This article will present the typical ranges of jet pump operating parameters and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of jet pumps in oil wells applications.
Jet pumps have several advantages such as:
The jet pump operates by pumping power fluid at high pressure and rate from surface to activate/drive a downhole pump. Looking at the downhole jet pump, there are three main components:
The nozzle and throat are the key components of a jet pump. The ratio of the areas of these two parts is known as the area ratio of the pump and it determines the performance characteristics of the pump. Pumps with the same area ratio have the same performance and efficiency curves
Jet Pumps operates on Venturi principle. Above the JP, before entering the nozzle, the power fluid has high pressure (designated as PN) and low flow velocity.
While the power fluid passes the nozzle, due to the decrease in flow area it is transformed from low velocity, high static pressure flow to a high velocity, low static pressure flow (PS). This creates a pressure drop below the nozzle which drives the reservoir fluids into the pump.
The first consumer of water jets pump was James Thompson back in 1852. In 1870, J. M. Rankin introduced the theory of jet pump operation, afterward, a number of papers have been published to develop the technology. The work of Gasoline and O’Brien in 1933 is considered to be the standard reference work. It has been based on both theoretical and experimental results. Since that time, developments in the technology have continued to the point that today jet pumps have high operational flexibility.
As a general description, Hydraulic Lift (Jet Pumps) represents pumping power fluid at high pressure and rate from surface to activate/drive a downhole pump. Power Fluid can be water or oil.
With Jet Pump applications the completion needs to have minimum 3 flowing conduits:
The jet pump artificial lift system is composed of two principal parts: the surface pumping equipment and the downhole jet pump. In the surface, the reciprocating pump transfers energy to the fluid increases its pressure, drove through surface piping, production tubing (or annular space) until the jet pump, placed on the bottom.
By Marcelo Hirschfeldt, Instructor y Consultor en áreas de Tecnologías de Producción y Gerenciamiento de Activos Petroleros
ALS MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS. The comprehensive management cycle of Oil field development using ALS´s, involves different inherent processes and participants, which makes necessary an integral scheme of management. Identifying each of the stages and people who take part in the processes is fundamental to be able to optimize existing procedures or implement a comprehensive medium and long-term management strategy. The scheme in Figure illustrates a management cycle during ALS´s implementation and operation, and can serve as a guide to analyze different aspects of the whole process. Two stages are identified: initial evaluation, for initial selection and implementation; and the Integral Management ALS Cycle, which by its own development, it becomes in a positive feedback cycle (virtuous circle) where different work participation areas and interdisciplinary work becomes key factors for a correct management.
