NO333829B1 - Method and system for installing a cable inside a pipe duct for placement in a well. - Google Patents

Abstract

One method of suspending an electrically submersible pump system within a wellbore involves inserting an electrical cable inside a pipe channel, such as a coiled tubing, before the pipe channel is deployed downhole. The electrical cable is inserted into the pipe channel at the surface and is allowed to fold in such a way that the electrical cable folds and has uniform contact with an inner surface of the pipe channel with a plurality of locations along the entire length of the coiled tubing to prevent longitudinal movement of the electrical cable inside the pipe duct. An electrically submersible pump system is then connected to the pipe duct, and the electrical cable is connected to an electric motor in the electrically submersible pump system. The electrically submersible pump system and the pipe duct are inserted into the wellbore.

Description

The present invention generally relates to the field of cables, and more specifically to a method and system for installing a cable inside a pipe channel for deployment in a well.

An electric submersible pump (Electric submergible pump (ESP)) can be suspended in a well from coiled tubing with an electric cable to drive the pump inside the coiled tubing. Produced fluid is pumped up the casing to the coiled tube annulus. Since the electric power cable has low tensile strength, the length of the power cable that can be freely suspended in inclined pipes is limited. The cable can therefore be clamped, tied or strapped to the outside of the pipe at intervals, as described in US patent no. 4,681,169, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The cable can alternatively be arranged inside the coil tube, as described in US patent no. 4,336,415; 4,346,256; 5,145,007; 5,146,982 and 5,191,173, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Other typical arrangements for suspending an ESP in coil tubes are described in US patent no. 3,835,929; 4,830,113 and 5,180,014, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Several systems have been used to carry the electrical power cable inside coiled tubing for ESP applications. Some systems, for example, use anchoring devices which are arranged at a mutual distance along the cable to frictionally hold the cable in place on the cable bore (for example US patent no. 5,269,377; 5,435,351; 5,821,452; 5,988,286; 5,992,468 ; 6,167,915; 6,479,752, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). In another example, "recesses" arranged in the wall of the coil tube mechanically support the cable (for example, US Patent Nos. 6,062,265 and 6,143,988, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). Yet another example uses cable that is adhesively connected to the pipe bore during the pipe's manufacture (for example, US patent no. 5,191,173, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). Certain systems use a viscous fluid inside the coil tube to suspend the cable (for example, US patent no. 6,112,813, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). Other systems use a dense fluid inside coil tubes to allow the cable to "float"

(US patent no. 5,906,242 and 5,996,689, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference).

Some systems for carrying power cable inside coil tubing for ESP applications use helical folding of the cable to frictionally hold the cable in place to the pipe bore (for example, US Patent Nos. 5,954,136 and 6,148,925, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). . In the system described in US patent no. 5,954,136, the cable is generally in tension at the assembly at the surface, and some extra cable is fed into the pipe channel (for example coil pipe) only after the pipe channel has been suspended in the well. Such a procedure results in an assembly where the bottom of the cable is strongly folded while the upper part of the cable is in tension. When additional cable is fed into the conduit, some folding occurs at the upper end of the conduit, but this folding can generally be loose. In addition, the cable at the middle portion of the pipe channel may remain in tension and consequently not be folded at all. The system described in US patent no. 5,954,136 therefore does not produce a uniform folding along the length of the assembly. As a result, vibration of the assembly during use can reduce the anchoring friction below a critical threshold and cause the cable to progressively descend until a stable, tighter helix is formed. This may cause a disconnection of the cable connector or another failure.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method and related components for arranging an electrical power cable within a conduit, such as a coiled conduit, which provides a uniform helix of cable along the length of the conduit, and which can be performed at a surface location prior to the conduit or cable is deployed down the hole.

The present invention relates to a method for installing a cable inside a pipe channel for deployment in a well, characterized in that the method comprises: inserting a first length of the cable into the pipe channel at the surface, before the pipe channel is deployed in the well; and folding the inserted cable so that the cable contacts the inner surface of the conduit at a plurality of locations; where folding of the cable is carried out at the surface before the conduit is deployed in the well, the folding being carried out by inserting a further length of the cable into the conduit to cause the folding, the further length being chosen to enable the cable to frictionally make contact with the inner surface of the conduit at the plurality of locations such that the weight of the cable is uniformly transferred to the conduit at the plurality of locations.

