Patent ID: 7559362

Claim:
A downhole pumping system for a coal bed methane well, said pumping system comprising: a. a well casing extending into the earth within a unitary well bore to a predetermined depth below the earth's surface, the well casing including a plurality of first casing openings adjacent a first subterranean coal seam containing coal, water, and coal bed methane gas, and a plurality of second casing openings spaced in a downward direction of the well casing from the first casing openings and positioned adjacent a second subterranean seam that is spaced from and is at a lower depth below the surface of the earth than is the first subterranean seam; b. a motor-driven pump supported within the well casing, the pump including a pump inlet for withdrawing water from the first subterranean seam to reduce pressure of the withdrawn water and thereby liberate the methane gas, and including a pump outlet for discharging under pressure water withdrawn from the first subterranean seam; c. a water downflow pipe within the well casing and inward of a well casing inner surface, wherein the water downflow pipe is in fluid communication with the pump outlet for receiving pump outlet flow; d. a sealing arrangement within the well casing at a depth between the first subterranean seam and the second subterranean seam, the sealing arrangement extending across the well casing interior between the well casing inner surface and the water downflow pipe to prevent communication within the well casing between the first casing openings and the second casing openings; and e. a flow redirection means within the well casing and opposite the pump outlet for directing pump outlet flow in a downward direction relative to the first subterranean seam to the second casing openings adjacent the second subterranean seam so that water withdrawn from the first subterranean seam is directed into the second subterranean seam, wherein the flow redirection means includes a flow reversing head for redirecting upward flow from the pump to downward flow around and past the pump and motor and to a downstream flow collector for receiving the downward flow and for directing the downward flow into the downflow conduit, the flow reversing head including a flow diverter positioned opposite the pump outlet and a flow divider for receiving reversed flow and for conveying the reversed flow in a downward axial direction, the flow diverter including a conical flow splitter and a curved, surrounding annular end wall surface for diverting the flow from an upward direction to a downward direction, including a plurality of tubular conduits disposed about the pump and the motor and extending between and providing fluid communication between the flow redirection means and the downstream flow collector, wherein the tubular conduits are substantially equally circumferentially positioned about the pump and the motor.