Gas lift compressor system and method for supplying compressed gas to multiple wells
AssigneeEstis Compression, LLC
InventorWill Nelle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high pressure gas lift compressor system and method of using the system for supplying compressed gas to multiple wells are provided. The system includes a compressor having multiple compressor cylinders. Each cylinder has its own gas inlet line and dedicated gas outlet line that supplies compressed gas from that cylinder directly to a wellbore to provide artificial gas lift. Each cylinder also has its own control valve upstream of the cylinder to control the suction pressure to the cylinder. A desired gas flow rate to each well may be input, and the control valve is adjusted accordingly to achieve the flow rate. By inputting a flow rate for each separate cylinder, the flow rate to each well may be independently controlled.
Claims14
A gas compressor system for supplying compressed gas to a plurality of wellbores, said system comprising:
- a compressor associated with the plurality of wellbores each having a tubing string positioned within the wellbore, wherein the compressor comprises a plurality of compressor cylinders and a compressor engine operably coupled to each of the compressor cylinders and configured to simultaneously drive all of the compressor cylinders in the plurality of compressor cylinders, wherein each compressor cylinder has a gas inlet line and a gas outlet line, wherein each gas outlet line is configured to inject compressed gas from one respective compressor cylinder into an interior of one respective tubing string at a subsurface location, and
- a plurality of control valves each corresponding to a respective compressor cylinder, wherein each respective control valve is positioned on one respective gas inlet line upstream of one respective compressor cylinder,
- wherein each control valve is configured to independently control the suction pressure to each respective compressor cylinder and thereby to independently control a gas flow rate through each respective gas outlet line into each respective tubing string without varying the speed of the compressor engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.