| Conventional Reverse-Flow Jet Pump |
Mature oil wells with a retrievable downhole assembly and an existing tubing-and-casing completion.
|
Common surface power-fluid pressure: approximately 1,000–3,000 psi.
Suitable depth and rate depend on fluid properties, nozzle-throat geometry, and well pressure.
|
Run the pump in the tubing or insert it into a compatible pump chamber. Confirm tubing, casing, standing-valve, and seating dimensions. Pressure-test the power-fluid conduit before commissioning. Circulate clean fluid to reduce nozzle plugging risk.
|
Record injection pressure and rate, production-fluid rate, casing pressure, tubing pressure, fluid level, water cut, and produced-fluid temperature. Compare actual hydraulic performance with the pump design curve.
|
Inspect the nozzle and throat when efficiency declines. Check for erosion, scale, sand damage, gas interference, and plugged passages. Flush the power-fluid circuit and verify pressure gauges, valves, and flow meters.
|
Requires adequate power-fluid supply and surface pumping capacity. Efficiency can fall when solids, gas, or highly viscous crude disrupt the jet profile.
|
| Free-Pump Retrievable Jet Pump |
Wells where the downhole pump should be retrieved through circulation without pulling the production tubing.
|
Well depth is completion-dependent. Often selected for moderate-to-deep wells where workover reduction is important.
|
Install a landing nipple or pump chamber with the correct orientation and internal dimensions. Confirm that circulation paths are open and that the pump can pass through the tubing. Use filtered power fluid and verify the retrieval mechanism.
|
Trend injection pressure, return-fluid pressure, circulation rate, production rate, pump intake pressure, and annulus pressure. A rising pressure at a constant rate may indicate restriction or nozzle fouling.
|
Retrieve and inspect the pump when output falls, injection pressure rises, or solids production increases. Replace damaged seals, nozzle, or throat components as required. Clean the chamber and confirm smooth landing.
|
Requires precise completion compatibility. Debris, scale, or poor circulation can prevent retrieval. Not ideal when the power-fluid path cannot be kept clean.
|
| Fixed Downhole Jet Pump |
Wells with stable operating conditions where frequent pump retrieval is not expected.
|
Performance is determined by the installed nozzle-throat combination and available power-fluid pressure.
|
Run the pump as part of the tubing completion. Confirm depth, centralization, seal integrity, and orientation. Perform a pressure test on tubing and annular barriers before opening the well to production.
|
Continuously or routinely track power-fluid pressure, power-fluid rate, oil rate, water rate, casing pressure, tubing pressure, and fluid level. Watch for changes in hydraulic efficiency and drawdown.
|
Maintenance usually requires a tubing pull or workover. Schedule well tests and pressure surveys to identify declining performance before a full intervention is required.
|
Higher intervention cost if the nozzle or throat becomes damaged. Best suited to wells with limited solids, predictable inflow, and relatively stable fluid properties.
|
| Insert Jet Pump |
Existing wells where the tubing is intended to remain in place during pump replacement or performance changes.
|
Appropriate operating range varies with the insert chamber, tubing size, and selected nozzle-throat ratio.
|
Confirm the insert pump dimensions, seating depth, landing profile, and circulation route. Verify wireline or slickline access if applicable. Pressure-test the installation and confirm positive seating before starting injection.
|
Monitor injection pressure and rate, production rate, annular pressure, tubing pressure, and pump response after each operating change. Conduct periodic fluid-level or downhole-pressure surveys.
|
Retrieve the insert pump for inspection, cleaning, nozzle replacement, or throat replacement. Check the seating seals and landing surfaces for erosion, scale, or deformation.
|
Installation depends strongly on completion geometry. A damaged or obstructed chamber can cause leakage, unstable operation, or difficult retrieval.
|
| Gas-Handling Jet Pump Configuration |
Oil wells with significant free gas at the pump intake, changing gas-oil ratio, or unstable inflow conditions.
|
Selection depends on gas volume fraction, intake pressure, fluid density, and available power-fluid pressure; no universal rate limit applies.
|
Place the intake at a suitable depth and evaluate gas breakout, annular flow, and separation behavior. Confirm that the completion can manage gas and that surface separation and back-pressure control are adequate.
|
Measure gas rate or gas-oil ratio, intake and discharge pressure, power-fluid rate, casing pressure, tubing pressure, liquid rate, and fluid level. Look for surging, gas interference, and declining liquid lift.
|
Inspect the nozzle and throat for erosion caused by high-velocity multiphase flow. Check separators, chokes, flow meters, and gas-handling equipment. Remove deposits that restrict the power-fluid or production path.
|
Gas can reduce hydraulic efficiency and make rate interpretation difficult. Proper gas separation, pressure control, and operating stability are essential.
|
| Sand- and Solids-Tolerant Jet Pump Configuration |
Unconsolidated reservoirs, wells with intermittent sand production, or cleanup operations after stimulation and workover.
|
The allowable solids loading is design-specific. Abrasive particles can rapidly change nozzle and throat dimensions.
|
Use an appropriate downhole filter or solids-management design where feasible. Establish a controlled startup sequence and avoid sudden rate changes that can mobilize large quantities of sand.
|
Track sand concentration or solids indications, differential pressure, injection rate, production rate, vibration, erosion trends, and changes in water cut. Inspect surface strainers and separation equipment frequently.
|
Clean strainers and desanders, flush the power-fluid system, and inspect nozzle, throat, tubing, and valves for erosion. Replace components when dimensional wear causes a measurable loss of efficiency.
|
Jet pumps tolerate solids better than many close-clearance lift systems, but they are not immune to abrasion. Erosion can increase power-fluid demand and reduce oil recovery.
|
| High-Temperature or Corrosion-Resistant Jet Pump Configuration |
Deep, hot, sour, saline, or chemically aggressive oil wells requiring materials compatible with the produced fluids.
|
Temperature and pressure limits are controlled by metallurgy, elastomers, completion components, and well-control requirements.
|
Confirm material compatibility with hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, chlorides, scale chemicals, and treatment fluids. Use appropriate pressure-control equipment and follow sour-service and well-integrity procedures.
|
Monitor temperature, pressure, corrosion indicators, produced-water chemistry, hydrogen sulfide where applicable, injection-fluid quality, and changes in pump efficiency.
|
Inspect corrosion-prone surfaces, seals, valves, fittings, and flow passages. Maintain chemical-injection systems and replace components according to inspection findings and service-life limits.
|
Material selection and elastomer compatibility can significantly increase cost and determine service life. Temperature, pressure, and sour-service limits must be verified for the complete system.
|
