Wells – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-08-07
Suchfield, George (Department: 3672)
Wells
Automatic
C166S066000, C166S075150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269875
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the production of natural gas from oil and gas wells, a problem develops when water comes into the well from the producing formation and begins to exert a back pressure (due to the hydrostatic head of the water column) against the producing formation. This back pressure rises in direct proportion to the height of the water and its density.
The most popular procedure to remove this water is to drop soap sticks into the well to foam the water. This foamed water begins to reduce back pressure on the formation as it is formed and this in turn allows more gas to enter the well and to create more foamed water. This eventually exits the well at the surface. Slowly this water begins to build up again and more sticks are dropped by hand into the well on a daily basis. Other applications include the regular insertion of corrosion Inhibitor sticks, Scale Removing sticks, Paraffin Inhibitor, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of this invention is to allow the oil and gas company field people to load a launching device with one or more sticks and to drop these sticks under the control of a controller. This is a big advantage for the oil and gas company due to the following:
1. Less trips by field people to insert sticks in well.
2. More productive wells because the water is kept at a low level allowing greater gas production.
3. Some wells are not accessible in poor weather conditions.
4. More productive field personnel saving them many hours per month which can be devoted to other work.
This purpose is achieved by providing a chemical stick delivery tube in communication with a well which supports a rotatable chemical stick storage device on the uppermost end of the delivery tube. The delivery tube includes an upper opening which opens into the chemical stick storage device and the chemical stick storage device rotates to position specially designed chemical sticks sequentially over the delivery tube opening. Within the delivery tube is a first valve positioned directly beneath the delivery tube opening and a second valve spaced below the first valve for a distance sufficient to form a chamber between the first and second valves to receive a chemical stick. A controller, such as a central processing unit or a timing device controls the operation of the first and second valves so that after the first valve is opened while the second valve is closed to drop a chemical stick into the chamber, the first valve is then closed and a fill valve is opened to equalize the pressure between the well head and the chamber so that the chemical stick can drop from the chamber into the well. Once pressure is equalized, the fill valve is closed and the second valve is opened to drop the chemical stick into the well.
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Fulton Stephen G.
Harrison, III William G.
Meaders James
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Sixbey Daniel W.
Suchfield George
The Harrison Investment Trust
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