Plunger lift system
AssigneeStellarton Technologies Inc.
InventorsRyan AMIES, Grant GEORGE, Jordan JAMES, Geoff STEELE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intermittent lift plunger includes at least one seal mandrel, a bottom sub and an upper valve assembly. The valve assembly is closed by a well bottom stop which inserts into the lift plunger and opened by a lubricator stop at the top of the well. The seal mandrel includes a sleeve seal formed from an elastomeric rubber or plastic, which inflates to engage the well bore surface when the valve is closed and a pressure differential exists.
Claims11
A plunger having an upper end and a lower end, and defining an internal chamber, for intermittently lifting fluids from a well having a bottom well stop means, said plunger comprising:
- (a) at least one hollow cylindrical seal mandrel disposed between the upper end and lower end, wherein the seal mandrel defines a plurality of openings;
- (b) a resilient seal sleeve attached to the seal mandrel in a fluid-tight manner, covering the seal mandrel openings;
- (c) a valve assembly disposed at one end of the plunger, comprising a valve body defining a valve opening, a valve stem wherein the valve is slidingly disposed within the valve body, and is moveable between a first position wherein the valve opening is closed and a second position wherein the valve opening is open;
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- (d) means for maintaining the valve in an open position, and means for maintaining the valve in a closed position, wherein the force required to overcome the open position means, thereby closing the valve, is less than the force required to overcome the closed position means, thereby opening the valve.
A plunger having an upper end and a lower end, and defining an internal chamber, for intermittently lifting fluids from a well having a bottom well stop means, said plunger comprising:
- (a) at least one hollow cylindrical seal mandrel disposed between the upper end and lower end, wherein the seal mandrel defines a plurality of openings;
- (b) a resilient seal sleeve attached to the seal mandrel in a fluid-tight manner, covering the seal mandrel openings, wherein said seal sleeve has a middle portion bounded by an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the middle portion is more pliable than one or both of the upper portion and lower portion;
- (c) a valve assembly disposed at one end of the plunger, comprising a valve body defining a valve opening, a valve stem wherein the valve is slidingly disposed within the valve body, and is moveable between a first position wherein the valve opening is closed and a second position wherein the valve opening is open.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.