator provides greater pump efficiency by effectively removing the gas phase of the fluid. The wellbore fluid received at a pump system is directed from an intake to a gas separator that utilizes a stationary auger. The stationary auger induces rotational motion of the wellbore fluid causing the wellbore fluid to separate into a gas phase and a liquid phase. The stationary auger utilizes a tapered diameter and an opening between one or more helixes or vanes to separate a gas phase more efficiently from a liquid phase of a fluid.

Abstract: An electric submersible pump (ESP) electric motor. The ESP electric motor comprises a housing; a stator retained within the housing; a drive shaft; and an at least one rotor mechanically coupled to the drive shaft and located concentric with and inside of the stator, wherein an inside surface of the stator defines a groove extending from an upper end to a lower end of the stator, an outside surface of the at least one rotor defines a groove extending from an upper end to a lower end of the at least one rotor, an inside surface of the at least one rotor defines a groove extending from an upper end to a lower end of the at least one rotor, or an outside surface of the drive shaft defines a groove extending from below an male splines at an upper end to a lower end of the drive shaft.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a pump system including a pump, a gas relief valve coupled to the pump, a motor configured to turn the pump, and a sensor configured to measure a parameter of at least one of a fluid or the pump system. The gas relief valve includes an actuator and a rotary disk system, and the rotary disk system includes a stationary disk and a rotary disk. The actuator is rotationally coupled to the rotary disk, and in a first position, the gas relief valve directs a flow of a fluid into a production tubing and in a second position, the gas relief valve directs the flow of the fluid into an annulus of a wellbore.

Abstract: An electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly. The ESP assembly comprises an electric motor; a seal section; a fluid intake; a charge pump assembly located downstream of the fluid intake and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the fluid intake, having a fluid mover coupled to a drive shaft, and having a fluid reservoir located downstream of the fluid mover; a gas separator located downstream of the charge pump assembly and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the charge pump assembly; an inverted shroud coupled at an upper end to the gas separator or to the charge pump assembly and coupled at a lower end to the ESP assembly below the fluid intake; and a production pump assembly located downstream of the gas separator and having an inlet in fluid communication with a liquid phase discharge port of the gas separator.

Abstract: A downhole gas separator and pump assembly. The downhole gas separator and pump assembly comprises a drive shaft; a first fluid mover having an inlet and an outlet; a separation chamber located downstream of the first fluid mover and fluidically coupled to the outlet of the first fluid mover; a gas flow path and liquid flow path separator located downstream of the separation chamber, having an inlet fluidically coupled to the separation chamber, having a gas phase discharge port open to an exterior of the assembly, and having a liquid phase discharge port; and a second fluid mover mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, located downstream of the first gas flow path and liquid flow path separator, and having an inlet fluidically coupled to the fluid phase discharge port of the first gas flow path and liquid flow path separator.

Abstract: An electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly. The ESP assembly comprises an electric motor; a seal section; a fluid intake; a charge pump assembly located downstream of the fluid intake and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the fluid intake, having a fluid mover coupled to a drive shaft, and having a fluid reservoir located downstream of the fluid mover; a gas separator assembly located downstream of the charge pump assembly and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the charge pump assembly; and a production pump assembly located downstream of the gas separator assembly and having an inlet in fluid communication with a liquid phase discharge port of the gas separator assembly.

Abstract: A downhole gas separator fluid mover assembly comprising a fluid mover having an inlet and an outlet, a separation device, a separation chamber, and a flow path separator located downstream of the fluid mover. The fluid mover comprising a centrifugal pump stage with an impeller and a diffuser moves production fluid comprising a high viscosity fluid portion and a gas portion to the separation device. The separation device produces a fluid motion that separates the gas phase from the liquid phase in response to the flow rate of production fluid from the fluid mover. A portion of the high viscosity fluid passes through the gas phase discharge port in response to the over-supply of high viscosity fluid to the liquid discharge port in response to the flow rate of the production fluid through the fluid mover.

Abstract: Pumping of wellbore fluid to a surface may have a detrimental effect on the pump performance due to high gas concentrations in the fluid. A pump system that utilizes a helix gas separator provides greater pump efficiency by effectively removing the gas phase of the fluid. The wellbore fluid received at a pump system is directed from an intake to a gas separator that utilizes a stationary auger. The stationary auger induces rotational motion of the wellbore fluid causing the wellbore fluid to separate into a gas phase and a liquid phase. The stationary auger utilizes a tapered diameter and an opening between one or more helixes or vanes to separate a gas phase more efficiently from a liquid phase of a fluid.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a pump system including a pump, a gas relief valve coupled to the pump, a motor configured to turn the pump, and a sensor configured to measure a parameter of at least one of a fluid or the pump system. The gas relief valve includes an actuator and a rotary disk system, and the rotary disk system includes a stationary disk and a rotary disk. The actuator is rotationally coupled to the rotary disk, and in a first position, the gas relief valve directs a flow of a fluid into a production tubing and in a second position, the gas relief valve directs the flow of the fluid into an annulus of a wellbore.

Abstract: A downhole gas separator assembly. The gas separator comprises a drive shaft; a first fluid mover mechanically coupled to the drive shaft having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a fluid reservoir concentrically disposed around the drive shaft and located downstream of the first fluid mover, wherein an inside surface of the fluid reservoir and an outside surface of the drive shaft define a first annulus that is fluidically coupled to the fluid outlet of the first fluid mover; a second fluid mover having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the second fluid mover is located downstream of the fluid reservoir, and wherein the fluid inlet of the second fluid mover is fluidically coupled to the first annulus; and a gas flow path and liquid flow path separator having a gas phase discharge port open to an exterior of the assembly and a liquid phase discharge port.