The present invention also relates to a system for installing a cable inside a pipe channel for deployment in a well, characterized in that the system comprises: means for inserting a first length of the cable into a pipe channel at the surface before the pipe channel is deployed in the well; and means for folding the inserted cable so that the cable contacts the inner surface of the conduit at a plurality of locations; wherein the folding means folds the cable at the surface before the conduit is deployed in the well and performs the folding by inserting an additional length of the cable into the conduit to cause the folding, the additional length being selected to enable the cable to frictionally contact it inner surface of the conduit at the plurality of locations so that the weight of the cable is transferred evenly to the conduit at the plurality of locations.

Further embodiments of the method and system according to the invention appear from the independent patent claims.

In general, according to some embodiments, a system is described for carrying a cable within a pipe channel, where the cable forms a generally uniform helix along the length of the pipe channel. In such designs, the cable is carried evenly along the length of the assembly.

Generally, according to other embodiments, a method is described for inserting excess cable into a conduit at the surface to enable the cable to uniformly form a helix in the conduit, preventing the cable from experiencing tension during deployment in the wellbore.

Other or alternative features will be apparent from the following description, from the drawings, and from the claims.

How these purposes and other desirable characteristics can appear is explained in the following description and in the attached drawings, where: Fig. 1A-C shows a method for installing a cable in a pipe channel according to certain embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the cable and pipe channel according to the present invention, as they are deployed in a well. Fig. 3A-B show further methods for folding the cable inside the pipe channel while it is on or alternatively off the coil, where fig. 3B is in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 4A-C show a method according to the present invention for pumping a cable into a pipe channel according to the present invention. Fig. 5 shows a method according to the present invention for installing a cable in a pipe channel by oscillating a pipe spool. Fig. 6 shows a method according to the present invention for installing a cable in a pipe channel by inserting the cable into the pipe channel during manufacture.

However, it should be noted that the attached drawings only illustrate typical embodiments of this invention, and that they should therefore not be considered as limiting its scope, as the invention may give access to other equally effective embodiments.

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the field that the present invention can be practiced without these details, and that numerous variants or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

In the patent specification and the appended claims: the terms "connect", "connection", "connected", "in connection with" and "connecting" are used to mean "in direct connection with" or "in connection with via another element"; and the expression "set" is used in the sense of "one element" or "more than one element". As used here the expressions "up" and "down", "upper" and "lower", "upward" and "downward", "upstream" and "downstream"; "above" or "above"; and "below" or "below"; and other similar expressions indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe certain embodiments of the invention. However, when applied to equipment and methods for use in wells that are deviation wells or horizontal, such expressions may refer to a relationship from left to right, right to left, or another relationship, as appropriate.

For the purpose of the present discussion, the methods and related components according to the present invention will be described, for example, as related to the suspension of an electric submergible pumping system ('ESP') in a pipe channel inside a wellbore. However, it should be understood that any type of pipe channel, pipe (tube) or thick-walled pipe (pipe) can be used, such as coiled pipe, jointed pipe and the like, to suspend any type of well equipment, such as logging tools, cable tools, drilling tools and the like , inside a wellbore. Further, for purposes of the present discussion, the methods and related components of the present invention will be described, for example, as related to arranging an electrical power cable inside the coiled tubing, which is connected to an ESP; the however, it should be understood that the methods according to the present invention can be used to arrange any type of k cable, pipe, conduit, cable, wire or rope inside any type of conduit.

The present invention generally includes systems and methods for carrying a cable in a conduit. More specifically, the present invention includes systems and methods for installing an electrical power cable inside coiled tubing at the surface for suspending and deploying an ESP in a well.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system includes a conduit having a cable therein, the cable describing a generally uniform helix

or arcuate path along substantially the entire length of the pipe channel. The cable is therefore carried evenly along the length of the assembly. In order to achieve the even distribution of the cable in the pipe channel, the cable is inserted into the pipe channel at the surface and folded along mainly its length before the pipe channel is deployed in the well. This helix or arched arrangement can be achieved if sufficient cable slack beyond the unstretched length of the coil pipe is installed evenly in the surface pipe. The cable can be folded to describe the helical or arcuate path while the coil tube is wound, or alternatively when the coil tube is unwound on the surface.

The present invention also includes a method of inserting excess cable into the coil pipe at the surface - instead of downhole - to enable the cable to form a uniform helical or arcuate path in the pipe. To achieve this uniform helical or arched shape, a cable must be used that is longer than the pipe channel. However, by forming the helix or arcuate path, the entire length of the cable is essentially in a compressed state, which prevents the cable from experiencing tension during deployment in the well.

