Sealing plunger lift system and tubing connector

A plunger lift system to lift fluid formations out of a wellbore having a production tubing, the plunger lift system comprising:

• at least one plunger lift assembly including:
• a mandrel having a chamber;
• an expandable sealing mechanism disposed about an exterior of the mandrel having an expanded position and a contracted position, the expandable sealing mechanism configured to switch from the contracted position to the expanded position by either an increased pressure in the mandrel chamber or a vertical force from movement of the mandrel;
• and
• a shift rod for controlling fluid flow through the mandrel chamber;
• wherein the sealing mechanism is configured to be replaceable after experiencing wear;
• and
• wherein the contracted position is less than the drift diameter of a production tubing of a wellbore, and the expanded position is approximately the drift diameter of the production tubing of the wellbore;
• a coupler surrounding terminal ends of two adjacent tubing joints of the production tubing such that a gap is defined therebetween;
• and
• a connector separate from the coupler, the connector disposed within the gap and interconnecting the terminal ends of the two adjacent tubing joints, the connector having an inner diameter that is substantially equal to the inner diameter of each tube joint at its terminal end.

A method of lifting fluid formations out of a wellbore using a plunger lift system, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a bottom-hole component in a bottom of a wellbore near the fluid formations;
• providing at least one plunger lift system, the plunger lift system comprising at least one plunger lift assembly including:
• a mandrel having a chamber;
• an expandable sealing mechanism disposed about an exterior of the mandrel having an expanded position and a contracted position, the expandable sealing mechanism configured to switch from the contracted position to the expanded position by either an increased pressure in the mandrel chamber or a vertical force from movement of the mandrel;
• and
• a shift rod for controlling fluid flow through the mandrel chamber;
• wherein the sealing mechanism is configured to be replaceable after experiencing wear;
• and
• wherein the contracted position is less than the drift diameter of a production tubing of the wellbore, and the expanded position is approximately the drift diameter of the production tubing of the wellbore;
• dropping the at least one plunger lift assembly into the wellbore through a production tubing thereof such that the at least one plunger lift assembly descends toward the bottom-hole component;
• and
• allowing the at least one plunger lift assembly to ascend within the production tubing in response to formation gases passing into the wellbore, thereby pushing the fluid formations above the at least one plunger lift assembly toward a surface of the wellbore;
• wherein the at least one of pressure in the mandrel chamber and vertical force from movement of the mandrel causes the expandable sealing mechanism to activate and expand such that an outer diameter of the expandable sealing mechanism becomes substantially equal to a drift diameter of the production tubing and the expandable sealing mechanism maintains contact with the production tubing during ascent of the at least one plunger lift assembly within the production tubing toward the surface of the wellbore.