Abstract: A downhole gas separator and pump assembly. The downhole gas separator and pump assembly comprises a drive shaft; a first fluid mover having an inlet and an outlet; a separation chamber located downstream of the first fluid mover and fluidically coupled to the outlet of the first fluid mover; a gas flow path and liquid flow path separator located downstream of the separation chamber, having an inlet fluidically coupled to the separation chamber, having a gas phase discharge port open to an exterior of the assembly, and having a liquid phase discharge port; and a second fluid mover mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, located downstream of the first gas flow path and liquid flow path separator, and having an inlet fluidically coupled to the fluid phase discharge port of the first gas flow path and liquid flow path separator.

Abstract: Pumping of wellbore fluid to a surface may have a detrimental effect on the pump performance due to high gas concentrations in the fluid. A pump system that utilizes a helix gas separator provides greater pump efficiency by effectively removing the gas phase of the fluid. The wellbore fluid received at a pump system is directed from an intake to a gas separator that utilizes a stationary auger. The stationary auger induces rotational motion of the wellbore fluid causing the wellbore fluid to separate into a gas phase and a liquid phase. The stationary auger utilizes a tapered diameter and an opening between one or more helixes or vanes to separate a gas phase more efficiently from a liquid phase of a fluid.

Abstract: Introduced herein are a dimensionless relationship between a volumetric flow rate, a head and a kinematic viscosity in a pump operation and a method that uses the dimensionless relationship to predict a viscous performance of a pump from water performance characteristics. Using the introduced dimensionless relationship, which is called Ketan's viscous head number, the introduced method determines a viscous head correlation that allows the prediction of the pump performance to be made accurately at any given speed, flow rate and viscosity. The introduced Ketan's viscous head number and method thus allow a prediction of a pump performance in a viscous application to be made from water performance characteristics without physically testing the pump in the viscous application.

Abstract: This disclosure presents a dimensionless relationship between a fluid flow rate, a viscosity, and a brake horsepower (BHP) in a pump operation and a method that uses the dimensionless relationship to predict a BHP for viscous performance of a pump from water performance specifications. Using the dimensionless relationship, i.e., K-R number, the methods determine a BHP correlation that allows the prediction of the BHP specification to satisfy a pump performance metric at any given speed, flow rate, and viscosity. This prediction can be calculated from water performance specifications without physically testing the pump in the viscous implementation environment.

Abstract: Provided in one example is a centrifugal pump. The centrifugal pump, according to this example, includes a shaft having an axial keyway located therein, as well as an axial key positioned within the axial keyway, the axial key having a recess located in a radial exterior surface thereof. The centrifugal pump according to this example additionally includes an impeller positioned on the shaft about the axial key, and a retaining ring positioned on the shaft about the axial key, a portion of the retaining ring extending into the recess for axially fixing the retaining ring relative to the axial key. The centrifugal pump according to this example further includes one or more fasteners attaching the retaining ring to the impeller, and a diffuser coupled about the shaft and proximate the impeller.

Abstract: Introduced herein are a dimensionless relationship between a volumetric flow rate, a head and a kinematic viscosity in a pump operation and a method that uses the dimensionless relationship to predict a viscous performance of a pump from water performance characteristics. Using the introduced dimensionless relationship, which is called Ketan's viscous head number, the introduced method determines a viscous head correlation that allows the prediction of the pump performance to be made accurately at any given speed, flow rate and viscosity. The introduced Ketan's viscous head number and method thus allow a prediction of a pump performance in a viscous application to be made from water performance characteristics without physically testing the pump in the viscous application.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a pressure escape system comprising: an intake port, wherein the intake port receives a downhole fluid; a sliding sleeve, wherein the sliding sleeve comprises fluid ports disposed through a portion of the sliding sleeve that is within a fluid flow path of the downhole fluid travelling from the intake port; a spring, wherein the spring is disposed within a housing and coupled to the sliding sleeve; and one or more exit ports, wherein the one or more exit ports are disposed through the housing and through the sliding sleeve.

Abstract: An impeller for pumping fluid that comprises discharge flow paths that allow high pressure liquid to be used to flush out low pressure gas that can accumulate within the internal structure of the impeller. The impeller comprises transition regions, vanes, and at least one discharge flow path. The vanes are rotational about a central axis. The transition regions and the plurality of vanes have a high pressure flow path and a low pressure flow path. The at least one discharge flow path is in fluid communication with a section of the low pressure flow path of at least one of the transition region(s) and the vane(s).

Abstract: Provided in one example is a centrifugal pump. The centrifugal pump, according to this example, includes a shaft having an axial keyway located therein, as well as an axial key positioned within the axial keyway, the axial key having a recess located in a radial exterior surface thereof. The centrifugal pump according to this example additionally includes an impeller positioned on the shaft about the axial key, and a retaining ring positioned on the shaft about the axial key, a portion of the retaining ring extending into the recess for axially fixing the retaining ring relative to the axial key. The centrifugal pump according to this example further includes one or more fasteners attaching the retaining ring to the impeller, and a diffuser coupled about the shaft and proximate the impeller.