Methods and apparati for quickset gas lift separation and liquid storage

• US 10,519,983 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2019
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiftRock, LLC
• Original Assignee: LiftRock, LLC
• Inventors: Ellis, Jr., Billy Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US16/565,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20200011349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 113 Days
• Field of Search: 166 68, 166267
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/00 Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/16 Control means therefor being outside the borehole control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/122 Gas lift
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/123 Gas lift valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/126 Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive powered by fluid E21B43/129
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/34 Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 1/20 specially adapted for raising liquids from great depths, e.g. in wells

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparati for separating liquids from production gases and recovering the liquids. The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate emissions compared to standard methods and devices and also eliminate the need for haul away of liquids by collecting compressor system liquids in charge vessel(s). The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can also be used to fuel the engines which operate the compressor systems using gas from the compressor drains and the gas used to drain the charge vessel(s).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an inlet separator configured to receive production gas and to separate entrained liquids from the production gas to form a gas lift gas, the inlet separator comprising;

a production gas inlet,

a gas lift gas outlet configured to be fluidically connected to a compressor system comprising at least one engine capable of being operated using the gas lift gas as fuel, and

a liquid outlet,

a first charge vessel, comprising;

a first liquid inlet fluidically connected to the liquid outlet of the inlet separator,

a first charge gas valve configured to be fluidically connected to a high pressure gas source in said compressor system and further configured to deliver high pressure gas to drain the first charge vessel when the first charge gas valve is in an open configuration,

a liquid outlet fluidically connected to a first dump valve, the first dump valve allowing liquid from the first charge vessel to flow out of the first charge vessel when the first dump valve is in an open position and preventing the flow of liquid from the first charge vessel when the first dump valve is in a closed position, and

a gas outlet configured to be fluidically connected to the at least one engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first liquid inlet of the first charge vessel is configured to be fluidically connected to the compressor system to receive liquids from the compressor system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the first charge vessel comprising a second liquid inlet configured to be fluidically connected to the compressor system to receive liquids from the compressor system.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first liquid inlet is configured to receive liquids from at least one source chosen from an inlet or suction scrubber, a fuel filter, an interstage scrubber and environmental drains of the compressor system.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second liquid inlet is configured to receive liquids from at least one source chosen from an inlet or suction scrubber, a fuel filter, an interstage scrubber and environmental drains of the compressor system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high pressure gas source is a gas source with a pressure greater than the pressure in the first charge vessel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high pressure gas source is chosen from a first interstage scrubber, a second interstage scrubber, a third interstage scrubber and a final discharge of gas from the compressor system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high pressure gas source is a second interstage scrubber of the compressor system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fuel filter comprising:

a gas inlet,

a liquid outlet, and

a gas outlet configured to be fluidically connected to the at least one engine capable of being operated using the gas lift gas as fuel in the compressor system, the fluidic connection between the gas outlet and the at least one engine comprising a pressure control valve configured to allow a suitable pressure of gas lift gas to the at least one engine to operate the at least one engine,

wherein the gas inlet of the fuel filter is fluidically connected to gas outlet of the first charge vessel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure to the at least one engine, configured to be positioned between the pressure control valve and the compressor system, the inlet separator further comprising a gas make up outlet fluidically connected to the fuel filter, the fluid connection between the gas make up outlet and the fuel filter comprising a fuel gas make up valve, the fuel gas make up valve being configured to allow sufficient gas lift gas to flow from the inlet separator to the fuel filter to maintain a pressure suitable to operate the at least one engine, the pressure sensor being operatively connected to the gas make up valve and configured to open or close the gas make up valve sufficiently to deliver a suitable pressure of gas lift gas to the at least one engine to operate the at least one engine.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, the inlet separator further comprising a gas charge outlet fluidically connected to the fuel filter, the fluidic connection between the gas charge outlet and the fuel filter comprising a fuel filter charge valve configured to deliver a gas lift gas to the fuel filter to drain liquids from the fuel filter when the fuel filter charge valve is in an open configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the inlet separator further comprising a gas charge outlet fluidically connected to the fuel filter, the fluidic connection between the gas charge outlet and the fuel filter comprising a fuel filter charge valve configured to deliver a gas lift gas to the fuel filter to drain liquids from the fuel filter when the fuel filter charge valve is in an open configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a charge gas pressure regulator fluidically connected to the first charge gas valve, the charge gas pressure regulator being configured to be fluidically connected to the high pressure gas source between the high pressure gas source and the first charge gas valve, the charge gas pressure regulator being configured to deliver a target charge gas pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, the first charge vessel comprising a gas de pressure outlet fluidically connected to the inlet separator, the fluidic connection between the gas de pressure outlet and the inlet separator comprising a de pressure valve.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a first level controller operatively connected to the first charge vessel, the de pressure valve, the first charge gas valve and the first dump valve,

