Apparatus and method for unloading production-inhibiting liquid from a well
AssigneeAmoco Corporation
InventorsMalcolm W. Coleman, J. Byron Sandel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chamber in a well is connected to two externally separate tubing strings to unload liquid which is applying backpressure against a formation so that the production of fluid from the formation is obstructed. Volumes of the liquid are intermittently collected in the chamber and lifted out of the well through one of the tubing strings in response to high pressure gas injected solely into the chamber through the other tubing string.
Claims24
A gas lift apparatus for installation in a well extending into the ground from the surface and intersecting a natural gas-bearing formation below the surface for intermittently removing separate volumes of liquid from the well for increasing the flow of natural gas from the formation into the well, comprising:
- chamber means for receiving liquid from the well and for receiving pressurized gas from outside the well;
- an injection tubing string for conducting pressurized gas to said chamber means from outside the well to provide a lift pressure in said chamber means, said injection tubing string connected to said chamber means;
- and
- a production tubing string, connected to said chamber means, for conducting liquid from said chamber means out of the well in response to said lift pressure, said injection and production tubing strings disposed outside each other so that said injection and production tubing strings communicate with each other in the well only through said chamber means, wherein said chamber means is adapted for being lowered into the well on only one of said injection tubing string and said production tubing string and for being subsequently connected in the well with the other of said injection tubing string and production tubing string.
A method of gas-lifting liquid from a well extending into the ground from the surface and intersecting a natural gas-bearing formation below the surface for intermittently removing separate volumes of liquid from the well for increasing the flow of natural gas from the formation into the well while permitting production of natural gas through the well, comprising:
- lowering from the surface a liquid-containing chamber into the well to a location adjacent to the natural gas-bearing formation by using only one of an injection tubing string and a production tubing string;
- subsequently lowering from the surface and connecting to the chamber the other of said injection tubing string and said production tubing string;
- injecting, for a limited time period and through said injection tubing string extending from the surface, pressurized gas into a liquid-containing chamber located in the well adjacent the formation and connected to the injection tubing string;
- lifting, in response to the injected pressurized gas and during the limited time period, liquid in the chamber out of the well through said production tubing string connected to the chamber, which production tubing string and injection tubing string are located outside of each other and in fluid isolation from each other within the well except through the chamber;
- and
- producing natural gas from the formation through the well outside the injection and production tubing strings.
A method of gas-lifting liquid from a well extending into the ground from the surface and intersecting a natural gas-bearing formation below the surface for intermittently removing separate volumes of liquid from the well for increasing the flow of natural gas from the formation into the well, comprising:
- establishing in the well a chamber for receiving liquid which has condensed and fallen out of natural gas flowing up the well, wherein the chamber is established in the well by lowering a vessel into the well on only one of a injection tubing string and a production tubing string that extends to the surface;
- subsequently lowering from the surface and connecting the other tubing string of the chamber;
- injecting, for a limited time period and through said injection tubing string extending from the surface to the chamber, pressurized gas into the chamber;
- lifting, in response to the injected pressurized gas and during the limited time period, liquid in the chamber out of the well through said production tubing string connected to the chamber, wherein said production tubing string and said injection tubing string are located outside of each other and in fluid isolation from each other within the well through the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.