Patent ID: 7766081

Claim:
An apparatus for pumping a well fluid containing a mixture of liquid and gas, comprising: an electrical submersible pump assembly having first and second components, one of the components being a rotary pump and the other a motor; a gas separator mounted to the pump, the gas separator having an intake for receiving well fluid, the gas separator having a liquid discharge for delivering heavier components of the well fluid to the pump, the gas separator having a gas outlet for discharging lighter components of the well fluid; a shroud surrounding the gas separator and the first component, defining an annulus between the gas separator and the shroud and between the first component and the shroud, the shroud having an open end into which well fluid flows before reaching the intake and a closed end; and a gas passage extending from the gas outlet through the shroud for discharging the lighter components exterior of the shroud, the gas passage having an exit nearer the closed end of the shroud than the open end.