Apparatus and method for pumping fluid in a borehole

Abstract

A method to manipulate a well, comprising running an apparatus having a container and an electrically powered pump into the well. The well is isolated, and a wireless control signal, such as an electromagnetic or acoustic signal, is sent to operate the pump in response in order to pump fluid from within the container to the surrounding portion of the well. The apparatus may comprise a pressure balancing means, such as a floating piston between two ports of the container, and/or an in well charging means.

That claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to manipulate a well, comprising:
 providing an apparatus in the well below an annular sealing device the annular sealing device engageing with one of an inner face of casing and a wellbore in the well, and being at least 100 m below a surface of the well; and wherein a connector is provided connecting the apparatus to the annular sealing device, the connector being above the apparatus and below the annular sealing device;   the apparatus comprising:   a container having a volume of at least 1 litre (l);   a port to allow fluid communication between a portion of the container and a surrounding portion of the well;   an electrically powered pump configured to direct fluids to/from the container from/to the surrounding portion of the well;   a battery to supply electrical power to the pump;   a control mechanism to control the pump, and comprising a communication device configured to receive a control signal for operating the pump;   
       running the apparatus into the well; then, 
       isolating the port of the apparatus from a surface of the well; 
       sending a control signal to the communication device at least in part by a wireless control signal transmitted in at least one of the following forms: electromagnetic and acoustic; 
       operating the pump in response to said control signal and pumping fluid from within the container to the surrounding portion of the well;
 and wherein at least one pressure sensor is provided in the well below the annular sealing device, the at least one pressure sensor coupled to a wireless transmitter; 
 and wherein data is transmitted from the transmitter to above the annular sealing device. 
 
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is connected to a tubular before the pump is operated. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical pump is a positive displacement pump, optionally a reciprocating piston pump which is reciprocated at least five times. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid pumped into the surrounding portion of the well includes at least 1 l of fluid added to the apparatus before it was run into the well. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is one of an acid, breaker fluid, tracer, gelling chemical and inhibitor. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , including using the apparatus to conduct at least one of an interval injectivity test, permeability test, pressure test, hydraulic fracturing test, a barrier test, a chemical delivery operation, and well/reservoir treatment such as an acid treatment. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is used to conduct a pressure test, the pressure test being conducted on a barrier by the apparatus being provided below the barrier, the pump being operated causing fluid to be released from the container to increase pressure below the barrier, and the pressure below the barrier is then monitored. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a charging system having a valve on at least one of the and another port, the method including providing gas in the container, exposing the gas to well pressure via said port to compress the gas, closing said port with said valve to resist fluid and pressure communication from the well into the container, using the compressed gas to facilitate the pump to release fluid from the container into the well, and; wherein optionally before the barrier is set, the well is pressurised from surface to further increase the pressure in the well and further compress the gas in the container, the valve at the port being closed before the pressure from the surface is reduced. 
     
     
         10 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container has at least one of a floating piston and bladder separating a first and a second section in the container and sealing them from each other within the container, the first section being in fluid communication with the port. 
     
     
         15 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the port of the apparatus is provided above a second annular sealing device. 
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 29 , including conducting a short interval test wherein the packer element of the annular sealing device and a packer element of the second annular sealing device are less than 30 m apart, or less than 10 m apart, optionally less than 5 m apart, more optionally less than 2 m, less than lm or less than 0.5 m; and there is at least one communication path from the well to the reservoir between the packer elements. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is deployed into the well in the same operation as deploying the annular sealing device into the well. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the apparatus is conveyed on one of tubing, drill pipe and casing/liner. 
     
     
         34 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising conducting a procedure on the well, wherein the procedure includes at least one of a build-up test, drawdown test, connectivity tests such as one of, an interference test and pulse test, drill stem test (DST), extended well test (EWT), hydraulic fracturing, minifrac, pressure test, flow test, well/reservoir treatment such as an acid treatment, permeability test, injection procedure, gravel pack operation, perforation operation, image capture, string deployment, workover, suspension and abandonment. 
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in any  claim 1 , wherein the well comprises an array of discrete temperature sensors or a distributed temperature sensor. 
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container has a volume of at least 5 l at least 50 l, optionally at least 100 l. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the well includes casing/liner, and the container takes up the whole cross-section of the casing/liner. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in addition to the container, there is at least one secondary container having a volume of at least 1 l, the at least one secondary container having a control device for controlling communication between the secondary container and the surrounding portion of one of the well and other portion of the apparatus, wherein the control device includes at least one of a mechanical valve and a latch assembly, and wherein at least one secondary container has a different pressure than a surrounding portion of the well. 
     
     
         44 .- 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A method to manipulate a well by conducting a short interval test, comprising:
 providing a pressure sensor in the well;   providing an apparatus in the well, the apparatus comprising a container having a volume of at least 5 litres and a port to allow fluid and optionally pressure communication between a portion of an inside of the container and an outside of the container;   the port of the apparatus being below a first portion of a packer element and above a second portion of a or the packer element, said portions spaced apart from each other by up to 10 m thus defining a short interval, and each engaging with an inner face of casing or wellbore in the well, and being at least 100 m below a surface of the well;   the short interval including at least one communication path between the well and the formation;   the apparatus further comprising:
 a pump adapted to move fluid from the surrounding portion of the well into at least a portion of the container via the port; 
 a control mechanism comprising a communication device configured to receive a control signal for moving the valve member; 
   deploying the apparatus into the well on a tubular,   sending a control signal from outwith the short interval to the control mechanism at least in part by a wireless control signal transmitted in at least one of the following forms:   electromagnetic, acoustic, inductively coupled tubulars and coded pressure pulsing;   operating the pump in response to said control signal to allow fluid to enter the container; and,   drawing in at least 5 litres of fluid into the container from the well.