HydroLift Training – 6

Jet Pumps

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Peter Batho
Product Champion - Horizontal and Hydraulic Pumping Systems
Schlumberger WCP – Artificial Lift
(Jan 2003) Rev 3.
 Jet Pumps

• Principles of operation

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• Equipment selection and performance

• Design details
 Principles of Operation
• Jet pumps can be used as an alternate to

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Piston pumps
– They can fit interchangeably into BHA’s
– Shorter BHA’s can be used
• Jet pump assemblies can be shorter and higher flow
• Referred to as far back as 1852
• First patents for oil wells usage in 1930
 Jet Pump Overview
• Pumping action achieved with energy transfer
• High pressure fluid passed through the nozzle

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– Potential energy (pressure) is converted to kinetic
energy in form of high velocity jet stream
• Well fluids intermix at the exit (in throat)
– Momentum entrains well fluid
• Mixture passes through expanding area (diffuser)
slows down the liquid
• Pressure of the mixture must be sufficient to reach
the surface
Pressure
Head

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Velocity
Head
Nozzle and Throat Sections

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 Jet Pump Overview Contd
• No moving parts

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• Flow passages can use exotic materials for:
– Heavy oils, paraffin, gas, sand and corrosives
• Reservoir needs relatively ‘strong drive’
– 100 psi / 1000 ft as a guideline
• Has to be sufficient tubular space in well
– To avoid excessive friction loss
• Offer ruggedness, reliability and volume
 Jet Pump Overview Contd
• Guidelines:

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– PF pressure 2000 – 4000 psi (5000 psi max)
– Maximum well depths 3000 – 12,000 ft
• Higher lifts = higher pressure
– Production capacities from 50 – 10,000 bpd
– Abrasion resistant nozzles in ceramic, SS or Tungsten
Carbide
– Total length of jet pump section can be ~1.5 ft
– Gas can lead to reduced return flowing gradient = less HP
 Jet Pumps

• Principles of operation

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• Equipment selection and performance

• Design details
Performance - Nozzle to Throat
Area
• Ranges from 20 – 60% ratio

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• Different N to T combinations provide range
of lift capacity
• Selection defines defines:
– Effectiveness of power fluid injected
– Power fluid to lift
– Input horsepower
• Higher lift = more pressure = more efficiency
(up to 5000 psi max)
 Area Ratio

Fad= An/At

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Where:
Fad= dimensionless area ratio
An= area of nozzle, sq. in.
At= area of throat, sq. in.
E.G. Large throat to nozzle ratios have higher flow capacities

OBJECTIVE IS TO MINIMIZE HP TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY

 N/T Characteristics Examples
• High head, low flow pump • Low head, high flow pump

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– When nozzle is 60% of the – When nozzle is 20% of the
area of the throat area of the throat
• LESS flow area around nozzle • MORE flow area around the
for well fluids to enter nozzle for well fluids to enter
• Low production rate capacity • High production rate capacity
compared to power fluid rate compared to power fluid rate
– Deep wells with high lift may • Higher injection pressures
need this configuration required to meet defined lift
– Shallow wells with low lift

Velocities are typically 200 - 300 fps in throat area!

 Equipment Selection –
Balancing the Following:
• Jet pump components
– Nozzle too small

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• Will only circulate PF
• PF pressure could be too high for required lift
– If the throat area is too small = cavitation
• Defining minimum annular area is a key part of the design
• Power fluid supplied
– Goal = minimal HHP and maximum production
• Friction considerations
– Goal = keep losses (=HHP) to a minimum for application
Nozzle to Throat Sizes

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Jet Pump Nomenclature
• Same size N to T ratio = A

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• One size bigger T = B
• Two sizes bigger T = C
• Three sizes bigger T = D
=2,A- • One size smaller T = A-
=2,A • Two sizes smaller T – A--
=2,B

=2,C
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 Jet Pumps

• Principles of operation

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• Equipment selection and performance

• Design details
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Note:
PN= Required power fluid intake pressure at nozzle
PD = Required discharge pressure at the pump
QS = Flow at suction
GS = Liquid gradient at suction
(Liquid gradient is defined as the combined liquid characteristics (gas / oil / water) seen at
pump suction)
 Lifting Process
• Balances IPR of the well (and resultant intake
gradient) with flowing pressure gradient to surface

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the liquid
– Well IPR curves
• Plot of rate vs pressure at the perforations
• Reasonable to assume liquid will be below the bubble point at the
pump
• Pump intake pressure = producing bottom hole pressure
– Determine amount of lift required to surface the well fluid
• Must include friction losses, allowance for setting depth and
flowing pressure gradients
 p
FLOWING PRESSURE

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Pb = O

WHEN Pb >
= p

PRODUCTION RATE
 Lifting Process (Contd)
– Flowing pressure gradients
• Defines what is needed to raise the combined well bore fluid

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and power fluid stream to surface (water / gas / oil)
– Add back surface pressure requirements
• Well head and line losses
• Surface separation
• Sufficient pressure to discharge into flowline
• Manual method by iteration
• Simplified with software
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 Lifting Multiphase Flow
• Actual producing bottom hole pressure required
for a well to flow depends on:

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– Dynamic fluid gradient (pressure vs depth)
– Tubing diameter
– Depth
– Flowline back pressure
• Fluid will affect this (water / oil / gas)
– IF only water (SG=1 @ 0.42 lb/ gal), 1000 ft deep
– 420 psi required to lift the liquid to surface
 Gas Production
• If GLR is less than 10 it is considered gas free
– Don’t need flowing pressure gradient curves

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• Most wells to be lifted by AL have gas below
bubble point
– Separation is a consideration over 500 GLR
• Current program is limited at present on the gas handling
model
– Gas venting to surface exclusive from liquid stream
• Gas vented completions
• Parallel tubing strings
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The Desired Result
 GOR For Gas Vented Production

1,400 50° API

1,200

40° API
1,000

Solution gas/oil ratio, cf/bbl

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800
30° API

600

20° API
400

10° API
200

0
500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000
Pump intake pressure (PS), psi
 Sizing Exercise
• Manual overview (see support document)

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• Computer design example