# US 10,119,384 B2 · Device for recovery of gas from liquid-loaded gas wells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,384 B2 - Document ID: US10119384B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/264,790 - Filed: 2016-09-14 - Published: 2017-03-16 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-16 - Assignees: Optimum Petroleum Services Inc. - Applicants: Optimum Petroleum Services Inc. - Inventors: James G. Gettis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119384B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/38: in the well - B01D 19/0042: {modifying the liquid flow (B01D19/0021 takes precedence)} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract A device for use in recovery of gas trapped by fluid and suspended solids in a gas or oil well includes a body defining a cavity with a cap at its upper end and an opening for entry of fluid at its bottom end. A lower valve controls fluid flow into, and an upper valve controls flow out of, the cavity. Pressurized gas pushes downward on fluid in the cavity in a compression stroke which closes the lower valve and opens the upper valve. Gas is exhausted from the cavity during an exhaust stroke. An effluent line allows exit of the fluid and suspended solids during the compression stroke. A probe line provides electrical power to a pair of probes for initiating and halting entry of the stream of pressurized gas into the cavity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for use in recovery of gas trapped by fluid and suspended solids in a gas or oil well, the device comprising: a body defining a cavity with an upper end and an opening for entry of the fluid at its bottom end, the device including a lower valve within the cavity for controlling flow of the fluid into the cavity and an upper valve within the cavity for controlling flow of the fluid and suspended solids out of the cavity, the upper end having a plurality of lines passing therethrough and into the cavity, the lines comprising: a) a gas line for providing a stream of pressurized gas to push downward on fluid in the cavity in a compression stroke wherein downward flow of the fluid closes the lower valve and opens the upper valve, the gas line further used to exhaust contained gas from the cavity during an exhaust stroke when infiltration of fluid into the cavity and upward flow of the fluid opens the lower valve and closes the upper valve to raise a fluid level in the cavity; b) an effluent line for allowing exit of the fluid and suspended solids during the compression stroke; and c) a probe line for providing electrical power to a pair of probes for initiating and halting entry of the stream of pressurized gas into the cavity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the upper valve and the lower valve are both located below the pair of probes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the probes are spaced vertically apart within the cavity in an arrangement having an upper probe for sensing an upper fluid level to trigger initiation of the compression stroke and a lower probe for sensing a lower fluid level to trigger initiation of the exhaust stroke. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the cavity further contains a plurality of baffles for halting upward movement of the suspended solids in the fluid as the fluid rises during the exhaust stroke. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein each one of the plurality of baffles is supported by one or more of the plurality of lines in the cavity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the baffles are leaf-shaped and include openings for holding the one or more of the plurality of lines. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the leaf-shaped baffles are rotated with respect to each other to provide partial transverse blockage of the cavity at different cross sectional areas of the cavity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein one of the openings is configured to hold the effluent line and another one of the openings is configured to hold the probe line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of baffles is three baffles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the baffles are supported by or formed integrally with a sidewall of the cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the effluent line terminates at the upper valve and the upper valve includes an upper ball seat and an upper check ball, wherein the upper valve is closed when the upper check ball is positioned in the upper ball seat during the exhaust stroke and wherein the upper valve is open when the upper check ball floats above the upper ball seat during the compression stroke. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the lower valve is supported by an extension of the body which extends below the upper valve and the lower valve includes a lower ball seat and a lower check ball, wherein the lower valve is closed when the lower check ball is positioned in the lower ball seat during the compression stroke and wherein the lower valve is open when the lower check valve floats above the lower ball seat during the exhaust stroke. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the extension of the body which extends below the upper valve is a tube. ### Claim 14 A device for use in recovery of gas trapped by fluid and suspended solids in a gas or oil well, the device comprising: a body defining a cavity with an upper end and an opening for entry of fluid at its bottom end, the device including a lower valve within the cavity for controlling the flow of fluid into the cavity and an upper valve within the cavity for controlling the flow of fluid out of the cavity, the upper end having a plurality of lines passing therethrough and into the cavity, the lines comprising: a) a gas line for provision of a stream of pressurized gas to push downward on fluid in the cavity in a compression stroke wherein downward fluid flow closes the lower valve and opens the upper valve, the gas line further used to exhaust contained gas from the cavity during an exhaust stroke when infiltration of fluid into the cavity and upward fluid flow opens the lower valve and closes the upper valve to raise a fluid level in the cavity; b) an effluent line for allowing exit of fluid suspended solids during the compression stroke; c) a probe line for provision of electrical power to a pair of probes for initiating or halting the provision of gas pressure to the cavity; and g) a separate bubble tube line for determining pressure in the device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the bubble tube line is configured to be switched to a cleaning line for injection of a second stream of pressurized gas into the device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, further comprising an adapter attached to the bottom end of the body, the adapter configured for attachment of a pair of nested tubes including an inner tube and an outer tube, the adapter having an opening leading to a channel in an inner sidewall of the adapter, wherein a bottom end of the bubble tube is placed at the opening of the adapter to transmit gas from the bubble tube into a space between a sidewall of the outer tube and a sidewall of the inner tube. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 wherein the inner tube and the outer tube are attachable to the adapter by threading. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the effluent line terminates below the adapter at the upper valve and the upper valve includes an upper ball seat and an upper check ball, wherein the upper valve is closed when the upper check ball is positioned in the upper ball seat during the exhaust stroke and wherein the upper valve is open when the upper check ball floats above the upper ball seat during the compression stroke. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the lower valve is supported by the inner tube of the body which extends below the upper valve and the lower valve includes a lower ball seat and a lower check ball, wherein the lower valve is closed when the lower check ball is positioned in the lower ball seat during the compression stroke and wherein the lower valve is open when the lower check valve floats above the lower ball seat during the exhaust stroke. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the upper valve and the lower valve are both located below the pair of probes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the probes are spaced vertically apart within the cavity in an arrangement having an upper probe for sensing an upper fluid level to trigger initiation of the compression stroke and a lower probe for sensing a lower fluid level to trigger initiation of the exhaust stroke when the fluid level rises. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the cavity further contains a plurality of baffles for halting upward movement of the suspended solids in the fluid as the fluid rises during the exhaust stroke. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein each one of the plurality of baffles is supported by one or more of the plurality of lines in the cavity. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein each of the baffles is leaf-shaped and includes one or more openings for holding the one or more of the plurality of lines. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The device of claim 24, wherein the leaf-shaped baffles are rotated with respect to each other to provide transverse blockage of the cavity at different cross sectional areas of the cavity. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The device of claim 24, wherein the one or more openings includes a first opening configured to hold the effluent line, a second opening configured to hold the probe line and a third opening configured to hold the bubble tube line. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the plurality of baffles is three baffles. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The device of claim 22, wherein the baffles are supported by or formed integrally with a sidewall of the cavity.