Low-resistance encapsulation of a tubing encapsulated conductor for powering equipment in wellbore operations

Abstract

A system can include a tubing positionable downhole in a wellbore and a tubing encapsulated conductor, where at least a portion of the tubing encapsulated conductor is positionable downhole in the wellbore. The tubing encapsulated conductor can include at least one interior wire positionable to transmit electric power from a power source associated with the wellbore to at least one piece of electrical equipment during a wellbore operation performed with respect to the wellbore. The tubing encapsulated conductor can also include a metal sheath positionable around the at least one interior wire and a ground wire positionable external to the metal sheath. Further, the tubing encapsulated conductor can include an encapsulation layer positionable to encoat the metal sheath and the ground wire to facilitate one or more electrical couplings between the metal sheath and the ground wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a tubing positionable downhole in a wellbore;   a tubing encapsulated conductor, wherein at least a portion of the tubing encapsulated conductor is positionable downhole in the wellbore, the tubing encapsulated conductor comprising:
 at least one interior wire positionable to transmit electric power from a power source associated with the wellbore to at least one piece of electrical equipment during a wellbore operation performed with respect to the wellbore, the at least one piece of electrical equipment positionable downhole in the wellbore; 
 a metal sheath positionable around the at least one interior wire; 
 a ground wire positionable external to the metal sheath; and 
 an encapsulation layer positionable to encoat the metal sheath and the ground wire to facilitate one or more electrical couplings between the metal sheath and the ground wire. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ground wire comprises a copper wire comprising a 14 gauge to a 20 gauge thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation layer is positionable to maintain the metal sheath in contact with the ground wire at a plurality of locations along a length of the metal sheath. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tubing encapsulated conductor further comprises at least one insulated tubing positionable around each of the at least one interior wire to provide electrical and mechanical isolation for the at least one interior wire. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tubing encapsulated conductor further comprises a filling material positionable between the at least one interior wire and the metal sheath to maintain a position of the at least one interior wire within the tubing encapsulated conductor. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wellbore operation is a tubing deployment operation. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation layer is extrudable on the metal sheath and the ground wire to maintain the electrical coupling between the metal sheath and the ground wire. 
     
     
         8 . A tubing encapsulated conductor comprising:
 at least one interior wire positionable to transmit electric power from a power source associated with a wellbore to at least one piece of electrical equipment during a wellbore operation performed with respect to the wellbore, the at least one piece of electrical equipment positionable downhole in the wellbore;   a metal sheath positionable around the at least one interior wire;   a ground wire positionable external to the metal sheath; and   an encapsulation layer positionable to encoat the metal sheath and the ground wire to facilitate one or more electrical couplings between the metal sheath and the ground wire.   
     
     
         9 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the metal sheath and the ground wire are in electrical communication with one another to provide a ground path to the power source. 
     
     
         10 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the ground wire comprises a copper wire comprising a 14 gauge to a 20 gauge thickness. 
     
     
         11 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the encapsulation layer is positionable to maintain the metal sheath in contact with the ground wire at a plurality of locations along a length of the metal sheath. 
     
     
         12 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the tubing encapsulated conductor further comprises at least one insulated tubing positionable around each of the at least one interior wire to provide electrical and mechanical isolation for the at least one interior wire. 
     
     
         13 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the wellbore operation is a tubing deployment operation. 
     
     
         14 . The tubing encapsulated conductor of  claim 8 , wherein the encapsulation layer is extrudable on the metal sheath and the ground wire to maintain the electrical coupling between the metal sheath and the ground wire. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 electrically coupling a tubing encapsulated conductor between a power source associated with a wellbore and at least one piece of electrical equipment used downhole within the wellbore during a wellbore operation performed with respect to the wellbore; and   controlling a supply of power to the at least one piece of electrical equipment during the wellbore operation via the tubing encapsulated conductor, wherein current is transmitted from the power source to the at least one piece of electrical equipment via at least one interior wire of the tubing encapsulated conductor, and wherein the current returns to the power source via a metal sheath of the tubing encapsulated conductor and a ground wire positioned between an encapsulation layer and the metal sheath of the tubing encapsulated conductor.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the metal sheath and the ground wire are in electrical communication with one another to provide a ground path to the power source. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the ground wire comprises a copper wire comprising a 14 gauge to a 20 gauge thickness. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tubing encapsulated conductor further comprises at least one insulated tubing positioned around each of the at least one interior wire to provide electrical and mechanical protection for the at least one interior wire. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tubing encapsulated conductor further comprises a filling material positioned between the at least one interior wire and the metal sheath to maintain a position of the at least one interior wire within the tubing encapsulated conductor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wellbore operation is a tubing deployment operation.