A pipe channel to be suspended inside a well can, for example, comprise a length of coiled pipe and a cable arranged inside the pipe, where the unstretched length of the cable inside the pipe is longer than the pipe by at least about 0.159 meters per 304.8 meters of pipe. The excess of cable is generally evenly distributed along essentially the entire length of the pipe channel, so that the cable describes a uniform helical or arc-shaped path inside the pipe channel before it is suspended in the well. By folding the cable at the surface, so that it forms a helical or arc-shaped path, the strain experienced by the cable during deployment can be less than 25% of the cable's tensile strength.

In order to achieve the even distribution of cable inside the pipe channel in accordance with the present invention, a variety of methods can be used. A method of installing the cable, shown in fig. 1A-C and 2A-C, is to pump the cable into the pipe channel. US Patent No. 5,503,370; 5,573,225; 5,599,004 and 5,699,996 show different methods of pumping cable into the conduit. In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, as soon as the cable is completely inserted in the pipe channel, however, a selected additional length of cable is pumped into the pipe channel to achieve the desired folding and even distribution of the cable in the pipe channel. To describe the amount of additional cable to be pumped into the conduit, one or more of the following factors may be considered: (1) length, diameter, materials and material properties (for example, maximum allowable compressive stress/tensile stress) of the cable and conduit; (2) the coefficient of friction between the cable and the pipe channel; (3) tensile and/or compressive stresses at the surface; (4) the expected change in the conduit and cable when subjected to well conditions (for example, change in conduit length due to temperature change, such as thermal expansion/contraction); (5) well deviation; (6) the use or presence of buoyancy fluids in the well; (7) the permanent growth of the pipe (i.e., the elongation of the pipe during each trip downhole, for example due to gravitational forces) and (8) other factors.

As briefly described above, the present invention is based on the concept of dimensioning the internal diameter of the pipe channel (such as coil pipe), and the diameter of the cable (such as an electric cable), and choosing the internal strength or stiffness of the cable, all such that the cable will be purposefully "folded" inside the pipe channel, thereby being frictionally locked in place. As used herein, the term "buckle" means that the cable 28 changes its orientation in the longitudinal direction during compression from being coaxial with the pipe channel 30 to being a sine curve, a spiral, a helix or another arc-shaped form, as generally shown in fig. 1, with the cable 28 in contact with an interior surface 32 of the conduit 30 at a plurality of locations 34 that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The folding of the cable causes the weight of the cable 28, between the contact points 34 with the pipe channel 30, to be transferred as a compressive frictional force to the pipe channel. This frictional force prevents the cable 28 from having further downward movement in the longitudinal direction inside the pipe channel 30, and the cable thus becomes self-suspending inside the pipe channel.

The concept of "folding" the electrical cable is intended as a purposeful, designed arrangement, and not as the well-known phenomenon of the cable being damaged either due to free suspension or excessive compressive forces. It is well known to those skilled in the art that if a cable is held at the earth's surface and then allowed to hang freely in a wellbore, then the weight of the cable itself is greater than the internal strength of the cable to resist internal damage to the copper conductors and insulation. Therefore, as previously mentioned, the cable has previously been tied or strapped to the outside of a conduit at intervals such as every 6.1 meters, or a plurality of internal cable anchorages have been used to transfer the weight of the cable to the conduit. In the present invention, the cable is not freely suspended, but its weight is transferred evenly to the pipe channel at the plurality of contact points with the pipe channel.

The term "folding" further includes the concept of careful dimensioning of the internal diameter of the pipe channel and the diameter of the cable, and selection of the internal strength in the cable, so that the cable will purposefully form the desired sinusoidal, spiral, helical or other arched shape, and forming the plurality of uniform points of contact with the inner surface of the conduit with sufficient pressure-frictional forces to prevent downward movement of the cable in the longitudinal direction within the conduit.

