Patent EA-002678-B1 (EA)
Title: Method for exploiting a gas-lift wellbore and device for realizing the same
Inventor: GOLOD VLADIMIR VIKTOROVICH
IPC: E21B41/00
Filed: 1999-06-17
Abstract: 1. A method for exploiting a gas-lift wellbore, comprising supplying into a crude oil wellbore pressurized gas using a gas duct having an adjustable gas flow controlling device, measuring of the injected gas consumption and discharge of the extracted fluid at different rates of gas consumption, periodic checking the dependence between the gas consumption and the discharge of the extracted fluid to determine an optimum regime of operation of a gas-lift wellbore in a working range of the gas consumption, characterized in that a gas wellbore is used as a gas source, wherein the gas temperature is further measured in the gas duct and the temperature of the inner surface of the gas duct is maintained at the level above the hydrate-formation temperature from any component of the gaseous medium within a working range of gas parameters, the temperature of gas before the gas flow controlling device is maintained at a level T >= (T1 + Δt), wherein  T1 is the highest temperature of hydrate formation from gaseous medium of a gas wellbore, Δt is the temperature drop at the gas flow controlling device. 2. A device for operating a gas-lift wellbore, comprising a pressurized gas source, connected by a gas duct to a gas flow controlling device to an oil wellbore, fluid discharge measuring unit arranged at the oil wellbore mouth, a controlling device, the first measuring input of which is connected the output of gas consumption arranged in the gas duct, the second measuring input is connected to the output of fluid discharge, and its first controlling output is connected to the input of the gas consumption meter, characterized in that a gas wellbore with a controllable gas cut-off valve is used as gas pressurized source, the controlling input of which is connected to the second controlling output device, and the output of gas cut-off valve is connected to the gas duct, which comprises a heater provided along the length thereof connected to the output of the power supply source and a heat insulator arranged above the heater, wherein a gas temperature sensor is provide at the gas duct input connected to a third measuring input of the controlling device, wherein the first gas temperature sensor and the first gas pressure sensor are provided before the gas cut-off valve, the outputs of which are connected to fourth and fifth measuring inputs of the controlling device, and second and third gas temperature sensors and second and third gas pressure sensors are provided before gas consumption meter, the outputs of which are connected respectively to sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth measuring inputs of the controlling device. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the power supply source is adapted to regulate its output capacity and the controlling input thereof is connected to the third controlling output of the controlling device. 4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the power supply source has a multi-channel output and the gas duct heater is sectional, the heater sections are distributed along the gas duct and connected to the multi-channel output of the power supply source. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that each heater section is made as a flexible band fastened on the gas duct surface and forming a heat contact therewith. 6. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first gas temperature sensor and the first gas pressure sensor, the gas cut-off valve and the pipe temperature sensor are integrated in a structural module in the form of an input thermostat, the temperature sensor of which is connected to the tenth measuring input of the controlling device, and the controlling thermostat input is connected to the fourth controlling output of the controlling device. 7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second and the third gas temperature sensors and the second and the third gas pressure sensors, the gas flow controlling device are integrated in a structural module in the form of an output thermostat, the temperature sensor of which is connected to the eleventh measuring input of the controlling device, and the controlling thermostat input is connected to the fifth output of the controlling device.