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US 12,753,684 B2Granted
Modified gas assisted plunger lift
AssigneeSilverwell Technology Limited
InventorJoel David Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A piloted valve in a production string is actuated for injecting gas into a production string for gas assisted plunger lift (“GAPL”) operations in a well. Actuation of the piloted valve occurs by operation of a surface controlled gas lift valve having an outlet in communication with the piloted valve. The piloted valve is installed in a side pocket mandrel of the production string, and after formation pressure around a well has dropped to a level requiring assisted lift.
Claims20
A method of wellbore operations comprising:
- injecting lift gas into the wellbore through a piloted valve in a side pocket mandrel of production tubing installed in the wellbore, the piloted valve comprising an inlet, an outlet, and an actuator that opens and closes the piloted valve in response to pressure;
- and
- controlling operation of the piloted valve with a surface controlled gas lift valve by selectively communicating pressure from an annulus circumscribing the production tubing through the surface controlled gas lift valve and to the actuator, the surface controlled gas lift valve being disposed in the wellbore outside of the side pocket mandrel.
A method of wellbore operations comprising:
- for a period of time, injecting lift gas into a flow of production fluid in the wellbore through a surface controlled gas lift valve that has an outlet port in communication with a side pocket mandrel in a string of production tubing in the wellbore;
- after the period of time, installing a piloted valve in the side pocket mandrel, the piloted valve comprising an inlet in communication with a source of the lift gas, an outlet in communication with the flow of production fluid, and an actuator in fluid communication with an exit of the surface controlled gas lift valve;
- activating the surface controlled gas lift valve to communicate pressure from an annulus surrounding the production tubing through the surface controlled gas lift valve and to the actuator to open the piloted valve;
- and
- injecting lift gas into the wellbore through the open piloted valve.
2 more elements
A system for use in wellbore operations comprising:
- a pilot operated valve (“POV”) comprising
- a valve actuator,
- a POV inlet in communication with an annulus circumscribing a production string in the wellbore, and
- a POV outlet in communication with a bore in the production string, the POV having an open configuration in which the POV inlet and outlet are in communication with one another and a closed configuration in which a flow barrier is between the POV inlet and outlet;
- and
- a surface controlled gas lift valve (“SCGLV”) having a SCGLV inlet port in communication with the annulus and a SCGLV outlet port in communication with the actuator, the SCGLV having an open configuration in which the SCGLV inlet and outlet ports are in fluid communication and a closed configuration in which a flow barrier is between the SCGLV inlet and outlet ports, the SCGLV changeable into the open configuration when activated, and the POV is changeable into the open configuration in response to an applied pressure to the valve actuator.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.