Wells – With eduction pump or plunger – Having liquid-gas separator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-03
2001-09-25
Schoeppel, Roger (Department: 3672)
Wells
With eduction pump or plunger
Having liquid-gas separator
C166S090100, C166S075120, C166S243000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293340
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a gas-lift-ball control device used in oil production and an oil producing method using the gas-lift-ball control device.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The applicant filed an application for patent on Jul. 7, 1990 in China and the patent right was granted to it thereafter, the title of the invention being “A GAS-LIFT OIL PRODUCING DEVICE” and the patent number being 90209934.5. The said device comprises a conventional gas-lift unit and a ball-control mechanism, makes a slug flow in the lift pipe with gas column mixed with well fluid being separated by feeding special gas-lift-balls at regular intervals so that the gas energy can be used to it's maximum and the injection-production ratio is reduced, producing depth is increased, therefore, the gas-lift efficiency is improved.
The ball-control mechanism consists of motor, gear bank, screw rod, oil-gas-ball separator, ball-control wheel, circular-cylinder-shape filter screen, oil-gas-ball inlet pipe and valve, high pressure gas inlet pipe and valve, oil-gas outlet pipe and valve, gas-ball outlet pipe and valve. The mechanism is of bilateral symmetry (left and right). The spiral direction of the left screw rod is opposite to the right one. A valves are connected with the pipelines and the shell of the oil-gas separator. Each pair of valves is connected with the gears and screw rod.
After high pressure gas from high pressure valve goes into the separator, the ball-control wheel turns under the force of the gas flow, and passes the gas-lift-balls into the gas-feeding pipe, forming a kind of flow structure of gas column separated with the gas-lift-balls. When the motor rotates clockwise, the screw rod will open the valve on the left and close the valve on the right. When the left valve opens, oil and gas and ball go into the left separator, with oil and gas going into the oil-gas outlet pipeline through the filter screen. When the left separator is filled with the balls, the motor begins turning anticlockwise. The right valve opens and the left valve closes. When the right valve opens, oil and gas and ball go into the right separator, with oil and gas going into the oil-gas outlet pipeline through the circular-cylinder-shape filter screen.
On May 13, 1994, the applicant filed an application for patent (“THE MULTIFUNCTION BALL-CONTROL DEVICE”), which was improved on the basis of the above-mentioned device. A patent was granted to it and the patent number is 9421188.5. The device takes advantage of the transmission and controlling mechanism and the bilateral symmetry of the above-mentioned device. In this ball-control device, the gas-lift-balls are separated by filter screen, the speed-regulating motor is used, the gear bank is used to control the spiral ball feeder which controls the balls delivery. And also, a spiral oil ditch with some small holes on it was designed, there is a baffle at the end of the oil ditch, on the top of which a separation cap is located for separating gas and oil. Nevertheless, the improved device has the following shortcomings: 1) the structure is complicated and expensive because of using the motor and gear bank and screw rod to control the two shells; 2) the safety degree is reduced and the investment enlarged because of the high pressure of 8-12 Mpa that the two shells have to be subjected to when injecting gas; 3) the feeding of gas and balls is not continuous, therefore, the pressure fluctuates because the two shells send out and receive balls and separate oil and gas respectively, and also, regular tank change must be proceeded; and 4) it is somewhat difficult to operate because of the bilateral symmetry structure. So, to some extent, the above two patents are difficult to be put into practice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas-lift-ball control device as well as a method of oil production using the device, in which only one low pressure shell is used, and the feeding of gas and balls can be continuous. So there is no fluctuation in pressure in oil-gas gathering and transferring system, the safely and reliability can be ensured, and the needed injection gas amount is reduced and the gas lift efficiency increased in comparison with the devices of the above-mentioned two patents.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas-lift-ball control device, comprising an oil-gas-ball separator shell which is provided with a low pressure gas outlet on the top, an oil-gas-ball inlet on the upper portion and an oil outlet on the lower portion; a perforated spiral pipe which is located inside the separator shell and connected on one end with the oil-gas-ball inlet; a baffle arranged in front of the other end of the perforated spiral pipe; a separating umbrella disposed above the perforated spiral pipe; and a filter screen disposed below the perforated spiral pipe. According to the present invention, a valve for sending out gas-lift-balls is arranged by the side of the filter screen and comprises a valve body having a ball inlet hole, a low pressure gas hole, a high pressure gas inlet hole an a high pressure gas outlet hole, and a valve core which is positioned in the valve body and controlled by an electric control unit. The high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure gas outlet hole are connected respectively with a high pressure gas inlet pipe and a high pressure gas outlet pipe, which extend through the shell wall to the outside. The valve core is provided therein with passage means for connecting the ball inlet hole and the low pressure gas hole in the valve body and for connecting the high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure outlet hole in the valve body alternatively. A shift fork is disposed by the side of the ball inlet hole and controlled by the electric control unit.
The oil producing method using the gas-lift-ball control device according to the present invention is now described. The gas-lift-ball control device is installed in an oil production line. The high pressure gas inlet pipe of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a high pressure gas resource via a valve. The high pressure gas outlet pipe of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a gas delivery pipe. The low pressure gas outlet of the gas-lift-ball control device is connected with a gas recovery pipe of the high pressure gas resource. The oil outlet of the device is connected with an oil transferring pipe. The oil-gas-ball inlet of the device is connected with a gas lift pipe. The high pressure gas is first introduced into the annular space between the casing and tubing to press the liquid level to a required depth. The gas-lift-balls are then put into the separator shell and the electric control unit is started to drive the shift fork so that the gas-lift-balls can be sent into the ball inlet hole in the valve body of the valve for sending out gas-lift-balls successively, and the valve core is driven to connect the ball inlet hole with the low pressure gas hole in the valve body and connect the high pressure gas inlet hole and the high pressure outlet hole in the valve body alternatively. In this manner, the balls and gas are delivered to the gas delivery pipe continuously. The gas-lift-balls and the oil and gas coming from a tailpipe get into the gas lift pipe, and then into the separator shell to separate oil/gas/balls. The gas and balls are recovered for reuse and the oil is transferred from the oil outlet. In this way, the slug flow of oil and gas being separated by balls is formed, the gas lift efficiency is increased. In addition, because the valve sends the balls and gas into the oil well continuously and the separator separates oil, gas and balls (the separated oil going to the gathering and transferring pipe after measuring, the separated gas going to the compressor for reuse, the separated balls staying in the shell for reuse.), the structure of the device is simple, and safety and reliability can be guaranteed.
For this invention, there can be two kinds of valves for
Kenyon & Kenyon
Schoeppel Roger
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