Other

James N. Mccoy

James N McCoy

Augusto L Podio

Kenneth L Huddleston

Jerry B West

Dieter J Becker

Orvel Lynn Rowlan

Daraius K Hathiram

James W Jennings

A downhole separator performs the function of removing gas from liquids before the liquids enter the well pump. The formation fluid enters into a first, lower, chamber, of the separator and exits through channels to helical passageways on the exterior of the separator body. A shroud surrounds the separator body to serve as an outer wall of the helical passageways. Spiraling movement of the fluid forces the heavier liquids outward and causes separation of the lighter gas. The liquids and gas are ejected from the top of the separator body. The separated liquids drain downward by gravity pull to a liquid reservoir. Liquids in the reservoir are driven upward and flow through channels on the exterior of the separator body into a second, upper chamber, in the separator body which is coupled by tubing to the inlet of the pump.

Centrifugal force downhole gas separator

Underground storage caverns are widely used for the bulk storage of petroleum products, in particular, crude oil. The caverns are accessed through a casing in a borehole down to the cavern. The lower end of the casing opens into an upper region of the cavern termed the chimney. The chimney provides a transition from the casing into the cavern body. The invention presents a process of injecting a gas into the well while measuring the gas pressure and optionally measuring the volume of injected gas. The gas drives down an interface between the gas and hydrocarbon liquid. By monitoring the rate of change of the gas pressure, and detecting a sudden decrease in the rate of change, it can be determined when the interface has been driven down to the region immediately below the bottom of the casing at the upper end of the chimney.

Profile measurement for underground hydrocarbon storage caverns

Underground storage caverns are used for the bulk storage of hydrocarbon liquids, such as crude oil and gases, such as natural gas. The cavern is accessed through a bore hole which has casing and, for some bore holes, internal tubing with an annulus between the casing and tubing. The upper end of the cavern has a roughly cylindrical region termed the chimney. In order to check it for physical integrity, it is necessary to measure the profile of the chimney. This is also referred to as conducting a survey of the cavern. The cavern typically has hydrocarbon liquid above brine up to the surface. An inert gas can be injected above the hydrocarbon liquid to form an interface. The profile is conducted by driving the gas/liquid interface downward with gas pressure to a reference level determined by sequentially transmitting acoustic pulses to locate the reference level. Gas is injected to increase the pressure by a predetermined value and thereby drive down the interface by a known distance. The volume of the gas injected is used together with the known distance to determine a profile of the chimney. The process of injection of gas to increase the pressure by the predetermined value and measurement of the volume is repeated sequentially to determine the chimney profile at progressively lower regions, thereby producing an extended profile of the chimney.

Method for determining the profile of an underground hydrocarbon storage cavern using injected gas and reflected acoustic signatures

A system and method for real-time data acquisition and presentation of force, position, load, pressures, and movement within a subterranean well pumping system, such as an oil well. Data is gathered using sensors attached to a surface level pump drive and wellhead system. Well structural data and well production data are combined therewith to generate a real-time display of down-hole well operation, including animated graphics of the pump operation, including pump movement, rod and tubing stretch, fluid movement, gas compression, system forces, and fluid pressures. Liquid levels are tested using an acoustic liquid level instrument, and incorporated to improve well performance analysis.

Hydrocarbon well performance monitoring system

Underground storage caverns are used for the bulk storage of hydrocarbon liquids, such as crude oil and gases. The caverns are typically formed in salt formations by dissolving the salt and removing it with a flow of water. The cavern is accessed through a bore hole which has casing and internal tubing with an annulus between the casing and tubing. Some cavern bore holes may have casing, but no tubing. The cavern typically has hydrocarbon liquid above brine with an inert gas above the hydrocarbon liquid. In order to use the cavern, and periodically check it for physical integrity, it is necessary to test the cavern to determine if there is leakage from the cavern or the bore hole. The interface of the hydrocarbon liquid and overriding gas is moved downward by injecting gas into the annulus. Acoustic pulses are sent down the annulus through the gas to determine when the interface is located just below the end of the casing in the top of the cavern chimney (a reference level) by examining the return reflection pulse from the interface for a polarity inversion. When this is detected, a measured volume of gas is injected into the annulus. After a waiting period, the gas is released from the annulus and measured until the interface is detected by acoustic pulses to again be at the reference level. The volumes of injected gas and released gas are compared to determine if there has been leakage from the cavern. Alternative, the interface can be driven by gas pressure from the surface down to the casing bottom and back to the surface with gas volumes detecting leakage.

