Patent ID: 7299873

Claim:
A method for producing fluids from a well having a casing that contains perforations through which production fluids enter the well, comprising (a) positioning an electrical submergible pumping system including an electric motor within said casing such that the electric motor is at or below at least some of said perforations, and (b) pumping production fluids from the well with said pumping system, wherein (1) the pumping system includes a pump, an electrical motor having a hollow rotor shaft and production fluid intakes located below said electrical motor, said pumping system being adapted to pump said production fluids through said hollow rotor shaft of the electrical motor, (2) production fluids entering the well through at least some of the perforations in the casing pass in fluid contact with exterior portions of the electrical motor and remove heat therefrom before entering the production fluid intakes, and (3) production fluids pass through the hollow rotor shaft of the electrical motor as the fluid travels to the wellhead, and remove additional heat from the motor.