Artificial lift system
OwnerMichael D. Hershbergerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An artificial lift system and method for lifting fluids from an underground formation. The artificial lift system comprising a production tubing through which the fluid is carried from the formation to the surface and a pressure reducer, such as a venturi, fluidly connected to the production tubing to artificially raise the level of the fluid in the production tubing. The method comprises reducing the pressure in the production tubing at an upper portion thereof to increase the pressure differential between the upper portion of the production tubing and a lower portion of the production tubing to increase the level of liquid in the production tubing for subsequent removal in an artificial lifting step.
Claims26
In a method of producing gas from a gas and liquid containing underground strata in which a well extends between the surface of the ground and the strata and the well has a production tubing extending from the surface of the ground into the strata and from which the liquid is removed from the well and the well has at least at an upper portion thereof a casing which defines with the production tubing an annulus through which gas from the lower portion of the strata passes and is collected at the surface of the ground, and the liquid is artificially lifted from a lower portion of the well to the surface of the ground through the production tubing to release the gas from the formation to the annulus, the improvement comprising the step of:
- reducing the pressure in the production tubing at an upper portion thereof to thereby increase the volume of liquid in the production tubing for subsequent removal in the artificial lifting step.
In a method of producing gas from a gas and liquid containing underground strata in which a well extends between the surface of the ground and the strata and the well has a production tubing extending from the surface of the ground into the strata and from which the liquid is removed from the well and the well has at least at an upper portion thereof a casing which defines with the production tubing an annulus through which gas from the lower portion of the strata passes and is collected at the surface of the ground, and the liquid is artificially lifted from a lower portion of the well to the surface of the ground through the production tubing to release the gas from the formation to the annulus, the improvement comprising the step of:
- increasing a pressure differential between the upper portion of the production tubing and a lower portion of the production tubing in fluid contact with the liquid to thereby increase the volume of liquid in the production tubing for subsequent removal in the artificial lifting step.
In a gas production well wherein gas is produced from a gas and liquid containing underground strata in which a well extends between the surface of the ground and the strata and the well has a production tubing extending from the surface of the ground into the strata and from which the liquid is removed from the well and the well has at least at an upper portion thereof a casing which defines with the production tubing an annulus through which gas from the lower portion of the strata passes and is collected at the surface of the ground, and the liquid is artificially lifted by an artificial lift system from a lower portion of the well to the surface of the ground through the production tubing to release the gas from the formation to the annulus, the improvement comprising:
- a pressure reducer fluidly connected to an upper portion of the production tubing to reduce the pressure at an upper portion of the production tubing to thereby increase the volume of liquid in the production tubing for subsequent removal of the artificial lifting system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.