Patent Grant
10221849
This disclosure relates generally to oil and gas well systems, and more specifically, to a forged flange lubricator.
It is well known that production from oil and gas wells can suffer due to the build-up of fluids at the bottom of the well. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,923, which is incorporated herein by reference. Various methods and devices have been developed to remove those fluids so as to improve the well's productivity.
One such device is known as a plunger, of which there are many variants known to those skilled in the art. For example, an auto-cycling plunger operates as follows: (1) it is dropped into the well (at the well's surface), (2) it free-falls down the well until it stops upon impact with the bottom of the well, and (3) it thereafter is caused (by pressure in the well) to travel back toward the surface of the well, pushing a “load” of liquid above it for removal at the well's surface by a lubricator assembly. The plunger then is allowed to repeat that cycle, thereby ultimately removing enough fluid from the well to improve its production.
A number of problems have arisen from the use of prior art plungers. For example, due to the typically great distance between the surface and bottom of a well, and high pressures within the well system, the plunger travels at a great rate of speed when it is received by the lubricator. Impacts between the plunger and the lubricator can be violent; they often are so violent that damage occurs (either immediately or over time due to repeated use) to lubricator. As another example, the repeated cycling of the plunger causes at least certain of its parts eventually to wear out.
For example, a prior art lubricator includes a main body configured to receive the plunger. The main body may include a spring or catcher assembly for dampening the impact between the lubricator and the plunger. Fluids raised by the plunger may be ejected from the main body through one or more ports. In prior lubricator assemblies, the ports are pipes, flanges, threaded connectors, or the like that are welded over a hole in the main body.
The lubricator experiences high fluid pressures when the fluids are compressed at the lubricator by the plunger because of the violent impacts between the plunger and the lubricator assembly. Further, vibrations are experienced by the lubricator and connected assemblies each time the plunger impacts the lubricator. Consequently, wear and tear during normal operation of the plunger lift assembly can be experienced by all components of the system, and in particular by the lubricator. A common failure point of the lubricator component is the junctions or welds between the ports and the main body. The high pressures may cause leaks at the junctions, or vibration may degrade the welds over time, particularly when heavy pipe or other components are attached to the ports.
Embodiments of a forged flange lubricator and systems incorporating the same are described. In an embodiment, the forged flange lubricator may include a main body configured to receive fluid raised by a plunger lift assembly from a well. Additionally, the lubricator may include a port in the main body configured to conduct fluid as it is received by the main body, wherein the main body and the port are a unitary structure devoid of applied junctions.
A system including a forged flange lubricator is also described. In an embodiment, the system includes a well assembly comprising a well bottom, a wellhead, and a well pipe coupling the wellhead to the well bottom, a plunger lift assembly configured to lift fluid from the well bottom to the wellhead, a bumper assembly disposed proximate to the well bottom and configure to catch the plunger lift assembly before reaching the well bottom, and a lubricator disposed proximate to the wellhead. In an embodiment, the lubricator includes a main body configured to receive fluid raised by the plunger lift assembly from the well assembly, and a port in the main body configured to conduct fluid as it is received by the main body, wherein the main body and the port are a unitary structure devoid of applied junctions.
The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.
Various features and advantageous details are explained more fully with reference to the nonlimiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known starting materials, processing techniques, components, and equipment are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions, and/or rearrangements within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
The present embodiments include a well system for oil and/or gas production. In an embodiment, the well system includes a well assembly comprising a well bottom, a wellhead, and a well pipe coupling the wellhead to the well bottom. The system may also include a plunger lift assembly configured to lift fluid from the well bottom to the wellhead. In an embodiment, the system includes a bumper assembly disposed proximate to the well bottom and configure to catch the plunger lift assembly before reaching the well bottom. The system may also include a lubricator disposed proximate to the wellhead.
In an embodiment, the lubricator may include a main body configured to receive fluid raised by the plunger lift assembly from the well assembly, and a port in the main body configured to conduct fluid as it is received by the main body. The main body and the port are a unitary structure devoid of applied junctions. As used herein, the term “unitary structure” means a single piece or part. As used herein the term “applied junction” means union of separate components applied together by a secondary process. For example, a port applied to a main body by an applied junction would include a port, coupler, or connector welded, bolted, adhesively applied, or otherwise applied to the main body in a step that is secondary to initial formation of the main body. For example, a lubricator structure that is forged with integrated ports is devoid of applied junctions in some embodiments.
Beneficially, the embodiments described herein allow for a non-threaded, zero weld lubricator solution. Upon testing of the described lubricator, an embodiment was tested up to 15K psi, rated for pressures up to 10K psi, and did not include a single applied junction, such as a weld. A further benefit of the described embodiments is that the secondary steps of joining the ports to the main body may be eliminated, or at least significantly reduced. One of ordinary skill will recognize additional benefits and advantages of the described embodiments.
