Live Well Staged Installation of Wet Connected ESP and Related Method

Abstract

An ESP assembly is broken into subassemblies to fit through a lubricator for live well deployment. A lifting device has a shaft transmission feature and associated housing rotational lock for use at the top of the first subassembly and to be left in position for engagement of the next assembly. The subassemblies can be delivered on wireline or slickline. A wet connect can be at the lower end of the initial subassembly to connect to a cable run alongside the production tubing. The ESP subassemblies all are interconnected in the live well and function as they would if assembled at the surface. The ability to break down the assembly and run it in segments lets the components fit through a length limited lubricator for live well deployment.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of assembling an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly in a live well that in the aggregate is longer than an available lubricator, comprising:
 assembling subassemblies that are shorter than the lubricator at the surface of a borehole;   running in said subassemblies into the borehole through the lubricator;   assembling said subassemblies to each other in the borehole.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 separating the motor driver from the ESP into separate assemblies.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 using a lift device connected on one end to a motor/seal driveshaft when delivering the motor driver separately from said ESP system.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 providing a connector shaft in said lift device connected on a lower end to said motor shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising:
 rotationally locking said motor shaft to said connector shaft in said lift device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising:
 engaging a pump shaft of said ESP to an opposite end of said connector shaft when the ESP assembly has passed through the lubricator.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 rotationally locking a housing of said lift device to a housing of said ESP on assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising:
 providing a male spline on an end of said connector shaft that engages the pump shaft and a female spline on the opposite end of said connector shaft that engages said motor shaft.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 initially installing a wet connect adjacent a lower end of a production string in the borehole;   mating to said wet connect with the initial subassembly run into said production tubing.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising:
 running in the initial subassembly with a lift device at its upper end;   leaving said lift device in the production tubing for subsequent connection to the next delivered subassembly.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 delivering subassemblies on wireline or slickline or tubing.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 providing a lifting profile at an upper end of said lifting device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 using motor driver components as the first delivered subassembly.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 connecting the ESP, as a second subassembly, to the lift device positioned above the first subassembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 providing a connector shaft in said lift device to connect a motor shaft to a pump shaft.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising:
 rotationally locking a housing of said ESP pump to a housing on said lift device.