US 6,148,923 A · Auto-cycling plunger and method for auto-cycling plunger lift

Abstract

An auto-cycling plunger and method for lifting out condensate and fluid that accumulate and retard production in oil and gas wells. The auto-cycling plunger comprises a tube that defines an inner chamber, one or more flapper sealing rings mounted on the tube and a detachable valve member positioned at one end of the tube. During the method, the auto-cycling plunger free falls down the production tubing string with the detachable valve accelerating faster than the tube. The detachable valve hits the bottom-hole spring first, the tube follows and engages with the detachable valve thereby creating a seal. The liquid collects above auto-cycling plunger and the plunger moves up the production tubing as gas within the well accumulates below it and creates an upward pressure. The auto-cycling plunger repeats it's movement up and down the well without having to shut-in the well thereby continuously removing liquids without stopping production.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An auto-cycling plunger for lift of condensate and fluid out of a gas or oil well, the plunger comprising:

a tube having an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, the lower section forming a retrieval end, the upper section, middle section and lower section defining a continuous chamber;
one or more flapper sealing rings mounted along the tube, the sealing rings extending outwardly from the tube;
and
a detachable valve member positioned at the retrieval end.

1 more element

A method for auto-cycling plunger lift in a gas or oil well having a lubricator positioned at a top of a production string tubing and a bottom-hole bumper spring positioned at a bottom of the production string, the lubricator comprising an arrival spring and a catcher, the method comprising:

a) stopping production flow;
b) placing auto-cycling plunger with a detachable valve member in the lubricator so that they are held by the catcher, the auto-cycling plunger comprising a retrieval end and flapper sealing rings;
c) starting production flow so that said gas well is pressurized;
d) releasing the catcher thereby allowing the detachable valve member and auto-cycling plunger to fall independently through the production string tubing until liquid in the bottom of the well collects at top of said plunger;
e) striking the bottom-hole bumper spring with the detachable valve member;
f) striking the bottom-hole bumper spring with the plunger so that the retrieval end of the plunger captures the detachable valve member causing a valve seal within the plunger as formation gas pressure pushes against the detachable valve member;
g) effecting a seal between the flapper sealing rings and the walls of the production string tubing;
h) allowing formation gas pressure to push the plunger with the captured detachable valve member upward thereby pushing liquid above the plunger towards top of the production string tubing;
i) drawing off liquid and piping out gas as the plunger reenters lubricator thereby reducing pressure below the plunger;
j) allowing the detachable valve member and the plunger to fall back down the production string tubing;
k) repeating steps e) through j) without shutting in well.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Auto-cycling plunger and method for auto-cycling plunger lift

Life of this patent

Auto-cycling plunger and method for auto-cycling plunger lift

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27