With reference to fig. 1 A-C, in some embodiments of the present invention, the cable 100 (for example electric power cable) is first pulled from a reel 104 into the pipe channel 102 (for example coil pipe) while the pipe channel is arranged mainly horizontally (Fig. 1A) at the surface. In some embodiments, a rope 106 may be attached to the cable 100 to enable the cable to be pulled into and through the conduit 102. This initial step causes the cable 100 to stretch due to friction between the cable and the conduit 102. The conduit 102 and the cable 100 become then wound on a drum 110 (Fig. 1B). A selected additional length of cable 100 is then pumped into the coiled pipe channel 102 until the desired length of cable and desired folding and even distribution of the cable in the pipe channel is achieved (Fig. 1C). In some embodiments, the additional length of cable 100 can be pumped into the coiled pipe channel 102 by arranging a pump unit 120 to push a carrier fluid through the pipe channel and into a return tank 122. The carrier fluid moves the cable 100 into the coiled pipe channel 102.

With reference to fig. 2A-C, in other embodiments of the present invention, the cable 200 is pumped from a reel 204 into the pipe channel 202 while the pipe channel is arranged substantially horizontally (Fig. 2A) at the surface. An output rod 206 can be attached to the cable 200 and pumped from an open end of the pipe channel 202 to a closed end by arranging a pump unit 220 to push a carrier fluid through the pipe channel and into a return tank 222 (Fig. 2A-B). As soon as the output rod 206 reaches the closed end of the pipe channel 202, a selected additional length of cable 200 is then pumped into the horizontal pipe channel 102 until the desired length of cable and desired folding and even distribution of the cable in the pipe channel is achieved (Fig. 2C ). Finally, the folded cable 200 inside the pipe channel 202 can be wound up as shown in fig. 1B.

Fig. 3A-B each separately illustrate yet another embodiment, where Fig. 3B is an embodiment of the present invention in which the cable 300 is folded when the conduit 302 is pulled off the spool 310 (as shown in FIG. 3A), or, alternatively, the cable 320 is folded while the conduit 322 remains on the spool 330 (as shown in Fig. 3B). In the embodiment shown in fig. 3A, the cable 300 is arranged at or near the outer radius of the conduit 302 when the conduit is coiled. The unwinding and straightening of the pipe channel 302 causes the cable 300 to be folded uniformly in the pipe channel. In contrast to this, in the embodiment shown in fig. 3B, the cable 320 is already folded when the conduit 322 is on the coil 330.

With reference to fig. 4, in other embodiments of the present invention, insertion of the desired length of additional cable to achieve the even distribution of folded cable in the conduit may be accomplished by using an oscillating, vertically oriented conduit reel 410, as shown in FIG. 5. Systems for oscillating a pipe channel reel are described, for example, in US patent no. 5,946,788 and 5,950,298.1 one embodiment, the cable 400 can be placed in the vertically coiled pipe channel 402 by means of a cable feeding unit 406 to form a uniform , helical or arcuate arrangement inside the tube channel. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the cable may be pumped into the vertically coiled conduit 402 to form a uniform, helical or arcuate arrangement by pumping a carrier fluid from a pumping unit 120 to a return tank 122, as described above and shown in FIG. 1C.

In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the cable is installed in the pipe channel during the production of the pipe channel, so that the desired extra cable is arranged in the pipe channel at the time of production. With this method, the desired length of extra cable and the desired folding and uniform distribution of the cable in the pipe duct are achieved during the production of the pipe duct (for example, coiled pipe). Published European patent application no EP 1094194 describes a method for inserting a cable into a pipe channel during manufacture. With reference to fig. 5, a pipe forming device 520 may be provided to form the pipe channel 502 from strip metal 503. A reel 504 for holding the cable 500 may also be provided. A spool 510 is arranged to store the shaped pipe channel 502 having a helical cable 500 therein.

Still referring to fig. 5, in use, the tube forming device 520 includes a set of rollers to bend the strip metal 503 into a "U" shape and gradually into an enclosed tubular channel 502, except for a longitudinal seam 505. The cable 500 is installed inside the tube channel 502 under the process of forming the band metal 503 into the conduit 502. A system of drive bands 550 may be used to shape the cable 500 into a helix or other arc-shaped arrangement when inserted into the bent band metal 503. The helical cable 500 is installed uniformly along substantially its entire length of the conduit 502. After the cable 500 is installed, the longitudinal seam 505 is sealed at a welding station 530, and stress-relief annealed in a stress-relief annealing furnace 540 to form the enclosed conduit 502. The conduit 502 with the helical cable 500 inside is then wound onto the spool 510 for use in well operations.

