Wells – With electrical means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-12-25
Tsay, Frank (Department: 3672)
Wells
With electrical means
C166S242600, C439S195000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332499
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a system for deploying well-related equipment, such as electric submergible pumping systems, and particularly to a connector that permits secure connection of segments of combined external deployment tubing and internal power cable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of systems are used for deploying equipment used in the production of fluids, such as oil, from producing wells. For example, tubing has commonly been used for the deployment of downhole equipment. Electric submergible pumping systems, for instance, may be deployed by appropriate deployment tubing to a desired location within a wellbore. Depending on the application, the production fluid is produced either through the center of the tubing or through the annulus formed between the tubing and the wellbore casing.
When deploying systems, such as electric submergible pumping systems, it is necessary to provide power to the system. Accordingly, a power cable is connected between a power supply at the surface and a submergible electric motor of the electric submergible pumping system. The power cable generally is either tied to the outside of the tubing or routed through the center of the tubing. For example, if the production fluid is produced through the annulus formed around the deployment tubing, it is convenient to provide power cable through the center of the tubing.
One type of commonly used tubing is coiled tubing. Coiled tubing may be transported in rolls that are unrolled during deployment of the downhole system for relatively rapid and convenient deployment of the system, e.g. an electric submergible pumping system. For certain applications, a power cable is disposed in the center of the coiled tubing. by way of example, Reda of Bartlesville, Okla., a division of Schlumberger Corporation, manufactures REDACoil™, a product in which power cable is prepackaged within coiled tubing. Repairing or connecting lengths of coiled tubing with internal power cable can be difficult, particularly when the splice is made in the field.
Also, the coiled tubing and internal power cable generally are formed in the lengths necessary to accommodate deployment of the electric submergible pumping system to a desired location within a wellbore. However, extremely long lengths of tubing and power cable can be difficult to handle, and the equipment used to deploy downhole systems may be limited to a given length of tubing.
In certain applications, e.g. deep wells, and in certain situations in which the deployment tubing requires repair, it would be advantageous to have a connector system that permitted a relatively simple combination of independent segments of tubing, particularly coiled tubing having a combined power cable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention features a connector system for connecting sections of tubing used in deploying a downhole device for production of fluid from a well. The connector system includes a tubing connector having an upper nipple section sized for receipt in a first tubing end. The tubing connector also includes a lower nipple section sized for receipt in a second tubing end. The tubing connector also includes a hollow interior for receiving an electrical feed-through. The electrical feed-through has a first connection end, a second connection end and a plurality of conductors extending between the first and the second connection ends. The tubing connector and the electrical feed-through provide for ready connection of segments in a modular deployment system.
According to another aspect of the invention, a coiled tubing connection system is provided. The system includes a first segment of coiled tubing having a first connector end and a first hollow interior. The system also includes a first power cable disposed in the hollow interior and having a first plug proximate the first connector end. A second segment of coiled tubing has a second connector end and a second hollow interior. Also, a second power cable is disposed in the second hollow interior and has a plug proximate the second connector end. The system further includes a coiled tubing connector having a housing sized to selectively engage the first connector end and the second connector end. The coiled tubing connector further includes an internal plug assembly positioned to conductively engage the first plug and the second plug when the first and second connector ends are engaged with the coiled tubing connector.
According to another aspect of the invention, a connector is provided for use in wellbore environments to connect segments of a tubing-style deployment system. The connector includes an outer housing having a pair of connection ends positioned to connect two consecutive sections of tubing in a wellbore. Additionally, the connector includes an internal electrical connector assembly disposed within the outer housing to electrically couple a power cable deployed within the two consecutive sections of tubing.
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Halpert Pinke
Kobylinski Lee S.
McHugh Marcus D.
Oswald Howard A.
Pursell John C.
Camco International Inc.
Fletcher Yoder & Van Someren
Tsay Frank
LandOfFree
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