Buoyant Ball Assisted Hydrocarbon Lift System and Method

Abstract

As disclosed, a buoyant ball assisted hydrostatic lift system and method for lifting fluid(s) from an enclosed subterranean reservoir to the earth's surface, comprises a pipe string configured at a steady state gas pressure with any quiescent gas escape offset by an equal gas input. The system also includes a plurality of buoyant balls in the pipe string; the balls configured to at least one of displace a fluid mass and have a surface friction moving in fluid(s) therein. The system additionally includes a column of the buoyant balls in the pipe string, an aggregate weight of the balls configured to entrain the balls into a fluid in an annulus formed with an outer bore pipe. The system further includes a hydrostatic pressure differential in the annulus with respect to the reservoir via the buoyant balls, the pressure configured to lift fluid(s) in the annulus to the surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.