the first level controller being configured to close the de pressure valve between the first charge vessel and the inlet separator, open the first charge gas valve and open the first dump valve when a liquid level in the first charge vessel exceeds a first target liquid level, and

the first level controller being configured to open the de pressure valve between the first charge vessel and the inlet separator, close the first charge gas valve, and close the first dump valve when the liquid level in the first charge vessel is less the first target liquid level.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the inlet separator is fluidically connected to the first level controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second level controller operatively connected to the inlet separator, the fluidic connection between the liquid outlet of the inlet separator and the liquid inlet of the first charge vessel comprising an inlet separator dump valve operatively connected to the second level controller,

the second level controller being configured to open the inlet separator dump valve when a liquid level in the inlet separator exceeds a second target liquid level, and

the second level controller being configured to close the inlet separator dump valve when the liquid level in the inlet separator is less than the second target liquid level.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the inlet separator is fluidically connected to the second level controller.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a second level controller operatively connected to the inlet separator, the fluidic connection between the liquid outlet of the inlet separator and the liquid inlet of the first charge vessel comprising an inlet separator dump valve operatively connected to the second level controller,

the second level controller being configured to open the inlet separator dump valve when a liquid level in the inlet separator exceeds a second target liquid level, and

the second level controller being configured to close the inlet separator dump valve when the liquid level in the inlet separator is less than the second target liquid level.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the inlet separator is fluidically connected to the second level controller.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a third level controller operatively connected to the fuel filter,

the third level controller being configured to open the fuel filter charge valve when a liquid level in the fuel filter exceeds a third target liquid level, and

the third level controller being configured to close the fuel filter charge valve when the liquid level in the fuel filter is less than the third target liquid level.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the inlet separator is fluidically connected to the third level controller.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one flow meter fluidically connected to the gas lift gas outlet, the at least one flow meter configured to measure the flow rate of gas or to limit the flow of gas to the compressor system.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second charge vessel, the second charge vessel comprising:

at least one liquid inlet configured to be fluidically connected to the compressor system to receive liquids from the compressor system,

a second charge gas valve configured to be fluidically connected to the high pressure gas source in said compressor system and further configured to deliver high pressure gas to drain the second charge vessel when the second charge gas valve is in an open configuration,

a liquid outlet fluidically connected to a second dump valve, the second dump valve allowing liquid from the second charge vessel to flow out of the second charge vessel when the second dump valve is in an open position and preventing the flow of liquid from the second charge vessel when the second dump valve is in a closed position.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, the second charge vessel being configured to receive liquids from a second interstage of the compressor system.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a fourth level controller operatively connected to the second charge vessel, the second charge gas valve and the second dump valve,

the fourth level controller being configured to open the second charge gas valve and open the second dump valve when a liquid level in the second charge vessel exceeds a fourth target liquid level, and

the fourth level controller being configured to close the second charge gas valve, and close the second dump valve when the liquid level in the second charge vessel is less than the fourth target liquid level.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the inlet separator is fluidically connected to the fourth level controller.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a charge vessel pressure regulator fluidically connected to the second charge vessel and to the inlet separator, the charge vessel pressure regulator being configured to relieve excess pressure in the second charge vessel.

29. A method for recovering a gas lift gas and liquids from production gas, comprising:

feeding a production gas to the apparatus of claim 1 through the production gas inlet of the inlet separator;

allowing gas lift gas from the first charge vessel to flow into the at least one engine in the compressor system, the gas outlet of the first charge vessel being fluidically connected to the at least one engine, the gas lift gas being suitable to operate the at least one engine.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

allowing a first portion of liquids generated by the compressor system to flow into the first charge vessel, wherein the first charge vessel is fluidically connected to a source of the first portion of liquids generated by the compressor system; and

pushing the liquid in the first charge vessel out of the first charge vessel using the high pressure gas source from the compressor system, the first charge vessel being fluidically connected to the high pressure gas source.