Patent ID: 8863849

Claim:
A method of enhancing the operational life of a pumping system, comprising: connecting a flow diverter valve into a completion, the flow diverter valve having a longitudinal internal passage forming a portion of a throughbore of the completion, wherein the flow diverter valve is operable between a closed position blocking radial fluid flow between the internal passage and exterior of the flow diverter valve and the completion and an open position permitting radial fluid flow in the direction from the internal passage to the exterior; positioning the completion downhole in a wellbore; coupling an electric submersible pumping system into the completion such that an intake is positioned in the completion throughbore and an outlet is in communication with the exterior; operating the flow diverter valve to the closed position when the electric submersible pumping system is operating thereby directing upward fluid flow in the direction from the completion throughbore through the internal passage and into the intake; and operating the flow diverter valve to the open position when the electric submersible system is not operating thereby directing the upward fluid flow in the direction from the completion throughbore and radially through the flow diverter valve to the exterior thereby bypassing the intake.