Patent ID: 9297247
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: E21B

Claim Text:
1. In a plunger well having tubing extending into well casing, and having a production line in communication with said tubing, and a casing bypass line having a first end in communication with an annulus between said tubing and said casing and a second end that is affixed to said production line, wherein a casing bypass valve (C) is located on said casing bypass line and a shutoff valve (B) and a control valve (A) are located on said production line downstream of said joining of said casing bypass line and said production line, a method of controlling the size of a liquid slug at a bottom of tubing during an off cycle of a plunger cycle comprising the steps of: closing at least one of said shutoff valve (B) and said control valve (A) to achieve well shut in; opening the casing bypass valve (valve C) on the casing pressure bypass line while at least one of the shutoff valve (B) and the control valve (A) are closed; determining whether a pressure differential between pressure in said tubing and pressure in said casing is below a predetermined threshold value; if said pressure differential is above said predetermined threshold value, then repeating said opening step for lowering the pressure differential between casing pressure and tubing pressure below a desired value to prevent the accumulation of a large slug of fluid in the tubing.