packer 48 is illustrated in simplified form because a variety of conventional packers can be adapted for use with this submergible pumping system 10 for example packer 48 may be a mechanically set packer such as a 34 j 34 latch type packer a swab cup type packer or a hydraulic packer preferably packer 48 is a hydraulic packer such as the camco hrp 1 sp hydraulic set packer available through camco international inc of houston tex a hydraulic set packer generally includes a plurality of slips 50 having friction blocks 52 and a sealing element 54 slips 50 and friction blocks 52 are deployed against interior surface 26 of casing 24 to hold packer assembly 16 at a given location within wellbore 22 sealing element 54 typically comprises an elastomeric element that expands to seal between packer mandrel 46 and casing 24 to support the column of production fluid within annulus 28 the specific configuration of packer 48 will depend on the application and the desires of the submergible pumping system operator a control line 56 preferably is run from a location at the earth 39 s surface to packer assembly 16 to 34 set 34 or engage packer 48 with wellbore casing 24 when desired in the illustrated embodiment control line 56 is a hydraulic line that supplies hydraulic fluid to packer 48 thereby providing inputs to selectively set the packer referring also to fig4 packer mandrel 46.