Method for detecting leakage in an underground hydrocarbon storage cavern

A method for real-time data acquisition and presentation of force, position, load, pressures, and movement within a subterranean well pumping system, such as an oil well. Data is gathered using sensors attached to a surface level pump drive and wellhead system. Well structural data and well production data are combined therewith to generate a real-time display of down-hole well operation, including animated graphics of the pump operation, including pump movement, rod and tubing stretch, fluid movement, gas compression, system forces, and fluid pressures. Liquid levels are tested using an acoustic liquid level instrument, and incorporated to improve well performance analysis.

An oil and gas well gas separator that operates in conjunction with an isolation means and a tail pipe to reduce the pressure gradient of the well fluids flowing up the tailpipe, to thereby reduce the well's producing bottom hole pressure.

Gas separator with inlet tail pipe

Method for determining the profile of an underground hydrocarbon storage cavern

An oil well gas separator that includes a seating nipple for a downhole pump. An inner and outer barrel define a fluid passage and a separation annulus with the well casing. A separated well liquid passage is directly connected to the pump inlet to reduce dissolution of gas from the separated liquid. An isolation means is provided to isolate the separation annulus from the well casing fluids.

Gas separator with integral pump seating nipple

A system for wirelessly monitoring a well fluid extraction process, which operates in conjunction with a host computer. The system includes a wireless base that has a base radio and a communication port to interface with the host computer. The system also has a first remote with a first remote radio that communicates with the base radio using a radio protocol. The first remote also has a first sensor interface that can receive a first sensor signal. The first remote digitally samples the first sensor signal at a predetermined sampling rate, and then communicates first sampled data to the wireless base through the radio protocol. A host software application, which executes on the host computer, receives the first sampled data from the wireless base communication port.

Wireless well fluid extraction monitoring system

An oil and gas well downhole gas separator defines an outer annulus between the well casing and a separator tube having a lower end fluid inlet, and an inner annulus with a fluid conduit disposed inside. An inlet fitting and an outlet manifold route the fluids, liquids, and gases through a gravity separation sequence. A liquid outlet at the upper end is coupled to a downhole pump. A draw tube is coupled to the inlet fitting at the lower end. The draw tube also supports a casing flow diverter that slideably engages the well-bore casing so as to resist the movement of well fluids thereby while allowing the separator to move along a longitudinal axis of the well-bore casing, facilitating insertion into and removal from the well casing, and allowing for well tubing stretch during operation.

Downhole diverter gas separator

Plunger lift operations are difficult to optimize due to lack of knowledge of tubing pressure, casing pressure, bottom-hole pressure, liquid accumulation in the tubing and location of the plunger. Monitoring the plunger position in the tubing helps the operator (or controller) to optimize the removal of liquids and gas from the well. The plunger position can be tracked from the surface by monitoring acoustic signals generated as the plunger falls down the tubing. When the plunger passes by a tubing collar recess, an acoustic pulse is generated that travels up the gas within the tubing. The acoustic pulses are monitored at the surface, and are converted to an electrical signal by a microphone. The signal is digitized, and the digitized data is stored in a computer. Software processes this data along with the tubing and casing pressure data to display plunger depth, plunger velocity and well pressures vs. time. Plunger arrival at the liquid level in the tubing and plunger arrival at the bottom of the tubing are identified on the time plots. Inflow performance is calculated. Software displays the data and analysis in several formats including a graphical representation of the well showing the tubing and casing pressures, plunger location, gas and liquid volumes and flow rates in the tubing and annulus, and inflow performance relationship at operator selected periodic intervals throughout the cycle. Several field cases are presented to show how this information is applied to optimization of plunger lift operations.

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Wichita Falls, TX, United States of America

James N McCoy