Plunger with multiple jackets

A plunger for use in a gas/fluid lift system in downhole tubulars in a well producing fluids and/or gases under variable well pressures, comprising:

• a first body and a second body slidingly engageable within the tubulars and capable of movement up and down said tubulars, said first and second body each having a top end and a bottom end, and an inner core within each said body for internal sealing;
• a connector disposed between said first and second bodies and joining said bodies, said connector having first and second ends, said first end attached to the bottom end of the first body and said second end attached to the top end of the second body;
• an external sealing means having an outer side and an inner side mounted about each said core radially expandable to seal against the interior of said tubulars;
• an internal sealing means disposed between or on a surface of each said core and/or the inner side of each said external sealing means, wherein the internal sealing means comprises a plurality of grooves on the core surface;
• a tortuous flow path for well fluids and/or gases between each said core and the inner side of each said external sealing means;
• said internal and external sealing means retarding a flow of well fluids and/or gases and causing an increase in fluid and gas pressure below the plunger which elevates the plunger and the well fluids to well surface when the well pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced.

A plunger for use in a gas/fluid lift system in downhole tubulars in a wells producing fluids and/or gases under variable well pressures, comprising:

• a body slidingly engageable within the tubulars and capable of movement up and down said tubulars, said body having a top end and a bottom end, and an elongated inner core within the body with a plurality of grooves thereon for internal sealing;
• at least two separate flexible jackets having an outer side and inner side, formed by a plurality of segments mounted about said core, each of said segments having a convex outer surface and an inner surface, first and second sides, and top and bottom ends;
• a plurality of fingers on the inner side of said segment that extend inwardly toward said core;
• an upper and lower retaining ring, wherein the upper retaining ring is located at the top end of the first jacket assembly, and wherein the lower retaining ring is located at the bottom end of the second jacket assembly, said retaining rings limiting the outward radial movement of the segments;
• a tortuous flow path for well fluids and/or gases between said core and the inner side of each said jacket;
• each said jacket having an inner side providing an internal seal and an outer side being radially expandable to provide an external seal against the interior of said tubulars, wherein each of said internal and external seals retards a flow of well fluids and/or gases which thereby increases a pressure below the plunger to thereby move the plunger and well fluids to well surface when the pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced;
• and
• wherein said tortuous flow path is comprised of an area between the core surface and a plurality of fingers on the inner side of each said segment.

A plunger for use in a gas/fluid lift system in tubulars in a wells producing both fluids and gases under variable well pressures, comprising:

• a body that is slidingly engageable and which gravitates within the tubulars, said body having a top end, and a bottom end, and an elongated internal core within the body for internal sealing;
• at least two separate external sealing means mounted around said core having an outer side and inner side, radially expandable to seal against the interior of said tubulars;
• an internal sealing means disposed on said core and/or the inner side of each said external sealing means;
• retaining means for each external sealing means, the retaining means being located between each external sealing means, at the top end of the first external sealing means, and at the bottom end of the second external sealing means, said retaining means limiting the outward radial movement of said external sealing means;
• a tortuous flow path for well fluids and/or gases between said core and the inner side of each said external sealing means wherein the inner surface of the external sealing means has a plurality of fingers thereon that protrude inwardly toward the core;
• said internal and external sealing means retarding a flow of well fluids and/or gases and causing an increase in fluid and gas well pressure below the plunger which elevates the plunger and the well fluids to a well surface when a pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced.