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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/238,496, filed Oct. 6, 2000, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention generally relates to optimizing production of hydrocarbon wells. More particularly, the invention relates to an auto-adjusting well control system for the operation of the well. More particularly still, the invention relates to optimizing the production of a hydrocarbon well intermitted by a plunger lift system or a gas lift system.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    The production of fluid hydrocarbons from wells involves technologies that vary depending upon the characteristics of the well. While some wells are capable of producing under naturally induced reservoir pressures, more common are wells, which employ some form of an artificial lift production procedure. During the life of any producing well, the natural reservoir pressure decreases as gases and liquids are removed from the formation. As the natural downhole pressure of a well decreases, the wellbore tends to fill up with liquids, such as oil and water. In a gas well, the accumulated fluids block the flow of the formation gas into the borehole and reduce the output production from the well. To combat this condition, artificial lift techniques are used to periodically remove the accumulated liquids from these wells. The artificial lift techniques may include plunger lift devices and gas lift devices.  
           [0006]    Plunger lift production systems include the use of a small cylindrical plunger which travels through tubing extending from a location adjacent the producing formation in the borehole to surface equipment located at the open end of the borehole. In general, fluids which collect in the borehole and inhibit the flow of fluids out of the formation and into the well bore, are collected in the tubing. Periodically, the end of the tubing located at the surface is opened via a valve and the accumulated reservoir pressure is sufficient to force the plunger up the tubing. The plunger carries with it to the surface a load of accumulated fluids which are ejected out the top of the well. In the case of an oil well, the ejected fluids are collected as the production flow of the well. In the case of a gas well, the ejected fluids are simply disposed of, thereby allowing gas to flow more freely from the formation into the well bore and be delivered into a gas distribution system known as a sales line at the surface. The production system is operated so that after the flow of gas from the well has again become restricted due to the further accumulation of fluid downhole, the valve is closed so that the plunger falls back down the tubing. Thereafter, the plunger is ready to lift another load of fluids to the surface upon the re-opening of the valve.  
           [0007]    A gas lift production system is another type of artificial lift system used to increase a well&#39;s performance. The gas lift production system generally includes a valve system for controlling the injection of pressurized gas from a source external to the well, such as a compressor, into the borehole. The increased pressure from the injected gas forces accumulated formation fluid up a central tubing extending along the borehole to remove the fluids as production flow or to clear the fluids and restore the free flow of gas from the formation into the well. The gas lift production system may be combined with the plunger lift system to increase efficiency and combat problems associated with liquid fall back.  
           [0008]    The use of artificial lift systems results in the cyclical production of the well. This process, also generally termed as “intermitting,” involves cycling the system between an on-cycle and an off-cycle. During the off-cycle, the well is “shut-in” and not productive. Thus, it is desirable to maintain the well in the on-cycle for as long as possible in order to fully realize the well&#39;s production capacity.  
           [0009]    Historically, the intermitting process is controlled by pre-selected time periods. The timing technique provides for cycling the well between on and off cycles for a predetermined period of time. Deriving the time interval of these cycles has always been difficult because production parameters considered for this task are different in every well and the parameters associated with a single well change over time. For instance, as the production parameters change, a plunger lift system operating on a short timed cycle may lead to an excessive quantity of liquids within the tubing string, a condition generally referred to as a “loading up” of the well. This condition usually occurs when the system initiates the on-cycle and attempts to raise the plunger to the surface before a sufficient pressure differential has developed. Without sufficient pressure to bring it to the surface, the plunger falls back to the bottom of the wellbore without clearing the fluid thereabove. Thereafter, the cycle starts over and more fluids collect above the plunger. By the time the system initiates the on-cycle again, too much fluid has accumulated above the plunger and the pressure in the well is no longer able to raise the plunger. This condition causes the well to shut-in and represents a failure that may be quite expensive to correct.  
           [0010]    In contrast, a lift system that operates on a relatively long timed cycle may result in waste of production capacity. The longer cycle reduces the number of trips the plunger goes to the surface. Because production is directly related to the plunger trips, production also decrease when the plunger trips decrease. Thus, it is desirable to allow the plunger to remain at the bottom only long enough to develop sufficient pressure differential to raise the plunger to the surface.  
           [0011]    Improvements to the timing technique include changing the predetermined time period in response to the well&#39;s performance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,048, incorporated herein by reference, discloses providing an electronic controller which detects the arrival of a plunger at the well head and monitors the time required for the plunger to make each particular round trip to the surface. The controller periodically changes the time during which the well is shut in to maximize production from the well. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,991, incorporated herein by reference, the speed at which the plunger arrives at the well head is monitored. Based on the speed detected, changes may be made to the off-cycle time to optimize well production.  
           [0012]    The forgoing arrangements, while representing an improvement in operating plunger lift wells, still fail to take into account some variables that change during the short term operation of a well. For example, the successful operation of the plunger lift well requires the on-cycle to begin when an ideal pressure differential exists between the casing pressure and the sales line pressure. However, the above optimization schemes operate solely on set time intervals and not directly upon a pressure differential. Therefore, the controller may initiate the on-cycle before the optimal pressure differential has developed. Alternatively, the controller may prematurely end the on-cycle even though production gas flow is still viable. Furthermore, sales lines pressure fluctuations affect the optimal time to commence the on cycle. A fluctuating sales line pressure will cause a change in the effective pressure available to lift liquid out of the well. Simple self-adjusting timed cycle does not take this variable into account when adjusting the length of the cycle.  
           [0013]    There is a need therefore, for a well control apparatus and method that uses an automated controller to monitor and adjust well components based upon a variety of factors other than time. There is a further need for an automated controller that directly utilizes variables including the sales line pressure and fluctuations thereof. There is a further need for methods and apparatus for automated control of a plunger lift well whereby operating efficiency over time can be measured and adjustments made based upon a variety of factors, including the flow rate of gas from the well over some period of time.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    The present invention generally relates to an automated method and apparatus for operating an artificial lift well. In one aspect of the present invention, a programmable controller monitors and operates a variety of analog and digital devices. An on-cycle of the well is initiated based on a pressure differential measured between a casing pressure and a sales line pressure. When a predetermined ON pressure differential is observed, the controller initiates the on-cycle and open a motor valve to permit fluid and gas accumulated in the tubing to be urged out of the well. Thereafter, the controller initiates a mandatory flow period and maintains the motor valve open for a period of time. The valve remains open as the system transitions into the sales time period. During sales time, the controller monitors the gas flow through an orifice disposed in the sales line. A differential pressure transducer is used to measure a pressure differential across the orifice. When the measure pressure differential is less than or equal to a predetermined OFF pressure differential, the controller initiates the off cycle. The off cycle starts with a mandatory shut-in period to allow the plunger to fall back into the well. Thereafter, the well remains in the off-cycle until the controller receives a signal that the ON pressure differential has developed.  
           [0015]    In another aspect of the present invention, the controller may automatically adjust the operating parameters. After a successful cycle, the controller may decrease the predetermined ON pressure differential, increase the mandatory flow period, and/or decrease the predetermined OFF pressure differential to optimize the well&#39;s production. Additionally, adjustments may be performed if the well is shut-in before a cycle is completed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.  
         [0017]    It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a plunger lift system.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is illustrates an exemplary method of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a gas lift system.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    Plunger Lift System  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of aspects of the present invention applied to a plunger lift system  8 . The well  10  includes a wellbore  12  which is lined with casing  14  and a string of production tubing  15  co-axially disposed therein. Perforations  42  are formed in the casing  14  for fluid communication with an adjacent formation  44 . The production tubing  15  and casing  14  extend from a well head  11  located at the surface to the bottom of the well  10 . A plunger  40  is disposed at the bottom of the tubing  15  when the system  8  is shut-in. A lubricator  46  for receiving the plunger  40  is disposed at the top of the tubing  15 . The lubricator  46  includes a plunger arrival sensor  51  for detecting the presence of a plunger  40  and a tubing pressure transducer  53  to monitor the pressure in the tubing  15 . The casing pressure, which is the pressure in an annular area  32  defined by the exterior of the tubing  15  and the interior of the casing  14 , is monitored by a casing pressure transducer  55  disposed adjacent the well head  11 .  
