Smart compressed chamber well optimization system

A method of optimizing a gas flow supplied from a natural gas well by unloading liquid from the well with a gas lift system, said gas lift system including an outer tube, an inner tube extending within a bore of the outer tube, a compressor presenting an inlet and outlet, and a fluid separator fluidly connected to the compressor inlet, wherein the liquid is drawn into at least one of the tubes, said method comprising:

• (a) fluidly communicating the inner tube and one of the compressor outlet and inlet so that the inner tube is respectively positioned either downstream of the outlet or upstream of the inlet;
• (b) fluidly communicating the outer tube and the other of the compressor outlet and inlet so that the outer tube is respectively positioned in the other of the downstream or upstream positions;
• and
• (c) pumping the liquid out the at least one of the tubes,
• step (c) including running the compressor to draw gas from one of the tubes while pumping gas into the other tube.

A method of optimizing a gas flow supplied from a natural gas well by unloading liquid from the well with a gas lift system, said gas lift system including an outer tube, an inner tube extending within a bore of the outer tube, a compressor presenting an inlet and outlet, and a fluid separator fluidly connected to the compressor inlet, wherein the liquid is drawn into at least one of the tubes, said method comprising:

• (a) unloading the well by performing a gas lift cycle that propels the liquid portion out of the tubes,
• step (a) including performing a set number of consecutive gas lift cycles that remove respective liquid portions;
• (b) measuring a property of the gas production flow;
• and
• (c) changing the set number of consecutive gas lift cycles to unload the well during a subsequent well unloading step based on any difference between the measured flow property and a predetermined value of the flow property.

A system for extracting a gas and a liquid from a well, said system comprising:

• a tubing system extending downwardly into the well and defining first and second longitudinally-extending chambers;
• a gas-liquid separator defining a fluid inlet, a gas outlet, and a liquid outlet, said fluid inlet being coupled in fluid communication with the first chamber;
• and
• a compressor defining a suction inlet and a discharge outlet,
• said suction inlet being coupled in fluid communication with the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator,
• said discharge outlet being coupled in fluid communication with the second chamber.

A natural gas well unloading system operable to unload liquid from a gas-producing well and thereby allow gas to flow to the surface, said unloading system comprising:

• tubing having a fluid collection end operable to be positioned in the well, with the tubing presenting at least two chambers,
• said tubing being operable to extend into the well and transmit the gas and liquid from the fluid collection end to the surface,
• said chambers being in fluid communication with one another adjacent the fluid collection end,
• at least one of said chambers being configured to collect liquid from the well;
• a compressor presenting an inlet and discharge,
• said compressor discharge being in fluid communication with one of the chambers;
• and
• a fluid separator configured to separate the liquid from the gas and being in fluid communication with the other of the chambers,
• said fluid separator being in fluid communication with the compressor inlet, with the chambers, compressor, and fluid separator cooperatively forming at least part of an endless fluid conduit so that the system is operable to drive the collected liquid from the tubing into the fluid separator by forcing compressed gas behind the collected liquid and drawing vacuum in front of the collected liquid.