As shown in fig. 6, an electrical power cable 600 supplies power to an ESP, which is suspended in a wellbore 608 in coiled tubing 602. The wellbore 608 penetrates one or more formations in the subsurface (eg, hydrocarbon-bearing or water-bearing formations), and may include a wellhead 640 that is removably connected to an upper portion of a production tubing string and/or casing string 650. If the casing string 650 extends over a fluid-producing formation in the subsurface, then the casing string may include at least one opening or perforation to allow fluids to enter its interior. An electric submersible pump system 660 is shown suspended within the casing string 650 and generally includes an electric motor, an oil-filled motor guard, and a pump. The ESP 660 is operatively connected to a lower end of a coil 610 of coiled tubing 602, which has been coiled into the casing 650. The coiled tubing

602 may be of any commercially available size (i.e. outside/inside diameter), and may be formed from any material suitable for the wellbore conditions, all of which are well known in the art. Typical sizes of coiled tubing, for example, are an outside diameter from 19.05 mm to 88.9 mm, and they are typically made of steel alloys. The electrical cable 600 is arranged inside the coil tube and forms a uniform helical (or "folded") shape. A lower end of the electrical cable 600 is operatively connected to the ESP 660 to provide electrical power to the electric motor, and an upper end is operatively connected at the earth's surface to electrical control equipment and a source of electrical power (both not shown). .

In operation, the electrical cable 600 is inserted into the coil tube to form a uniform helical or arcuate shape along substantially the entire length of the coil tube using one of the methods described above and shown in FIG. 1-5.

The lower end of the electrical cable 600 is operatively connected to the ESP 660, suspended in the coiled tubing 602, and enters the wellbore 608 to a production interval

via a pipe injector 620 and an injector control 630. In some embodiments, an additional selected length of pipe cable (pigtail) can be installed at the surface to accommodate any small cable subsidence that may occur during downhole deployment. In an example, approximately 3.66 meters per 304.8 meters of pigtail is installed in the surface casing.

Although embodiments of the present invention described herein may refer to "pipe" or "coil pipe", it is intended that other embodiments of the present invention exist for use with any pipe conduit, including but not limited to , coiled pipes, jointed pipes, thick-walled pipes (pipes), casing pipes, linings and other tubular goods. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present invention described herein may refer to "electrical power cable", it is intended that other embodiments of the present invention may be used with any cable, including but not limited to , electrical power cable, fiber optic cable, hydraulic lines, or a combination of these. Furthermore, although the embodiments of the present invention previously described include a cable describing a "uniform" or "substantially uniform" helical or arcuate path along the entire length of a conduit, any arcuate path will suffice as long as the extends over essentially the entire length of the pipe channel. Although a uniform helical or arcuate shape may be ideal, the cable may generally form an arcuate path, which may include a section with a reverse spiral and/or a section describing a tighter spiral than another section. An embodiment may for example include a cable that describes an arc-shaped path inside a pipe channel, where the cable is deployed in a tighter spiral pattern at the bottom of the pipe channel than at the top of the pipe channel. The essential thing is that the cable describes any arcuate path through substantially the entire length of the pipe channel to increase surface contact (and therefore friction) inside the pipe channel.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail in the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible to the exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. All such modifications are therefore intended to be included within the scope of this invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (26)

