Patent ID: 8037941

Claim:
A wellbore apparatus for use in removing hydrocarbon fluids from a wellbore positioned in a well portion angularly oriented from a vertical direction, the apparatus comprising: a wellbore packer positioned in an angularly oriented wellbore between a wellbore surface opening and a wellbore toe portion, the packer having a first through bore for passage of fluid from down stream of the packer upstream toward the surface opening and a second through bore for passage of a lift gas downstream from the surface opening toward the wellbore toe portion; a first pipe positioned in the wellbore in communication with the packer first through bore in fluid communication with the wellbore toe portion and the surface opening, the first pipe having a fluid inlet positioned downstream from the packer for receipt of production fluid; and a second pipe positioned in the wellbore in communication with the packer second through bore in fluid communication with the surface opening and the wellbore toe portion for transfer of the lift gas from the surface opening toward the wellbore toe portion, wherein the lift gas enters the second pipe at the surface opening at a substantially ambient temperature at the wellbore surface opening, the lift gas adapted to reduce the density of resident hydrocarbon fluids downstream of the packer without imparting appreciable thermal heat to the resident hydrocarbon fluids thereby forming a production fluid which enters the first pipe fluid inlet, the lift gas thereby artificially raising the production fluid toward the surface opening.