         [0024]    A first delivery line  26  having a motor valve  28  connects an upper end of the tubing  15  to a separator  24 . The separator  24  separates liquid and gas from the tubing string  15 . Liquid exits the separator  24  through a line  32  leading to a tank (not shown), and gas exits the separator  24  through a sales line  34 . A second delivery line  20  having a well head valve  22  connects the upper end of the tubing  15  to the first delivery line  26  at a position between the motor valve  28  and the separator  24 . The pressure in the sales line  34  is monitored by a sales line pressure transducer  57 . A pressure differential transducer  60  and a plate  68  having an orifice  62  therein are disposed on the sales line  34  to monitor the gas flow across the orifice  62 . Specifically, pressure sensors  64 ,  66  are placed before and after the orifice  62 , and their signals are transmitted to the pressure differential transducer  60 , where a pressure differential across the orifice  62  is calculated. A controller  70  receives the measured pressure differential as inputs from the pressure differential transducer  60  and responds to the inputs according to the aspects of the present invention.  
         [0025]    In operation, the plunger lift system  8  is in the off-cycle with the plunger  40  disposed at the bottom of the well  10  and the motor valve  28  closed. During this time, also known as the “off-time,” the casing pressure increases as a result of an inflow of gases and fluids from the formation  44  to the wellbore  12  through perforations  42  in the casing  14 . The well  10  remains in off-time until a pre-selected “ON” pressure differential exists between the casing pressure and the sales line pressure. Preferably, the pre-selected ON pressure differential is sufficient to raise the plunger  40  along with the accumulated fluids to the surface. Using signals from the casing pressure transducer  55  and the sales pressure transducer  57 , the controller  70  calculates the pressure differential between the casing pressure and the sales pressure. When the ON pressure differential is reached, the controller  70  initiates the on-cycle, or “on time.” 
         [0026]    In the on time mode, the controller  70  opens the motor valve  28  to expose and reduce the tubing pressure to the sales line pressure. Reducing the tubing pressure unlocks the pressure differential between the sales line pressure and the casing pressure. The pressure differential urges the plunger  40  upward in the tubing  15  and transports a column of fluid thereabove to the well head  11 .  
         [0027]    Following an on time period, the controller  70  looks for an indication, also known as a “closed contact switch,” to initiate a differential time delay to allow for a mandatory flow period as will be more fully described herein. In one embodiment, the closed contact switch sought by the controller  70  may be a drop in the casing pressure to indicate that the plunger has been lifted. Alternatively, the controller may seek a signal from the plunger arrival sensor  51  to indicate that the plunger  40  has successfully arrived at the surface within a first time period. If the plunger  40  is detected during this first time period, the controller  70  will initiate the mandatory flow period. If the plunger  40  is not detected within this first time period, the controller  70  will continue to look for the closed contact switch within a second time period.  
         [0028]    During the second time period, the controller  70  may make adjustments to the wellbore  12  conditions to facilitate the plunger&#39;s  40  upward progress in the tubing  15 . For example, the controller  70  may be programmed to open a vent valve (not shown) to reduce the tubing pressure in order to decrease the resistance against the plunger&#39;s  40  upward movement. Because the movement of the plunger  40  is related to the pressure differential, it may be possible that the plunger  40  fails to reach the surface within the first time period because the wellhead pressure is too high. Therefore, when the controller  70  does not receive an indication that the plunger  40  successfully reached the surface within the first time period, the controller  70  will open the vent valve to facilitate the plunger&#39;s  40  ascent. If the plunger  40  is detected during this second time period, the controller  70  will initiate the mandatory flow period and close the vent valve. However, if the plunger  40  fails to reach the surface during this second time period, the controller  70  will shut-in the well  10  and re-enter the off time mode.  
         [0029]    The mandatory flow period, or differential time delay period, provides a safeguard against loading up the well  10 . As described above, loading up occurs when too much fluid has accumulated above the plunger  40  and the maximum natural pressure differential is not able to move the plunger  40  and the fluid collected up the tubing  15 . During the mandatory flow period, the controller  70  is programmed to ignore a reading from the pressure differential transducer  60  at the sales line  34  that would normally trigger the controller  70  to shut-in the well  10 . As a result, the motor valve  28  remains open to ensure that some of the fluids are removed from the tubing  15  before the plunger  40  falls back to the bottom and collects more fluid. At the expiration of the mandatory flow period, the controller  70  initiates a sales time period.  
