Compression Pump Well Unloading Without Methane Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for addressing liquid loading in wells, such as mechanical swabbing and plunger lift, result in high costs, methane emissions, and mechanical risks, while dedicated compression units for plunger lift wells are costly and inefficient, and well draw-down processes lead to environmental pollution and waste of hydrocarbon products.
Innovation Solution
A combination of cross-compression pumps and filtration techniques is used to evacuate well fluids without venting to atmosphere, employing a separation vessel and field gas injection to reduce hydrostatic pressure, allowing well production to resume and eliminating the need for dedicated compression units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical swabbing is used to remove liquids from the well, then liquid removal is achieved, but methane emissions increase and mechanical risks arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a compression pump to create a pressure differential that draws liquid out of the wellbore through the production tubing. The pump creates a vacuum effect that pulls liquid upward, eliminating the need for mechanical swabbing tools while preventing methane emissions by capturing all produced gas in the separation vessel.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression pump acts as an intermediary device between the wellbore and the surface equipment. Instead of directly mechanically removing liquid with swabbing tools, the pump mediates the liquid removal process through pressure differential, and the separation vessel mediates the gas-liquid separation to capture methane for later use.
2Productivity
If well blowdown is used to remove fluids, then liquid removal is achieved, but gas losses and methane emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compression pump creates a controlled pressure differential that draws liquid out of the wellbore without requiring venting to atmosphere. The pump maintains pressure control throughout the process, allowing gas to be captured in the separation vessel rather than lost to the atmosphere during the liquid removal process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding gas through venting during well blowdown, the system recovers gas by capturing it in the separation vessel. The compressed gas is then directed to the flowline where it can be utilized, converting what would be waste into a valuable resource.
3Productivity
If dedicated compression units are installed for plunger lift wells, then liquid unloading is improved, but costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compression pump is designed to serve multiple functions: it creates the pressure differential for liquid unloading, captures gas in the separation vessel, and maintains well control during the process. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated compression units while achieving effective liquid unloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the well's own produced gas to create the pressure differential needed for liquid unloading. The compression pump draws gas from the wellbore, compresses it, and uses this compressed gas to pull liquid upward, making the system self-sufficient without requiring external compression facilities.
4Stress or pressure
If well draw-down is performed, then pressure reduction is achieved, but environmental pollution and hydrocarbon waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compression pump creates a controlled pressure differential that draws liquid out of the wellbore without requiring uncontrolled pressure release. The pump maintains precise pressure control throughout the process, preventing environmental pollution while achieving the necessary pressure reduction to remove liquid loading.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding hydrocarbons through uncontrolled well draw-down and venting, the system recovers all produced gas in the separation vessel. The compressed gas is then directed to the flowline for utilization, converting what would be environmental pollution into a valuable resource.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces methane emissions, minimizes mechanical risks, and avoids environmental pollution, while effectively unloading wells and re-establishing production without the need for permanent compression facilities, thus optimizing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
A compression pump creates a pressure differential that draws liquid out of the wellbore
Implementation Method 2
The compression pump draws gas into a separation vessel where the gas is separated from the liquid
Implementation Method 3
field gas injection to reduce hydrostatic pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A method to unload a fluid mixture from an underground production tubing, in order to reduce the hydrostatic pressure within the fluid mixture. A method to kill an oil or gas well by equalizing pressure between the production tubing, the casing annulus, and a surface tank battery, by de-pressurizing the fluid within the production tubing and the casing annulus, and by pumping a kill fluid. One goal of the methods may be to avoid discharging unwanted liquid phase or gas phase to the atmosphere, therefore reducing unnecessary emissions, and valuing the recovered products.