Patent US4037663A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4037663A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for well exploitation
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-10-24
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Granted: 1977-07-26
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Expires: 1992-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A method of extracting a liquid, such as oil, from an underground reservoir, is characterized by introducing a pump operated by extraneous energy into a well bore at a level which is below the dynamic level of the liquid therein, and operating the lift device to lift the liquid to the surface of the well bore while conserving the residual reservoir energy, i.e. the energy remaining which corresponds to that normally used in lifting the liquid from the lift device level to the dynamic level. The pump is one in which the liquid pressure at its inlet applies equal and opposite forces to the pump drive member so that the latter is driven solely by the external drive and does not dissipate the liquid reservoir energy existing at the pump inlet level. In this manner, the residual reservoir energy at the pump inlet level is exploited to increase the quantity of the liquid transported to the well bore. Optimumly, the lift device is applied at or close to the bottom of the well bore whereby substantially all of the reservoir energy is used to transport the liquid to the bottom of the well bore.
Inventors
- 👤 Smil Buchman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:13
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A method of pumping a liquid from a well bore communicating with an underground reservoir, the reservoir energy being used to transport the liquid from the reservoir to the well bore, characterized in introducing into the well bore a pump having a drive member, an external drive therefor, an inlet, and an outlet, the inlet being disposed at a level in the bore which is below the dynamic level of the liquid therein, the pump being such that the pressure of the liquid at the inlet applies equal and opposite forces to the pump drive member so that the latter is driven solely by the external drive and does not dissipate the liquid reservoir energy at the pump inlet level; and operating said pump to lift the liquid to the surface of the well bore solely by the external drive while conserving the reservoir energy at the pump inlet level in the well bore for increasing the rate and quantity of the liquid transported from the underground reservoir to the well bore by said reservoir energy.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
176 words
A method of pumping a liquid from a well bore communicating with an underground reservoir, the reservoir energy being used to transport the liquid from the reservoir to the well bore, characterized in introducing into the well bore a pump having a drive member, an external drive therefor, an inlet, and an outlet, the inlet being disposed at a level in the bore which is below the dynamic level of the liquid therein, the pump being such that the pressure of the liquid at the inlet applies equal and opposite forces to the pump drive member so that the latter is driven solely by the external drive and does not dissipate the liquid reservoir energy at the pump inlet level; and operating said pump to lift the liquid to the surface of the well bore solely by the external drive while conserving the reservoir energy at the pump inlet level in the well bore for increasing the rate and quantity of the liquid transported from the underground reservoir to the well bore by said reservoir energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
138 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said pump inlet is disposed substantially below said dynamic level, the quantity of liquid extracted being represented by the formula: ##EQU11## wherein Q = quantity of liquid extracted from the well (meters 3 ) V = volume of liquid from the draining zone of the well (meters 3 ) n = Pd/Ps 0≦n≦1 E = elastic modulus of liquid (kg/meters 2 ) m = (h' /h) 0 < m ≦ 1 h = height (meters) of the dynamic level measured from the formation level h' = height (meters) of the extraneous energy level measured from the formation level P d = dynamic pressure of the liquid at the bottom of the bore hole (kg/meters 2 ) P s = static pressure of the liquid in the formation (kg/meters 2 )
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said pump inlet is disposed substantially at the bottom of the well bore, whereby substantially all of the reservoir energy is exploited for transporting the liquid from the reservoir to the well bore.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive member of the pump is a rotary drive member, and is disposed such that it is subjected to equal and opposite forces by the pump inlet pressure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
118 words
The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said pump is a gear pump having a housing containing a chamber, a pair of inlets leading into the chamber, there being one inlet on each side of the longitudinal axis of the chamber, an outlet from the chamber, a pair of meshing gears disposed in the chamber, the axis of rotation of each gear being in alignment with the longitudinal axis of one of said inlets, and a drive for driving said meshing gears, the pressure of the liquid at the two inlets being applied to the gears equally in opposite directions, whereby the gears are driven only by said drive and not by the pressure at said inlets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
121 words
The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said pump is a toothed-wheel pump including a housing containing a chamber of circular cross-sections and having an inlet and an outlet, a wheel rotatably mounted in said chamber on an axis of rotation concentric with the axis of the circular-section chamber, a drive for driving said wheel, said wheel having a plurality of teeth fixed thereto and all of the same fixed dimensions to contact the inner surface of the chamber as the wheel is rotated, whereby the pressure of the liquid at said inlets is applied to the teeth equally in opposite directions so that the wheel is driven only by said drive and not by the pressure at said inlets.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-07-25 | 1981-01-24 | 1981-07-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-07-25 | 1985-01-24 | 1985-07-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-07-25 | 1989-01-24 | 1989-07-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |