System and process for reducing the flowing bottom hole pressure in a natural gas well

Abstract

A system and process for reducing the flowing bottom-hole pressure in a natural gas well has a first discrete fluid flow path extending from the surface well head through a valve to an inlet of a separator, the valve being actuable between a closed condition and an open condition, and a second discrete gas flow path extending from an outlet of the separator to an inlet of a compressor, the compressor maintaining a near or below zero PSIG pressure at the separator inlet. When the valve is in the closed condition, positive pressure builds on the well head side of the valve and, when the valve is in the open condition, the near or below zero PSIG pressure of the separator is applied to the well head. In applications for receiving a fluid column of gas and liquid loading a plunger in the production line of a natural gas well, when the negative pressure is applied to the well head, the fluid column is transferred along the fluid flow path into the separator and the gas is transferred along the gas flow path from the separator to the compressor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.