         [0030]    Sales time period is the phase in the cycle when production gas is allowed to flow from the well  10  to the sales line  34 . The gas flow through the sales line  34  is monitored to determine the end of the on-cycle. Specifically, the gas flow is measured by the pressure differential transducer  60  as the gas travels through the plate  68  in the sales line  34 . The measured pressure differential is indicative of the gas flow in the sales line and, therefore, the well production rate.  
         [0031]    A predetermined “OFF” pressure differential is preprogrammed into the controller  70  as the threshold production rate at which the well  10  will remain in the on-cycle. At the start of the on-cycle, a sufficient amount of gas passes through the pressure differential transducer  60  and results in a large pressure differential. When the measured pressure differential is above the OFF pressure differential, the well  10  is producing above the threshold production rate, and the controller  70  permits the motor valve  28  to remain open. As the well starts to load with liquid, the gas flow across the pressure differential transducer  60  decreases and the measured pressure differential also decreases. When the measured pressure differential is below the OFF pressure differential, the controller  70  will close the motor valve  28  and shut-in the well  10 .  
         [0032]    After the well  10  is shut-in, the controller  70  initiates a mandatory shut-in period, also known as the plunger fall time. The mandatory shut-in period provides a period of time for the plunger  40  to fall back down the tubing  15  and collect more fluid before the on-cycle is initiated. During the mandatory shut-in period, the controller  70  is programmed to not recognize an ON pressure differential reading and maintain the well  10  in the shut-in mode as the plunger  40  falls back. Once the mandatory shut-in period expires, the controller  70  will begin looking for the ON pressure differential and start a subsequent cycle.  
         [0033]    If the system  8  successfully completes a cycle, the controller  70  will automatically adjust the parameters of the system  8  to optimize the production. Generally, the controller  70  will adjust the parameters so that the plunger  40  will stay at the bottom for a shorter period of time and the sales line  34  will remain open for a longer period of time. In one embodiment, the controller  70  will decrease the predetermined ON pressure differential for the subsequent cycle by about 10%. As a result, less time is required for the well  10  to develop the reduced ON pressure differential and trigger the on-time mode. Additionally, the differential time delay may be increased by about 10%. The adjustment to the differential time delay will allow the controller  70  to ignore any shut-in readings and keep the motor valve  28  open for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the predetermined OFF pressure differential may be lowered by about 10%. The reduction will allow the production to flow longer before the controller  70  shuts-in the well  10 .  
         [0034]    Adjustments may also be made if the well  10  does not successfully complete the cycle before shutting-in. As described above, the controller  70  will shut-in the well  10  if the differential time delay is not initiated before the expiration of the prescribed time periods for detecting the plunger  40  arrival. If this occurs, the controller  70  will automatically adjust the parameters of the cycle to ensure that the plunger  40  will reach the surface during the subsequent cycle. In one embodiment, the controller  70  will increase the predetermined ON pressure differential by about 10% in order to provide more force to raise the plunger  40  up the tubing. Also, the differential time delay may be decreased by about 10% and the predetermined OFF differential pressure may be increased by about 10%. In general, these adjustments will increase the probability that the plunger  40  will reach the surface in the subsequent cycle.  
         [0035]    Furthermore, the controller  70  may adjust the parameters if the OFF pressure differential is met at the expiration of the differential time delay. This situation is not desirable because the controller  70  bypasses the sales time period and shuts-in the well  10  immediately after the differential time delay period. To avoid this situation, the controller  70  decreases the differential time delay and increases the predetermined OFF pressure differential by about 10% each. These adjustments will allow for some sales time period and make the well  10  more productive.  
         [0036]    According to the aspects of the present invention, the on cycle and the off cycle may be initiated by a single measured point or from the differential between two measured points that are relevant in optimizing the well performance. In the plunger case described above, the on-cycle is initiated based on a pressure differential between the casing pressure and the sales line pressure. However, the controller  70  may be programmed to initiate the on-cycle based on a pressure differential between the casing pressure and the tubing pressure or a pressure differential between the tubing pressure and the sales line pressure. Also, the controller  70  may be programmed to initiate the on-cycle when the casing pressure reaches a specified pressure value.  
