Cold Heavy Oil Production System and Methods

Abstract

A system for producing hydrocarbons and sand from a formation includes a wellbore having a substantially horizontal portion. In addition, the system includes a liner disposed in the substantially horizontal portion. The liner has a longitudinal axis and includes a plurality of slots. Each slot is configured to pass sand from the formation into the wellbore. Further, the system includes a production string extending through the wellbore. Still further, the system includes a pump disposed at a downhole end of the production string in the liner. The pump has a central axis, an outlet coupled to the downhole end of the production tubing, and an inlet distal the production string. The pump is configured to pump hydrocarbons and sand from the formation to the surface. The central axis of the pump is oriented at an angle α measured downward from vertical. The angle α is between 60° and 90°.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for producing hydrocarbons and sand from a formation, the system comprising:
 a wellbore having a substantially horizontal portion traversing the formation;   a liner disposed in the substantially horizontal portion of the wellbore, the liner having a longitudinal axis and including a plurality of slots, wherein each slot is configured to pass sand from the formation into the wellbore;   a production string extending through the wellbore; and   a pump disposed at a downhole end of the production string and disposed in the liner, wherein the pump has a central axis, an outlet coupled to the downhole end of the production tubing, and an inlet distal the production string, wherein the pump is configured to pump hydrocarbons and sand from the formation to the surface;   wherein the central axis of the pump is oriented at an angle α measured downward from vertical, wherein the angle α is between 60° and 90°.   
     
     
         2 . The system of claim A 1 , wherein the angle α is 75°. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each slot in the liner has a circumferential width greater than a median size sand particle in the formation. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the circumferential width of each slot in the liner is greater than 95% of the sand particles in the formation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each slot in the liner has a length between 2.0 and 4.0 in. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots in the liner comprises a first set of circumferentially spaced slots and a second set of circumferentially spaced slots axially spaced from the first set of slots;
 wherein the pump is axially positioned between the first set of slots and the second set of slots.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat trace coupled to the production string, wherein the heat trace is configured transfer thermal energy to the production string. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a chemical injection line coupled to the production string, wherein the chemical injection line has a downhole injection end positioned adjacent the outlet of the pump. 
     
     
         9 . A system for producing hydrocarbons and sand from a formation, the system comprising:
 a wellbore having a substantially horizontal portion traversing the formation;   a liner disposed in the substantially horizontal portion of the wellbore, wherein the liner has a longitudinal axis and includes a plurality of slots;   a production string disposed in the wellbore;   a pump having an outlet end coupled to a downhole end of the production string and an inlet end distal the production string, wherein the pump is disposed in the liner and is configured to pump sand and hydrocarbons through the production string to the surface; and   a tailpipe coupled to the inlet end of the pump and disposed in the liner, wherein the tailpipe is configured to flow sand and hydrocarbons to the pump.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each slot in the liner has a width greater than 95% of the particles of sand in the formation. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each slot in the liner has a length between 2.0 and 4.0 in. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of slots in the liner comprises a first set of circumferentially spaced slots and a second set of circumferentially spaced slots axially spaced from the first set of slots;
 wherein the pump is axially positioned between the first set of slots and the second set of slots.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the liner has an outer diameter greater than or equal to 6.0 in. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a heat trace coupled to the production string, wherein the heat trace is configured transfer thermal energy to hydrocarbons flowing through the production string. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a chemical injection line coupled to the production string, wherein the chemical injection line is configured to inject chemicals into the hydrocarbons flowing through the production string. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the chemical injection line has a downhole injection end positioned adjacent the outlet end of the pump. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the tailpipe has a central axis, an uphole end coupled to the inlet end of the pump and a downhole end distal the pump, wherein the downhole end of the tailpipe comprises an intake, wherein the central axis of the tailpipe at the intake is oriented an angle β between 85° and 90° measured upward from vertical. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the pump has a central axis oriented at an angle α between 60° and 90° measured downward from vertical. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the angle β is between 89° and 90°; and
 wherein the angle αis about 75°. 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the tailpipe comprises a slotted joint proximal the inlet end of the pump. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the tailpipe includes a gas exhaust port proximal the pump, wherein the gas exhaust port is configured to flow gas separated from a fluid flowing through the tailpipe. 
     
     
         22 . A method for producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore having a substantially horizontal portion traversing a formation comprising sand, the method comprising:
 (a) determining a maximum grain size of the sand in the formation;   (b) inserting a liner into the substantially horizontal portion of the wellbore, wherein the liner has a longitudinal axis and a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongate slots, wherein each slot is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and has a width that is at least 95% of the maximum grain size of the sand;   (c) coupling a tailpipe to an inlet end of a pump;   (d) coupling a production string to an outlet end of the pump; and   (e) positioning the pump and the conduit in the liner after (d).   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein (e) comprises:
 (e1) orienting a central axis of the pump at an angle α between 60° and 90° measured downward from vertical;   (e2) orienting an intake of the tailpipe distal the pump at an angle β between 85° and 90° measured upward from vertical.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 (f) operating the pump to simultaneously produce hydrocarbons and at least some of the sand in the formation to the surface.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein (f) comprises:
 (f1) increasing drawdown of the wellbore by no more than 1-4 pounds per square inch per hour until sand is produced from the wellbore; and   (f2) maintaining a near constant drawdown of the wellbore until sand produced from the wellbore stabilizes.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising repeating the method of  claim 25  until a sand-cut of 1% to 25% is produced from the wellbore.