System and method for optimizing transferred fluid volume during an oil well pumping cycle

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing transferred fluid volume during an oil well pumping cycle. The speed of a traveling valve, which lifts the petroleum from the well, is monitored to determine at what point during its downstroke the traveling valve contacts the hydrocarbon fluid that has accumulated in the bottom of a petroleum pipe. The system then analyzes speed data returned by a lift sensor and adjusts the speed of the traveling valve either upward or downward during the next upstroke to optimize the amount of hydrocarbon fluid transferred. The system can be configured to handle different ascent speeds, and chooses the most suitable speed depending on the petroleum level detected within the production pipe during the route of the traveling valve downwards.

Description

REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This is a non-provisional application relating to the content of, and claiming priority to, Mexican Patent Application No. NL / a / 2005 / 000053, filed Jun. 22, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention. [0003] The present invention relates to the field of crude oil production and, more specifically, to a system and method for optimizing transferred fluid volume by a traveling valve during a pumping cycle. [0004] 2. Background of the Invention. [0005] In its broadest definition, an oil well is a perforation into the earth aimed to producing hydrocarbon liquids and gases. The life of a well typically has four stages: drilling, completion, production, and abandonment. The well is created by using a rig that turns a drill bit to drill into the earth. A casing pipe slightly smaller than the drilled hole is then run into the hole and cemented thereto. This casing provides structural s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the operation of the fixed, traveling, and main valves generally apply typical ball-and-seat valve principles. A ball-and-seat valve is a device used to restrict fluid flow to one direction. It consists of a polished sphere, or ball, usually of metal, and an annular piece—the seat—that is ground and polished to form a se

Problems solved by technology

Ideally, the well will produce hydrocarbons for a very long time, but inevitably, during the abandonment phase of the well's life, it becomes uneconomical to produce from the well.

In most wells, the natural pressure of the subsurface reservoir is high enough to push the oil or gas to the surface, but this is not always the case.

When pump off occurs, the subsequent down strokes begin to pound the fluid in the well, which causes severe jarring of the entire pumping unit potentially resulting in damage to the well equipment.

This allows a well operator to recover hydrocarbons from wells from which production would otherwise not be economically viable.

Images