         [0037]    The aspects of the present invention are advantageous in that the production cycle is controlled by the parameters that affect the production of the well  10 . Specifically, the well  10  enters the on time mode only when a beneficial casing pressure and sales line pressure differential is reached. In this respect, the plunger  40  is accorded a higher probability that it will reach the lubricator and deliver the fluid and gases. Thereafter, the well  10  continues to produce sales flow until the production gas flow drops below a predetermined threshold rate. In this respect, the sales flow period is not cut short by a predetermined time period as taught in the prior art.  
         [0038]    An exemplary method of the present invention may be summarized as shown in FIG. 2. Using the plunger lift system described above, the system is in the off time mode, shown as step  2 - 5 . When the ON pressure differential is reached, the controller initiates the ON time mode as shown in step  4 - 1 . During the on time mode, the controller looks for a closed contact switch such as sensing the plunger at the surface. When the closed contact switch is detected, the controller initiates the differential time delay, shown as step  2 - 2 , to allow for removal of fluid from the tubing. At the expiration of the differential time delay, the controller initiates the sales time for production gas flow, shown as step  2 - 3 . The sales time ends when the OFF pressure differential is met. At the beginning of the off-cycle, the controller initiates the plunger fall time to give the plunger sufficient time to fall back down the wellbore as show in step  2 - 4 . At the end of plunger fall time, the system enters the off time mode as shown in step  2 - 5 . During off time mode, the controller makes adjustments to the operating parameters to optimize the well. If the ON pressure differential is adjusted, the cycle will start over when the new ON pressure differential is met.  
         [0039]    Gas Lift System  
         [0040]    The aspects of the present invention are also applicable to optimizing a gas lift system  108 . As shown in FIG. 3, the gas lift well  110  includes a wellbore  112  which is lined with casing  114  and a string of production tubing  115  co-axially disposed therein. The production tubing  115  extends from the bottom to the surface of the well  110 , where a shut-in valve  120  is located to close the tubing  115  and shut-in the well  110 . A delivery line  135  is disposed at the other end of the shut-in valve  120  and includes a compressor  130  and a sales valve  137  to close the delivery line  135 . A gas line  140  having a bypass valve  145  is disposed between the compressor  130  and the sales valve  137  to inject compressed gas into the wellbore  112 .  
         [0041]    A pressure differential transducer  150  and a plate  152  having an orifice  154  therein is disposed between the shut-in valve  120  and the compressor  130 . Pressure sensors  156 ,  158  are placed in front of and behind the orifice  154  to measure the gas flow, or pressure differential, across the orifice  154 . The pressure differential transducer  150  sends the measured pressure differential to a controller  160  for processing and executing in accordance with the aspects of the present invention.  
         [0042]    In operation, the gas lift system  108  is in the on-cycle with the shut-in valve  120  and the sales valve  137  opened and the bypass valve  145  closed to gas flow. The pressure differential transducer  150  receives the readings from the sensors  156 ,  158 and calculates the pressure differential across the orifice  154 . The controller  150  compares the measured pressure differential to a predetermined “OFF” pressure differential.  
         [0043]    When the measured pressure differential drops to or below the OFF pressure differential, indicating that the production gas flow rate is slow, the controller  160  will initiate the off-cycle by closing the sales valve  137  and opening the bypass valve  145 . Compressed gas leaving the compressor  130  enters the bypass line  140  and is delivered back to the wellbore  112  thereby causing the casing pressure to increase. As the casing pressure increases, the gas flow across the orifice  154  will also increase. It must be noted that although the term “off-cycle” is used, the well  110  is not shut-in because the production is recycled through the compressor  130  and back to the well  110 .  
         [0044]    When a predetermined “ON” pressure differential is detected across the orifice  154 , the controller  160  initiates the on-cycle by closing the bypass valve  145  and opening the sales valve  137 . Generally, the ON pressure differential selected is higher than the OFF pressure differential to allow for a period of production gas flow. The on-cycle begins with a period of mandatory flow time, or differential time delay, during which the pressure differential transducer reading is not recognized by the controller  160 . At the expiration of the mandatory flow period, the controller  160  initiates the sales time period. During this time, the controller  160  will look for the measured pressure differential to drop to or below the OFF pressure differential and start the cycle over.  
