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.
Claims18
A method for supplying compressed gas to a plurality of wellbores, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing the plurality of wellbores each having a tubing string positioned within the well bore,
- providing a gas compressor system,
- associating the gas compressor system with the plurality of wellbores, wherein
- the gas compressor system comprises:
- a compressor comprising 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,
- using the compressor to inject compressed gas into the tubing string of each of the plurality of wellbores, and
- independently controlling the gas flow rate into each respective tubing string by independently controlling each of the control valves upstream of each respective compressor cylinder.
A method of operating a gas compressor system, comprising:
- operating a compressor engine to simultaneously drive at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder of a compressor, wherein the first cylinder and the second cylinder are driven at a common speed;
- controlling a first suction pressure of a first gas stream;
- supplying the first gas stream to a first gas inlet line of the first cylinder, wherein the first cylinder compresses the first gas stream and outputs the first gas stream to a first gas outlet line of the first cylinder;
- controlling a second suction pressure of a second gas stream;
- supplying the second gas stream to a second gas inlet line of the second cylinder, wherein the second cylinder compresses the second gas stream and outputs the second gas stream to a second gas outlet line of the second cylinder;
- wherein the first gas stream in the first gas outlet line and the second gas stream in the second gas outlet line have a first gas flow rate and a second gas flow rate, respectively, wherein the first gas flow rate and the second outlet gas flow rate are different;
- supplying the first gas stream from the first gas outlet line to a first well bore;
- and
- supplying the second gas stream from the second gas outlet line to a second well bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.