Plunger lift
First Claim
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, the piston face being an end wall that extends across the entirety of the opposite end to close the hollow passage;
(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.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
86 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A plunger lift system for lifting formation liquids from a well producing through a wellbore communicating with a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:
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(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, the piston face being an end wall that extends across the entirety of the opposite end to close the hollow passage; (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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of lifting formation liquids from a wellbore using a plunger lift system comprising:
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(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 wherein the piston face is a singular piece that is integral with the sleeve;
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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A plunger lift system for lifting formation liquids from a well producing through a wellbore communicating with a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:
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(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 wherein the piston face includes an annular seating surface on the opposite end and a plug that is received therein, (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 and the plug is, at least partially, formed from a material that is more buoyant in formation liquids than the material from which the sleeve is, at least partially, formed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of lifting formation liquids from a wellbore using a plunger lift system comprising:
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(a) releasing a plug into the wellbore so that it falls from a top of the wellbore to a lower portion of the wellbore; (b) releasing a free piston into the wellbore so that it falls from the top of the wellbore to the lower portion of the wellbore, 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 comprising an annular seating surface and being completed when the plug and the annular seating surface of the sleeve are united in the lower portion of the wellbore;
the free piston having an external diameter that is substantially similar to the inner diameter of the wellbore;
the free piston including at least a portion thereof foamed of a material that is buoyant relative to any formation liquids in the lower portion of the wellbore and the plug being, at least partially, formed from a material that is more buoyant in formation liquids than the material from which the sleeve is, at least partially, formed;(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. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification