# US 11,306,568 B2 · Hybrid artificial lift system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,568 B2 - Document ID: US11306568B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/732,662 - Filed: 2020-01-02 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-03 - Assignees: CTLift Systems LLC - Applicants: Ct Lift Systems, L.L.C. - Inventors: Humberto Leniek, Sr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306568B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/122: {Gas lift} - E21B 43/127: {Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems} - E21B 34/08: responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) - E21B 2200/04: Ball valves - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract An improved CT-based artificial lift system illustrates multiple novel aspects, each of which offers reduced installation cost and/or reduced rates of wear and performance degradation. One such aspect arises in a first illustrative well embodiment that includes: a pump tubular that separates an annular conduit from a central bore conduit, with one of the annular conduit and the central bore conduit serving as a lift conduit and the other of the annular conduit and the central bore conduit serving as a gas injection conduit, and with the pump tubular having at least one port for gas to flow from the gas injection conduit to the lift conduit; a downhole pump having a plunger that is driven by reciprocating motion of the pump tubular to force a liquid flow into the lift conduit, the liquid flow receiving lift gas from the at least one port; and a gas control unit that supplies the gas to the gas injection conduit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A well that comprises: a pump tubular that separates an annular conduit from a central bore conduit, with one of the annular conduit and the central bore conduit serving as a lift conduit and the other of the annular conduit and the central bore conduit serving as a gas injection conduit, and with the pump tubular having at least one port for gas to flow from the gas injection conduit to the lift conduit; a downhole pump having a plunger that is driven by reciprocating motion of the pump tubular to force a liquid flow into the lift conduit, the liquid flow receiving lift gas from the at least one port; and a gas control unit that supplies the gas to the gas injection conduit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The well of claim 1, wherein the central bore conduit is the lift conduit and the annular conduit is the gas injection conduit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The well of claim 1, wherein the central bore conduit is the gas injection conduit and the annular conduit is the lift conduit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The well of claim 1, further comprising a production tubular within which the pump tubular reciprocates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The well of claim 1, wherein the pump tubular comprises multiple continuous tubing portions connected by one or more continuous tubing gas lift couplers, each coupler providing at least one port for gas to flow from the gas injection conduit to the lift conduit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The well of claim 1, wherein the at least one port comprises a hole drilled through a wall of the pump tubular with a fitting or tubing sleeve that defines a chosen orifice size for the port. ### Claim 7 A hybrid artificial lift method that comprises: anchoring a pump body downhole at the end of a production tubular in a well; attaching a pump plunger to a pump tubular, the pump tubular having a central bore; providing the pump tubular with one or more gas injection ports; positioning the pump tubular within the production tubular, thereby defining an annular conduit; reciprocating the pump tubular to drive the pump plunger within the pump body and thereby create a fluid flow to a well head via the central bore or the annular conduit; and concurrently with said reciprocating, injecting gas into the fluid flow via the one or more gas injection ports. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the central bore conveys the fluid flow to the well head and the annular conduit conveys gas to the one or more injection ports. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the central bore conveys gas to the one or more injection ports and the annular conduit conveys the fluid flow to the well head. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the pump tubular comprises multiple continuous tubing portions connected by one or more continuous tubing gas lift couplers, each coupler including at least one gas injection port. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said providing includes drilling a hole in a wall of the pump tubular and attaching a fitting or sleeve to define a chosen orifice size for the hole. ### Claim 12 A well that comprises: a production tubular terminated by a pump body anchored downhole; a tapered continuous tubing string positioned inside the production tubular and terminated by a plunger; and a surface pump unit that reciprocates the tapered continuous tubing string to reciprocate the plunger in the pump body, thereby pumping fluid to a well head via a bore of the tapered continuous tubing string or via an annular conduit between the production tubular and the tapered continuous tubing string, wherein the fluid is pumped via the bore. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The well of claim 12, wherein the tapered continuous tubing string has a smoothly tapered wall thickness. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The well of claim 12, wherein the tapered continuous tubing string includes multiple continuous tubing portions coupled end-to-end by one or more continuous tubing couplers, each continuous tubing portion having a fixed wall thickness ordered from thicker to thinner with increasing depth.