Dosimizer

DOSIMIZER - Annular Space Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE (see Figure 1), is a custom made tool or equipment that optimizes and increases the efficiency of the action of chemical products with it environment, thus increasing their design purpose such as those used for controlling problems such as scaling (deposition of inorganic products), corrosion, deposition of organic products (asphaltenes, paraffin), fluidity, etc. that are caused by the fluids as they flow inside the installations and/or equipment. Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE is designed specially to be use for those chemicals that are injected downhole in wells that use Progressive Cavity Pumps (PCP), Gas Lift Systems, Mechanical Pumps (sucker rod wells) as methods of fluid (water, crude oil; mixtures of water/crude oil) production or naturally flowing wells.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Chemical products are used in the oil industry to avoid and/or decrease productions problems that may be induced by the handled fluids (water, crude oil, water/crude oil mixtures, water/gas mixtures, water/crude oil/gas mixtures). Some of the chemical products used are:

• Scale inhibitors, to avoid or decrease the formation and deposition of inorganic deposits such as Calcium Carbonates, Barium Carbonates, etc.
• Corrosion inhibitors, to decrease the corrosive effects of the fluids on the down hole accessories, tubing, production equipment, etc.
• Viscosity reducers, to increase the fluidity of the produced fluids.
• Demulsifiers, to increase the water drop out from the crude oil.
• Asphaltenes and paraffin inhibitors to avoid and decrease the formation of organic deposits in down hole equipment.

From here on and to the effects of this document, the definition chemicals, comprises every chemical used for the above mentioned treatment.

The application of these chemicals is done using injection systems that would allow a controlled dosage inside the equipment or installations in the oil industry and in any industry that may require chemical treatment, operating under similar conditions. The chemical injection systems must be designed in such a way that allows in as much as possible, the homogenization with the handled/treated fluids. In other words the injection system shall allow a better mixture of the used chemical with the fluid to which it is applied. Produced or handled fluids are water, gas, crude oil, solids in any combination of the four.

Nowadays, in wells that have any method of fluid production system, the application of chemicals used within the wells and applied into the annular space to protect the down hole equipment (tubing, casing, pump, accessories, well head, etc.) is done through a capillary tube (½” o ¾”) that runs from the surface, through the chemical storage tank, and through the chemical injection pump, and it is located near the surface on the well head as shown in Figure 2.

This form of chemical injection (through the annular space) is not efficient since the chemical does not go all the way to the bottom of the well thus not protecting the some parts of the pumping system that is located underneath (upstream of the pump and pump intake). Also, as the chemical runs down the inside walls of the casing, it may adsorb to the casing wall minimizing the effect for which the chemical was designed. Additionally the chemical runs down by gravity and in counter current with the liberated gas that runs up the same annular space.

This way of chemical injection does not allow dosing the system in the desire places within the well such as other producing zones (in the case there are commingled producing zones). And does not allow the chemical treatment of the gas produced by the annular space.

SOLUTION WITH DOSIMIZER – ANNULAR SPACE

Nowadays, there is no technology and/or accessory that would help resolve the chemical injection problems mentioned before, and also maintain the chemical injection under a continuous, efficient and localized regime for down hole installations. Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE helps in the solution of the problems mentioned before. Its design comprising of four (04), six (06) or eight (08) nozzles radially disposed and circumferentially equidistant from one another allows for an evenly distributed chemical dosage and thus promotes a better mixing with the produced fluids increasing its mass transport and also increasing the chemical protectiveness (in the case of corrosion), anti-scaling action (in case of scales) and/or preventing organic deposition (in case of asphaltenes, paraffins, etc.) and maintaining a continuous fluid production and technical integrity of the well and its components (tubing, esp, accessories, etc.). The nozzles are located at the outside surface chemical chamber (on the case), so that is injects the chemical towards the annular space treating another producing zone or the gas. See Figure 3.

The use of the nozzles and the fact that the check valve is not directly in contact with the produced fluids, avoids solid accumulation and thus not clogging. And in the extreme case that one of the nozzles is plugged, the redundancy on the number nozzles around the body of the piece allows for the chemical to continue its dosage to the produced fluids. It is a reliable tool.

Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE can be placed anywhere along the production tubing for chemical treatment of any zone within the well and in the annular space. It can be used independent of the production system (ESP, Natural, PCP, etc.) the well may have.

NOVELTY

The Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE design is exclusive property of the inventor and its unique characteristics are:

1. Multiple dosage nozzles or perforations - better chemical to fluid mixture.
2. Protection of the check valve inside a chemical chamber that does not allow for its contamination.
3. The dosimizer is designed in such a way that there are no design changes to tubing production systems.
4. A tool that allows for chemical treatment of the annular space.
5. Allows for the chemical treat of many production zones. See Figure 3.
6. Chemical treatment of annular space allows having fluids to be produced through the casing. Something that before could not be done.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

Dosimizer – ANNULAR SPACE has a cylindrical central tubular body, in the middle of this body, there is an ACME type thread to where the case threads into. When these two pieces are assembled a space is formed between then. The space is called the local chemical chamber. See Figure 4 - C.

At the end of the central body there are two threads male type E.U.E. See Figure 4 – A.

The central body possesses radically perforation or nozzles located on the surface of the chemical chamber or case to allow the chemical fluid treatment, to flow outwards towards the annular space. The case, has a threaded perforation on one side, in which the check valve is adjusted in such as it is shown in Figure 4 - B.

The thread of the case and the central body are ACME type, one “male” type and one “female” type on the case. One the case is threaded onto the central body, it forms a hermetically sealed chemical chamber, and the check valve is immersed in this chamber and protected form external producing fluids., see Figure 4 - C.