BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to electrical submersible pumps used in hydrocarbon development operations, and more specifically, the disclosure relates to inverted electrical submersible pump completions with by-pass capabilities.

2. Description of the Related Art

In hydrocarbon developments, it is common practice to use electric submersible pumping systems (ESPs) as a primary form of artificial lift. However, with an ESP installed at an end of the production tubing, access to the reservoir downhole of the ESP is blocked. Reservoir access is often required to add additional perforations to provide fluid communication between the wellbore and the reservoir, to perform reservoir treatments such as acidizing or scale removal, or to run specialized logging tools on coil tubing or wireline, such as for the identification of water or oil zones within the reservoir. Therefore, frequent reservoir access may be required with the ESP in place.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A y-tool can be utilized with a conventional ESP where the pump of the ESP is located uphole of the motor. A y-tool is a completion tool that allows for reservoir access when an ESP system is used. A y-tool can have a shape of an inverted letter “Y” to split a flow path into two branches. When used with an ESP, one branch of the y-tool can be used to hang the ESP system and the other branch can allow access to the reservoir.

However, current systems do not allow for a y-tool to be utilized with an inverted ESP system where the motor is uphole of the pump. If a currently available y-tool is used with a currently available inverted ESP system fluid recirculation between the pump intake and pump discharge will occur, which will lead to motor overheating and premature failure of the ESP system. Systems and methods of this disclosure provide embodiments of a well completion with an inverted ESP that allows for access to the reservoir downhole of the ESP. Embodiments of this disclosure allow for logging, stimulation and other well interventions to be undertaken downhole of the ESP within the well without having to retrieve the ESP from the well.

In an embodiment of this disclosure, a system for providing artificial lift to wellbore fluids has a pump located within a wellbore. The pump is oriented to selectively boost a pressure of the wellbore fluids traveling from the wellbore towards an earth's surface through a production tubular. A motor is located within the wellbore uphole of the pump and provides power to the pump. A seal assembly has a first side connected to the motor and a second side connected to the pump. The pump, the motor, and the seal assembly together form a submersible pump string. An uphole packer circumscribes the production tubular uphole of the motor. A downhole packer is located within the wellbore downhole of the pump. An uphole y-tool has an uphole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the production tubular and an uphole y-tool second end with two uphole y-tool branches. A first uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is mechanically connected to the submersible pump string and a second uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with a bypass tubular. The bypass tubular is positioned adjacent to the submersible pump string and extends between the uphole y-tool and the downhole packer.

In alternate embodiments, a central bypass axis of the bypass tubular can be aligned with an inner bore of the production tubular. The downhole packer can circumscribe the bypass tubular.

In other alternate embodiments, the system can further include a downhole y-tool, where the downhole y-tool is located downhole of the submersible pump string and uphole of the downhole packer. The downhole y-tool can have a downhole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the bypass tubular and a downhole y-tool second end with two downhole y-tool branches, where a first downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the submersible pump string and a second downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the bypass tubular. The second downhole y-tool branch of the downhole y-tool can have a plug seat with a seat surface facing in a direction towards the submersible pump string.

In yet other alternate embodiments, the downhole packer can be a single bore packer. Alternately, the downhole packer can be a dual bore packer and the downhole packer can circumscribe a pump intake that is in fluid communication with the submersible pump string. A flow crossover can be located uphole of the motor and downhole of the uphole y-tool. The flow crossover can have a fluid flow path from the wellbore between the uphole packer and the downhole packer and the first uphole y-tool branch.

In other embodiments of this disclosure, a system for providing artificial lift to wellbore fluids has an uphole packer sealing around an inner diameter surface of a wellbore. A downhole packer is located downhole of the uphole packer and seals around the inner diameter surface of the wellbore. A pump is located within the wellbore, the pump having a pump intake in fluid communication with the wellbore downhole of the downhole packer and has a pump discharge in fluid communication with the wellbore between the uphole packer and the downhole packer. A motor is located within the wellbore uphole of the pump and provides power to the pump. A seal assembly is located between the motor and the pump. The pump, the motor and the seal assembly together form a submersible pump string. An uphole y-tool has an uphole y-tool first end in fluid communication with a production tubular and an uphole y-tool second end with two uphole y-tool branches, where a first uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the wellbore and a second uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with a bypass tubular. A flow crossover has a fluid flow path from the wellbore between the uphole packer and the downhole packer and the first uphole y-tool branch.

In alternate embodiments, the bypass tubular can be positioned adjacent to the submersible pump string and extend between the uphole y-tool and the downhole packer. A central bypass axis of the bypass tubular can be aligned with an inner bore of the production tubular.

In other alternate embodiments, the system can further include a downhole y-tool, where the downhole y-tool is located downhole of the submersible pump string and uphole of the downhole packer. The downhole y-tool can have a downhole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the bypass tubular and a downhole y-tool second end with two downhole y-tool branches, where a first downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the submersible pump string and a second downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the bypass tubular. The downhole y-tool can have a plug seat with a seat surface facing in a direction towards the submersible pump string.

In yet other alternate embodiments, the downhole packer can be a single bore packer that circumscribes the production tubular. The downhole packer can alternately be a dual bore packer and the downhole packer can circumscribe the pump intake and the production tubular.

In another alternate embodiment of this disclosure, a method for providing artificial lift to wellbore fluids includes locating a pump within a wellbore, the pump oriented to selectively boost a pressure of the wellbore fluids traveling from the wellbore towards an earth's surface through a production tubular. A motor is located within the wellbore uphole of the pump and provides power to the pump. A seal assembly is positioned with a first side connected to the motor and a second side connected to the pump, where the pump, the motor and the seal assembly together form a submersible pump string. The production tubular uphole of the motor is circumscribed with an uphole packer. A downhole packer is located within the wellbore downhole of the pump. An uphole y-tool is provided that has an uphole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the production tubular and an uphole y-tool second end with two uphole y-tool branches, where a first uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is mechanically connected to the submersible pump string and a second uphole y-tool branch of the two uphole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with a bypass tubular. The bypass tubular is positioned adjacent to the submersible pump string, the bypass tubular extending between the uphole y-tool and the downhole packer.

In alternate embodiments, a central bypass axis of the bypass tubular can be aligned with an inner bore of the production tubular. The bypass tubular can be circumscribed with the downhole packer and the downhole packer can be a single bore packer. A downhole y-tool can be provided. The downhole y-tool can be located downhole of the submersible pump string and uphole of the downhole packer. The downhole y-tool can have a downhole y-tool first end in fluid communication with the bypass tubular and a downhole y-tool second end with two downhole y-tool branches, where a first downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the submersible pump string and a second downhole y-tool branch of the two downhole y-tool branches is in fluid communication with the bypass tubular.

In other alternate embodiments, a plug seat can be formed within the downhole y-tool with a seat surface facing in a direction towards the submersible pump string. A pump intake that is in fluid communication with the submersible pump string can be circumscribed with the downhole packer, where the downhole packer is a dual bore packer. A flow crossover can be located uphole of the motor and downhole of the uphole y-tool. The flow crossover can have a fluid flow path from the wellbore between the uphole packer and the downhole packer and the first uphole y-tool branch.

