Patent ID: 7971647

Claim:
A method of increasing a gas production rate from a well having a lower well region, said well having a casing therein comprising a perforated casing section located above said lower well region, said casing extending from a wellhead, and said method comprising the steps of: (a) installing a tubing assembly in said well wherein said tubing assembly comprises a tubing string which is inserted downwardly into said well through a stop structure secured in said casing above said perforated casing section; said tubing assembly further comprises a contacting structure which contacts said stop structure such that said tubing string is held suspended in said well and such that an upper section of said casing above said tubing assembly extends to said wellhead; said tubing string has a lower portion which is positioned in said lower well region, said lower portion of said tubing string having one or more openings for receiving a gas from said lower well region such that said gas travels upwardly through said tubing assembly from said lower well region into a lower portion of said upper casing section; said tubing string has an outside diameter, said upper section of said casing housing has an inside diameter, and said inside diameter of said upper section of said casing is larger than said outside diameter of said tubing string; wherein a liquid is also received and accumulates in said lower portion of said upper section of said casing; and said tubing assembly also comprises at least one exterior seal which is positioned above said one or more openings and which seals between said tubing assembly and an interior wall of said casing to substantially prevent said liquid from flowing downwardly through said casing outside of said tubing assembly past said exterior seal; (b) raising said liquid from said lower portion of said upper section of said casing to said wellhead using a lifting device which moves downwardly and upwardly in said upper section of said casing, said lifting device having at least one sealing element which contacts said interior wall of said casing as said lifting device moves upwardly in said upper section of said casing to raise said liquid; and (c) recovering said gas at said wellhead whereby said gas production rate from said well is increased.