Patent ID: 8122966
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A method for liquid hydrocarbon recovery from one or more opened liquid hydrocarbon formation(s) through a production tubing string in a vertical wellbore, the method comprising: providing an enlarged diameter vertical wellbore annulus, using expandable liner procedures, within the opened liquid hydrocarbon formation(s); providing the production tubing string down the vertical wellbore near or below a selected opened liquid hydrocarbon formation, with an enlarged diameter liquid displacer tool on the bottom of said production tubing string, for preventing gasses at higher level formation pressures from passing into the production tubing string, said enlarged diameter liquid displacer for producing higher level liquid volume inflow; providing a surface wellhead with a pressure control valve and a pressure gauge for controlling a selected optimum wellbore annulus to a selected opened a liquid hydrocarbon formation liquid hydrocarbon recovery pressure; producing the opened liquid hydrocarbon formation liquid inflow through the enlarged liquid displacer into the production tubing string completely on to the surface by wellbore annulus to production tubing string pressure differential; maintaining the selected opened liquid hydrocarbon formation under controlled wellbore annulus to liquid hydrocarbon formation pressures above that of in place crude oil's key bubble point pressure, utilizing the surface wellhead pressure control valve thereof, in which the liquid hydrocarbon formation liquid inflow production is improved by the enlarged diameter vertical wellbore annulus, with the enlarged diameter liquid displacer producing increased liquid level inflows; and utilizing any precisely designed artificial lift to lift liquids from the expanded vertical wellbore annulus when the expanded vertical wellbore annulus to production tubing string pressure differential through the enlarged diameter liquid displacer tool cannot lift incoming liquids completely to the surface.