         [0045]    If the system  108  successfully completes a cycle, the controller  160  will automatically adjust the parameters of the system  108  to optimize the production. Generally, the controller  160  will adjust the parameters to achieve more sales time. For example, after a successful cycle, the predetermined ON pressure differential may be decreased by about 10%. As a result, less time is required for the system  108  to develop the reduced ON pressure differential and begin the on-cycle. Alternatively, the differential time delay may be increased by about 10% to guarantee more sales flow. In addition, the predetermined OFF pressure differential may be lowered by about 10%. This adjustment will allow the production gas flow for a longer period of time before the controller  160  initiates the off-cycle.  
         [0046]    The controller  160  may also make adjustments to the parameters if the OFF pressure differential is met at the expiration of the differential time delay. This situation is not desirable because the controller  160  immediately initiates the off-cycle at the expiration of the differential time delay and sales time is truncated. To avoid this situation, the controller  160  decreases the differential time delay by about 10% so that the controller  160  may initiate the sales time sooner.  
         [0047]    The Controller  
         [0048]    The aspects of the present invention can be executed in response to instructions of a computer program executed by a microprocessor or computer controller. For example, a computer program product that runs on a conventional computer system comprising a central processing unit (“CPU”) interconnected to a memory system with peripheral control components. The operating instructions for executing the optimization method of the present invention may be stored on a computer readable medium, and later retrieved and executed by a processing device. The computer program code may be written in any conventional computer readable programming language such as for example C, C++, or Pascal. If the entered code text is in a high level language, the code is compiled, and the resultant compiler code is then linked with an object code of precompiled windows library routines. To execute the linked compiled object code, the system user invokes the object code, causing the computer system to load the code in memory, from which the CPU reads and executes the code to perform the tasks identified in the program.  
         [0049]    An exemplary hardware configuration for implementing the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. Input device  420  may be used to receive and/or accept input representing basic physical characteristics of an artificial lift system and a well. These basic characteristics may be casing pressure, tubing pressure, sales line pressure, etc. This information is transmitted to a processing device, which is shown as computer  422  in the exemplary hardware configuration. Computer  422  processes the input information according to the programmed code to determine the operational parameters of the artificial lift system. Upon completing the data processing, computer  422  outputs the resulting information to output device  424 . The output device may be configured to operate as a controller for the artificial lift system, which could then alter an operational parameter of the artificial lift system in response to analysis of the system. For example, if analysis of the artificial lift system determines that a full cycle was completed successfully, then the controller may be configured to adjust an operational parameter for a subsequent cycle in order to optimize well production. Alternatively, the output device may operate to display the processing results to the user. Common output devices used with computers that may be suitable for use with the present invention include monitors, digital displays, and printing devices.  
         [0050]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Summary:
The present invention generally relates to an automated method and apparatus for operating an artificial lift well. In one aspect of the present invention, a programmable controller monitors and operates a variety of analog and digital devices. An on-cycle of the well is initiated based on a pressure differential measured between a casing pressure and a sales line pressure. When a predetermined ON pressure differential is observed, the controller initiates the on-cycle and open a motor valve to permit fluid and gas accumulated in the tubing to be urged out of the well. Thereafter, the controller initiates a mandatory flow period and maintains the motor valve open for a period of time. The valve remains open as the system transitions into the sales time period. During sales time, the controller monitors the gas flow through an orifice disposed in the sales line. A differential pressure transducer is used to measure a pressure differential across the orifice. When the measure pressure differential is less than or equal to a predetermined OFF pressure differential, the controller initiates the off cycle. The off cycle starts with a mandatory shut-in period to allow the plunger to fall back into the well. Thereafter, the well remains in the off-cycle until the controller receives a signal that the ON pressure differential has developed.  
     In another aspect of the present invention, the controller may automatically adjust the operating parameters. After a successful cycle, the controller may decrease the predetermined ON pressure differential, increase the mandatory flow period, and/or decrease the predetermined OFF pressure differential to optimize the well&#39;s production. Additionally, adjustments may be performed if the well is shut-in before a cycle is completed.