Horizontal and vertical well fluid pumping system

Abstract

A pump system for producing fluids from a reservoir using a wellbore having a vertical section with a casing defining an annulus, a transitional section and a horizontal section, and a production tubing having a vertical section and a horizontal section, wherein the system includes a completion with an isolation device in the annulus near the bottom of the vertical section, a gas/liquid separator for receiving produced fluids from the horizontal section, and a vertical lift pump; a continuous flow path from the terminus of the production tubing to the vertical section; a plurality of horizontal pumps in the horizontal section, each having an intake exposed to the reservoir and an outlet in the continuous flow path. The horizontal length of the production tubing is closed to the reservoir except through the horizontal pumps. A method of producing fluids includes isolating a vertical section of a wellbore from a horizontal section; isolating the production tubing from the reservoir; pumping fluid from the reservoir adjacent a toe segment into a production tubing toe segment and towards the heel segment; and pumping fluid from the reservoir adjacent a heel segment into the production tubing heel segment and towards the vertical section, and pumping fluid up the vertical section to the surface. Also disclosed is a diaphragm pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump system for producing fluids from a horizontal wellbore intersecting a reservoir, comprising:
 (a) a horizontal length of production tubing passing through at least two zones of the reservoir;   (b) a plurality of pumps disposed in the horizontal length production tubing, such that a pump is installed within each reservoir zone;   (c) a control system operatively connected to each pump, to independently operate each pump to manage drawdown of the at least two zones of the reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the production tubing passes through at least three zone of the reservoir, comprising a zone adjacent a heel segment, a zone adjacent an intermediate segment, and a zone adjacent a toe segment of the horizontal length of the production tubing. 
     
     
         3 . The pump system of  claim 1 , further comprising a vertical lift pump for pumping fluids to the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The pump system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of pumps may be the same or different, and may comprise diaphragm pumps, electric submersible pumps, hydraulic submersible pumps, jets pumps, pneumatic drive pumps, gas lift, gear pump, progressive cavity pump, or a vane pump, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The pump system of  claim 3  further comprising a gas separator disposed upstream of the vertical lift pump. 
     
     
         6 . The pump system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of pumps disposed in the horizontal length act in parallel. 
     
     
         7 . A method of producing fluids from a wellbore having a vertical section and a horizontal section, and production tubing comprising at least a vertical section, heel segment and a toe segment, the method comprising:
 (a) pumping fluid into the production tubing toe segment and towards the vertical section;   (b) pumping fluid into the production tubing heel segment and towards the vertical section;   (c) wherein the toe segment pump rate and the heel segment pump rate are controlled independently of each other.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the step of pumping fluids up the vertical section to the surface with an artificial lift device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the further step of separating liquids and gases in the vertical section, and pumping liquids up the vertical length to the surface, leaving gases in the annulus. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the production tubing horizontal length has three or more segments comprising one or more intermediate segments between the heel segment and the toe segment, and fluid is pumped from the reservoir adjacent each segment of the production tubing into that segment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein each segment is separated from an adjacent segment by an isolation device in a horizontal wellbore annulus outside the production tubing. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the pump rate in each of the toe segment and the heel segment, and any intermediate segment, is controlled in response to flow and pressure conditions in each segment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the step of varying the vertical pump rate in response to (a) flow and pressure conditions in the vertical section, (b) flow and pressure conditions in the horizontal section, or (c) flow and pressure conditions in both the vertical and horizontal sections. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the fluid is pumped using a diaphragm pump, electric submersible pump, hydraulic submersible pump, jets pump, pneumatic drive pump, gas lift, gear pump, progressive cavity pump, or a vane pump, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A method of producing fluids from a wellbore having a vertical section and a horizontal section, and production tubing comprising at least a vertical section, heel segment and a toe segment, the method comprising:
 (a) pumping fluid into the production tubing toe segment and towards the vertical section;   (b) pumping fluid into the production tubing heel segment and towards the vertical section;   (c) wherein the total output from the horizontal section is the sum of the output of the toe segment pump rate and the output of the heel segment pump rate.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the fluid is pumped using a diaphragm pump, electric submersible pump, hydraulic submersible pump, jets pump, pneumatic drive pump, gas lift, gear pump, progressive cavity pump, or a vane pump, or any combination thereof.