1. Method for installing a cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) inside a pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) for deployment in a well (608), characterized in that the method includes: inserting a first length of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) into the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the surface, prior to deploying the conduit in the well (608); and folding the inserted cable such that the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) contacts the inner surface of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at a plurality of locations; where folding of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) is carried out at the surface before the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) is deployed in the well (608), the folding being carried out by inserting a further length of cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) into the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) to cause the folding, the additional length being selected to enable the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) to frictionally contact the inner surface of the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the plurality of locations such that the weight of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) is uniformly transferred to the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the plurality of locations. 2. Method as stated in claim 1, where insertion of the cable (100, 200) into the pipe channel (102, 202) is carried out by pumping the cable (100, 200) into the pipe channel (102, 202) using a pump unit ( 120, 220). 3. Method as stated in claim 1, which further comprises winding the cable (100) and pipe channel (102) onto a spool (110) after inserting the first length of the cable (100) into the pipe channel (102). 4. Method as stated in claim 1, which further comprises winding the cable (100, 320) and pipe channel (102, 322) on a spool (110, 330) after inserting the further length of the cable (100, 320) into the pipe channel (102, 322). 5. Method as stated in claim 1, where inserting the first length and further length of the cable (400) into the pipe channel (402) is carried out by inserting the cable (400) into the pipe channel (402) wound on an oscillating coil (410) ). 6. Method as stated in claim 1, where folding of the cable (500) is further carried out by forming the cable (500) into a folded arrangement using a drive element (550) when the pipe channel (502) is formed around the cable (500). 7. Method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500) is folded to describe an arcuate path within the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502) and contacts the inner surface of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502) at the plurality of locations over substantially the entire length of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502) to prevent longitudinal movement of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500) inside the pipe channel (102, 202, 322,402, 502). 8. Method as stated in claim 7, where at least a part of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500) describes a helical path inside the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502). 9. Method as stated in claim 1, where the difference between the length of cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500) and the length of pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502) is mainly equal to or greater than 0.152 meters of cable per 304.8 meter pipe duct (102, 202, 322, 402, 502). 10. Method as stated in claim 1, which further comprises deployment of the pipe channel (602) in the well (608) after folding the cable (600) in the pipe channel (602), where the distribution of cable (600) inside the pipe channel (602) ) remains essentially flat. 11. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: rolling a strip of metal (503) to form a length of tubular material (502); wherein the first length and further length of the cable (500) are inserted into the tubular material (502) when the tubular material is formed; and sealing the tubular material (502) to form the conduit (502) having the folded cable (500) disposed therein. 12. Method as stated in claim 11, where the sealing of the tubular material (502) comprises welding and stress-relief annealing of the tubular material (502). 13. Method as stated in claim 1, where the first length of cable (100, 200, 400, 320, 500, 600) is substantially equal to the length of pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602). 14. Method as stated in claim 1, which further comprises connecting an electrically submersible pump system (660) to one end of the pipe channel (602). 15. Method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising operatively connecting one end of the cable (600) to an electric motor in the electric submersible pump system (660). 16. Method as set forth in claim 1, wherein inserting the first length of the cable (100) comprises connecting a pull rope (106) to one end of the cable (100), and pulling the first length of cable into the pipe channel (102 ). 17. Method as set forth in claim 16, wherein inserting the additional length of cable (100, 200) comprises pumping the additional length of cable (100, 200) into the pipe channel (102, 202) to fold the cable (100, 200) together substantially uniformly over substantially the entire length of the pipe channel (102, 202). 18. Method as set forth in claim 1, wherein inserting the first and further lengths of cable (100, 200) comprises pumping the first and further lengths of cable (100, 200) into the pipe channel (102, 202) to fold the cable (100, 200) together substantially uniformly over substantially the entire length of the conduit (102, 202). 19. Method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the oscillating pipe channel coil (410) comprises an oscillating, vertically oriented coil (410). 20. System for installing a cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) inside a pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) for deployment in a well (608), characterized in that the system comprising: means (106, 206, 406, 550) for inserting a first length of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) into a conduit at the surface prior to deploying the conduit in the well (608); and means (120, 220, 406, 410, 550) for folding the inserted cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) so that the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) contacts the interior surfaces of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at a plurality of locations; where the folding means (120, 220, 406, 410, 550) fold the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) at the surface before the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) is deployed in the well ( 608) and performs the folding by inserting a further length of cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) into the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) to cause the folding, further length is selected to enable the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) to frictionally contact the inner surface of the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the plurality of locations such that the weight of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) is uniformly transferred to the conduit (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the plurality of locations. 21. System as set forth in claim 20, wherein the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) is folded to describe an arcuate path within the pipe channel (102, 202, 322,402, 502, 602) and contacts the inner surface of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602) at the plurality of locations over substantially the entire length of the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602 ) to prevent longitudinal movement of the cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) inside the pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602). 22. System as stated in claim 20, where the first length of cable (100, 200, 320, 400, 500, 600) is substantially equal to the length of pipe channel (102, 202, 322, 402, 502, 602). 23. A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the folding means (120, 220) comprises a pumping unit (120, 220) for pumping the additional length of cable (100, 200) into the conduit (102, 202) to cause the folding. 24. System as stated in claim 20, which comprises: means (110, 410) for winding the cable (100, 400) and pipe channel (102, 402) on a coil (110, 410) after inserting the first length of the cable (100 , 400). 25. System as stated in claim 20, which further comprises means (110, 410, 510) for winding up the cable (100, 400, 500) and pipe channel (102, 402, 502) on a coil (110, 410, 510) after insertion of the further length of the cable (100, 400, 500) into the pipe channel (102, 402, 502). 26. System as stated in claim 20, where the first and further lengths of the cable (400) are inserted into the pipe channel (402) wound on an oscillating coil (410).