Patent ID: 8613311

Claim:
An electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly for use in a wellbore, the assembly comprising: a pump, wherein the pump comprises: a fluid inlet, a seal section, a pump discharge, and a pump motor coupled to the pump; a tubing section adapted for insertion within a casing to define an annulus between the tubing section and the casing, the tubing section circumferentially surrounding a portion of the pump, wherein the tubing section comprises fluid openings that are operable to allow produced fluid from the wellbore to flow radially outward and occupy a greater volume than a volume defined by the tubing section alone, thereby reducing a fluid velocity of the produced fluid; and a lower packer and an upper packer, the lower packer being connected to the casing and a production tubing, the lower packer being positioned proximate the lower end of the production tubing, the lower packer being operable to support the positioning of the production tubing within the casing, the upper packer connected to the casing and the production tubing, the upper packer being positioned at a point above the lower packer thereby forming a first interstitial space in the annulus between the upper packer and the lower packer and a second interstitial space in the annulus between the upper packer and the surface.