The system 100 may include a bumper assembly 114 proximate to the well bottom 106. In an embodiment, the plunger 116 may be configured to lift fluid 120 from the well bottom 106 to the wellhead 104. The fluid 120 is received by the lubricator 102 and expelled through one or more ports to peripheral components (not shown). In an embodiment, the plunger 116 may engage with a stopper, such as the ball 118. In some embodiments, the ball 118 may be a steel sphere configured to be received by a portion of the plunger 116. The stopper may restrict flow of fluid through or around the plunger 116, thereby causing the plunger to rise to the lubricator 102. The lubricator 102 may cause the stopper 118 to be released, thereby allowing passage of fluids through or around the plunger 116, and causing the plunger 116 to fall back to the bumper 114. The bumper 114 may dampen the impact forces when the plunger 116 approaches the bottom of the well 106. The stopper 118 may be received by the plunger 116 again, and the process may repeat, thereby cyclically lifting fluid 120 to be expelled by the lubricator 102.
In an embodiment, the system may include a caged dart plunger 218 having an internally captured dart 220 as a sealing member, which replaces the ball 118 of
In an embodiment, the progressive rate bumper 222 may include a progressive rate spring 224. One example of a progressive rate bumper 222 which may be suitable for use with the present embodiments is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/333,058 entitled “Bumper Assembly Having Progressive Rate Spring,” filed on Jul. 16, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Although the progressive rate bumper 224 is one embodiment of a bumper 114 that may be included with the present embodiments, one of ordinary skill will recognize alternative embodiments of bumpers 114 which may be equally suitable.
In the embodiment, of
While some ports may be used to conduct fluid from the lubricator, such as 204b, for example, other ports may be used for instrument sensors, such as 210a, for catch assembly components such as catch port 210b, or for fluid injection such as 204a. One of ordinary skill will recognize a variety of embodiments which may be suitable for use according to the present embodiments. For example, an additional port may include the inlet with inlet flange 208 or a port for the spring assembly 214. In the embodiment of
In an embodiment, the flanges 304a-b may include sealing member receivers 308 configured to receive a sealing member to form a seal between the flange 304a-b and the peripheral component. For example, a sealing member (not shown) may include an O-ring, a gasket, a sealing compound, grease, or the like. One of ordinary skill will recognize a variety of sealing members that may be suitable for use according to the present embodiments.
In an embodiment, the ports 204a-b may include a support structure 310 formed to provide structural support around the area of the ports 204a-b. In an embodiment, the support structure 310 may be a region of material disposed around the ports 204a-b that is thicker than the side wall of the remainder of the main body 202. In a further embodiment, the support structure may be shaped to provide increased structural strength to withstand high pressures and vibration. For example, the support structure 310 may include rounded edges and/or convex sides.
The spring housing 212 may extend from an end of the main body 202 of the lubricator 102. In an embodiment, the lubricator 102 may include a spring housing coupler 302, such as a nut or collar for connecting the spring housing 212 to the main body 202. In some embodiments, the spring housing coupler 302 may be integral with the main body 202. For example, the spring housing coupler 302 may be forged together with the main body 202.
One of ordinary skill will recognize that in various embodiments, certain peripheral or secondary components, such as the spring housing 212, sensors (not shown), the catch mechanism (not shown), and the like, may be welded or otherwise affixed to the main body 202, but the body defining the sidewalls 902 and the flanges 908 is a unitary body devoid of welds or other applied junctions between the main body 202 and the ports 204a-b, 210a, and 210b.
Although the invention(s) is/are described herein with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention(s), as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention(s). Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.
Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements. The terms “coupled” or “operably coupled” are defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless stated otherwise. The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a system, device, or apparatus that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more elements possesses those one or more elements but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Similarly, a method or process that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more operations possesses those one or more operations but is not limited to possessing only those one or more operations.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/163,191, entitled “One-Piece, High-Pressure Lubricator,” by Robert G. Roycroft and Darrell W. Mitchum, filed 18 May 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1415788 | Burlin | May 1922 | A |
| 1932992 | Sherman | Oct 1933 | A |
| 2215751 | Coleman | Sep 1940 | A |
| 2312476 | Penick et al. | Mar 1943 | A |
| 2676547 | Knox | Apr 1954 | A |
| 2956797 | Polhemus | Oct 1960 | A |
| 3127197 | Kretzschmar | Mar 1964 | A |
| 4629004 | Griffin | Dec 1986 | A |
| 5253713 | Gregg | Oct 1993 | A |
| 6467541 | Wells | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6478087 | Allen | Nov 2002 | B2 |
| 7040401 | McCannon | May 2006 | B1 |
| 7819189 | Cosby | Oct 2010 | B1 |
| 20080029721 | Miyahara | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20090308691 | Commins | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20130020091 | Maerz | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20140090830 | Maerz | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20150136389 | Bergman | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20170122084 | Brewer | May 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2635993 | Dec 2009 | CA |
| 2791489 | Dec 2012 | CA |
| 1458906 | Dec 1976 | GB |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160341195 A1 | Nov 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62163191 | May 2015 | US |
