Well operation optimization
AssigneeSilverwell Technology Limited
InventorPeter John Watson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fluid is produced from a well that is equipped with a plunger lift system. The plunger lift system includes a plunger that is inserted into production tubing that is installed in the well. Liquid from a surrounding formation accumulates on top of the plunger. The liquid accumulation on the plunger is monitored. Lift gas is injected into the production tubing below the plunger to lift the plunger and accumulated liquid to surface. A wellhead assembly at surface directs the accumulated liquid away from the well, and injection of the lift gas is suspended to allow the plunger to drop back to its initial position. The timing of the lift gas injection is based on monitoring liquid accumulation, and also to maximize production from the well.
Claims20
A method of producing from a wellbore comprising:
- receiving into the wellbore a flow of fluid that comprises a liquid and forms an accumulation of liquid on a plunger in the wellbore;
- producing the liquid from the wellbore with cycles of lift gas injection into the wellbore that lift the plunger and accumulation of liquid to surface;
- obtaining an anticipated rate of flow of liquid into the wellbore;
- identifying times for initiating the cycles to produce a maximum amount of the liquid based on the anticipated rate of flow of liquid into the wellbore;
- and
- maximizing a rate of liquid being unloaded from the wellbore by initiating the cycles at the identified times.
A method of producing from a wellbore comprising:
- obtaining flowrates of a liquid accumulating in the wellbore over a period of time that the wellbore is being loaded with the liquid;
- estimating rates of liquid production from the wellbore by initiating a cycle of unloading the wellbore for the flowrates of the liquid accumulating in the wellbore;
- identifying a maximum from the rates of liquid production from the wellbore to define a maximum liquid production rate;
- identifying a flowrate of the liquid accumulating in the wellbore that corresponds to the maximum liquid production rate to define a target flowrate;
- monitoring conditions in the wellbore to obtain an estimate of a current flowrate of liquid accumulating in the wellbore;
- and
- using a plunger and lift gas to unload liquid accumulated in the wellbore when the current flowrate of liquid accumulating in the wellbore is about the same as the target flowrate.
A method of producing from a wellbore comprising:
- a. receiving liquid in the wellbore flowing from a formation that is intersected by the wellbore, the liquid flowing into the wellbore at a flowrate that diminishes over time, the liquid accumulating on a plunger disposed in production tubing installed in the wellbore, and the accumulated liquid produced from the production tubing by the plunger being raised and lowered inside the production tubing so that a cycle time is defined by the over which the plunger is raised and lowered;
- b. estimating amounts of the liquid that accumulate on the plunger over different buildup times,
- c. obtaining different liquid production values, where each different liquid production value is based on each of the different buildup times, a corresponding amount of the liquid accumulated on the plunger over each of the different buildup times, and the cycle time;
- and
- d. operating at a one of the different buildup times that corresponds to a one of the different production value having a maximum value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.