Patent ID: 6460622
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: E21B,F04B

Abstract:
An apparatus and system control for the removal of fluids and gas from a well comprising:means for removing fluids from a well bore, the well bore having a well casing therein, and the fluids being substantially oil and water; a temporary storage tank having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end being in fluid communication with the well casing; the lower end of the temporary storage tank further including a first bailer tube guide pipe having means for mechanically coupling the first bailer tube guide pipe at one end to the well casing, the first bailer tube guide pipe sealingly extending into an interior of the temporary storage tank; the first bailer tube guide pipe extending a predetermine height into the interior of the temporary storage tank and having tank valve means for selectively opening and closing an opening of the first bailer tube guide pipe; the upper end of the temporary storage tank being in mechanically coupled to a second bailer tube guide pipe, the second bailer tube guide pipe sealingly extending a predetermined depth into the interior of the temporary storage tank, the second bailer tube guide pipe having means for mechanically coupling the second bailer tube guide pipe to a third bailer tube guide pipe of predetermined length and axially aligned with the second bailer tube guide pipe, the second and third bailer tube guide pipes further being axially aligned with the first bailer tube guide pipe, the first, second and third bailer tube guide pipes having internal diameters sized to allow a free up and down travel of a bailer tube therein; pulley means proximate an upper end of the third bailer tube guide pipe over which a cable wire attached to a first end of the bailer tube is run; an opposite end of the cable wire being attached to the means for removing fluids from the well bore, the means for removing fluids from the well bore including driven winch means for pulling the bailer tube out from the well casing and for lowering the bailer tube into the well casing; a second end of the bailer tube having a bailer valve for selectively capturing a column of oil inside the well casing when said bailer tube is lowered therein, and for discharging said captured column of oil into the temporary storage tank when said bailer tube is raised out of the well casing, the bailer valve being in electrically operative communication with a programmable logic controller means; the programmable logic controller means being means for monitoring, operating and controlling the apparatus and for translating readable information to obtain and record operational parameters; the second end of the bailer tube further including oil and water sensor means for differentiating between the water and oil inside the well casing as the bailer tube descends therein, wherein the oil and water sensor means defines a top of the water and a bottom of a well casing column of oil; the cable wire being a multiple conductor cable wire being in electrical communication between the bailer valve and the driven winch means; and the cable wire further being electrically and operatively connected to the programmable logic controller means; wherein the programmable logic controller means calculates an optimum depth required for removal of oil without water from the well casing and once correctly positioned, the bailer valve is closed thereby capturing oil inside said bailer tube and the bailer tube is elevated so that the bailer valve is inside and at the upper end of the temporary storage tank at which location, the tank valve means for selectively opening and closing an opening of the first bailer tube guide pipe is closed after which the bailer valve is opened and the captured oil in the bailer tube is discharged into the temporary storage tank, wherein the tank valve means for selectively opening and closing the opening of the first bailer tube guide pipe, the driven winch means, the oil and water sensor means are each in electrical and operative communication with the programmable logic controller means, and wherein the programmable logic controller means controls and monitors a speed of the bailer tube at each location of the bailer tube inside the well casing as the bailer tube is being lowered into and elevated out of the well casing.