Integrated packer and fluid cross-over subassembly for gas injection and fluid removal in a well

Abstract

A subassembly is provided which is designed so that two passageways in concentrically arranged tubing strings can be formed to provide a flow-path which in a first direction communicates with equipment at surface in an annular passageway then switches partway along the tubing strings' length in the well to the subassembly and is redirected to the core passageway, and back from the string's lower end up the annular space to the subassembly and is again redirected this time to the tubing's core passageway back to surface equipment; the two passageways being: the core passageway formed of the core tubing's inner volume; and the annular passageway formed of the annular space between the core tubing string and a concentrically surrounding second tubing string's inner surface; the subassembly forming a two-way cross-over between the two passageways at the same part of the string.

1 . A crossover subassembly for inclusion in a production tubing stream in a well, comprising a body with
 i. An upper end with:
 1. A first connection to an upper central tube above the body 
 2. A second connection to an annulus between the outer surface of the upper central tube and the inner surface of another conduit, which may be the well's casing or a secondary tubing string 
   ii. A lower end with:
 1. A third connection to a lower central tube below the body; and 
 2. An opening or fourth connection to an annulus between the outer surface of the lower central tube and the inner surface of another conduit, which may be the well's casing or a secondary tubing string 
   iii. At least two passageways through the body, comprising:
 1. A passageway communicating between the first connection and the opening or fourth connection; and 
 2. A second passageway communicating between the second connection and the third connection 
   iv. And a packer or seal between the body and the well's casing or secondary tubing string, to isolate the wellbore above the subassembly from the wellbore below the subassembly   
     
     
         2 . A method for producing fluids from a deviated well with by:
 a. injecting pressurized gas from surface down a conduit formed of:
 i. An upper annulus between the outer surface of an upper central tubing string and the inner surface of a second conduit through which the central tubing string is strung, which may be the well's casing or a secondary tubing string from surface equipment to a seal between the outer surface of the upper central tubing string and the inner surface of a cross-over subassembly thus sealing the annulus to the inner wall of the second conduit at the subassembly 
 ii. A passageway through the body of the cross-over subassembly to which the upper annulus is attached at the top of the subassembly in communication through the subassembly to a lower central tubing string extending into the deviated portion of the well's bore 
   b. Producing fluids from the deviated portion of the well's bore below the seal on the subassembly's body along a route comprising:
 i. up the annulus between the inner surface of the well's bore where it is in communication with a formation through which the well was made and the outer surface of the lower central tubing string 
 ii. through a second passageway through the subassembly's body into the upper central tubing string and then to surface equipment 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  where the subassembly is sealed to the well's casing at or near the bottom of the well's vertical portion and before its deviated or horizontal portion.