Fluid driven commingling system for oil and gas applications

Abstract

A fluid management system positioned in a wellbore for recovering a multiphase stream from the wellbore. The system comprising a downhole separator configured to produce a carrier fluid having a carrier fluid pressure and a separated fluid having a separated fluid pressure, an artificial lift device configured to increase the carrier fluid pressure to produce the turbine feed stream having a turbine feed pressure, a turbine configured to convert fluid energy in the turbine feed stream to harvested energy, the conversion fluid energy from the turbine feed stream to harvested energy produces a turbine discharge stream having a turbine discharge pressure less than the turbine feed pressure, and a pressure boosting device configured to convert the harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy, the conversion of harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy produces a pressurized fluid stream having a pressurized fluid pressure greater than the separated fluid pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for harvesting fluid energy from a turbine feed stream to power a pressure boosting device downhole in a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 separating a multiphase fluid, the multiphase fluid having a carrier fluid component and an entrained fluid component, in a downhole separator to generate a carrier fluid and a separated fluid, the carrier fluid having a concentration of the entrained fluid component, the carrier fluid having a carrier fluid pressure, the separated fluid having a separated fluid pressure; 
 feeding the carrier fluid to an artificial lift device, the artificial lift device configured to increase the carrier fluid pressure to create the turbine feed stream, the turbine feed stream having a turbine feed pressure; 
 feeding the turbine feed stream to a turbine, the turbine configured to convert fluid energy in the turbine feed stream to harvested energy; 
 extracting the fluid energy in the turbine feed stream to produce harvested energy,
 wherein extraction of the fluid energy from the turbine feed stream produces a turbine discharge stream, the turbine discharge stream having a turbine discharge pressure, 
 wherein the turbine discharge pressure is less than the turbine feed pressure; and 
 
 driving a pressure boosting device with the harvested energy, the pressure boosting device configured to convert the harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy,
 wherein conversion of harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy produces a pressurized fluid stream having a pressurized fluid pressure, 
 wherein the pressurized fluid pressure is greater than the separated fluid pressure. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 mixing the turbine discharge stream and the pressurized fluid stream in a mixer, the mixer configured to commingle the turbine discharge stream and the pressurized fluid stream to produce a commingled production stream, the commingled production stream having a production pressure. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial lift device is an electric submersible pump and the pressure boosting device is a compressor. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial lift device is a downhole gas compressor and the pressure boosting device is a submersible pump. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the entrained fluid component in the carrier fluid is between 1% by volume and 10% by volume. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multiphase fluid is selected from the group consisting of oil entrained with gas, water entrained with gas, gas entrained with oil, gas entrained with water, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. A method for employing fluid energy from an energized stream to drive a pressure boosting device, the method comprising the steps of:
 feeding the energized stream to a turbine, the energized stream having an energized pressure, the turbine configured to convert fluid energy in the energized stream to harvested energy, wherein the energized stream is from an energized subterranean region; 
 extracting the fluid energy in the energized stream to produce harvested energy,
 wherein extraction of the fluid energy from the energized stream produces a turbine discharge stream, the turbine discharge stream having a turbine discharge pressure, 
 wherein the turbine discharge pressure is less than the energized pressure; 
 
 driving the pressure boosting device with the harvested energy, the pressure boosting device configured to convert the harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy; and 
 increasing a pressure of a depressurized stream to generate a pressurized fluid stream,
 wherein the depressurized stream is from a depressurized subterranean region having a zonal pressure less than the energized subterranean region, 
 wherein conversion of harvested energy to pressurized fluid energy in the turbine increases the pressure of the depressurized stream, the pressurized fluid stream having a pressurized fluid pressure, 
 wherein the pressurized fluid pressure is greater than the pressure of the depressurized stream. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pressure boosting device is a compressor. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pressure boosting device is a submersible pump.