PLUNGER LIFT

• US 20100294507A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endurance Lift Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Integrated Production Services Incorporated (SESI Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: TANTON, Michael Spencer
• Granted Patent: US 8,181,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/372
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/121 Lifting well fluids monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/12 having free plunger lifting the fluid to the surface

Abstract

In a hydrocarbon producing wellbore, liquids (oil, condensate, water of mixtures thereof) from the formation may accumulate and build up a hydrostatic pressure gradient, which can kill gas production. Various embodiments of the present invention include a plunger lift system that can remove said formation liquids from a wellbore. A piston, including a sleeve with a hollow passage may travel downhole, accumulate formation liquids and utilizing the gas pressure deliver said formation liquids to the top of the wellbore for removal. The piston face may be one single wall that closes the hollow passage or the piston face may be comprised of a plug and an seat that unite to form a complete piston face downhole. Aspects of the plunger lift system, for example the sleeve and or the plug may be at least partially formed from materials that are buoyant in the formation liquids.

Claims

1. A plunger lift system for lifting formation liquids from a well producing through a wellbore communicating with a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

(a) a free piston with a sleeve including an open end, an opposite end, a hollow passage therebetween to accumulate the formation liquids and a piston face on the opposite end;

(b) the free piston having an external diameter that is substantially similar to the inner diameter of the wellbore;

(c) the free piston being moveable between a top of the wellbore and a lower portion of the wellbore; and

(d) the free piston including at least a portion thereof formed of a material that is buoyant relative to the formation liquids.

2. The plunger lift system of claim 1, further comprising a metal component carried on the free piston.

3. The plunger lift system of claim 1, further comprising an upper bumper to engage and stop the piston'"'"'s upward progress.

4. The plunger lift system of claim 1, wherein the piston face is an end wall that extends across the entirety of the opposite end to close the hollow passage.

5. The plunger lift system of claim 1, wherein the piston face includes an annular seating surface on the opposite end and a plug that is received therein.

6. The plunger lift system of claim 5, wherein the plug is independent of the sleeve and moveable through the well apart from the sleeve

7. The plunger lift system of claim 6, wherein the plug unites with the annular seating surface to form a piston face.

8. The plunger lift system of claim 5, further comprising an upper bumper to engage and stop the free piston'"'"'s upward progress;

a decoupler to decouple the plug and sleeve from the united position, a catcher assembly, and a bypass to prevent the piston from being pinned to the top of the wellbore.

9. The plunger lift system of claim 5, wherein the plug may be, at least partially, formed from a material that is more buoyant in formation liquids than the material that the sleeve is, at least partially, formed from.

10. The plunger lift system of claim 5, further comprising a metal component carried on the free piston.

11. A method of lifting formation liquids from a wellbore using a plunger lift system comprising:

(a) releasing a free piston into the wellbore so that it falls to the lower portion of the wellbore,

(b) the free piston including a sleeve with an open end, an opposite end, a hollow passage therebetween to accumulate formation liquids and a piston face on the opposite end;

the free piston having an external diameter that is substantially similar to the inner diameter of the wellbore;

the free piston being moveable between a top of the wellbore and a lower portion of the wellbore;

the free piston including at least a portion thereof formed of a material that is buoyant relative to any formation liquids in the lower portion of the wellbore,

(c) accumulating formation liquids above the free piston; and

(d) allowing a residence time to pass so that a formation gas pressure flow pushes the free piston to the top of the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising an upper bumper to engage and stop the free piston'"'"'s upward progress.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the piston face is a singular piece that is integral with the sleeve.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wellbore is shut-in to facilitate the piston falling to the lower portion of the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wellbore is opened after a period of time so that formation gas pressure flow pushes the piston and accumulated formation liquids uphole.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the piston face further comprises an annular seating surface and a plug is released into the wellbore before the sleeve and the plug and sleeve are united a complete the piston face in the lower portion of the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plug is, at least partially, formed of a material that is buoyant relative to the formation liquid.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plug is independent from the sleeve and the plug is introduced into the wellbore before to the plunger.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a decoupler to decouple the plug and sleeve from being united, a catcher assembly, and a bypass to prevent the piston from being pinned to the top of the wellbore.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the sleeve is, at least partially, formed of the buoyant material.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plug may be, at least partially, formed from a material that is more buoyant in formation liquids than the material that the sleeve is, at least partially, formed from.

22. The method of claim 11 and sensing the position of the piston, further comprising a metal component carried on the piston.