Importance

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Abstract

A well plunger system for the production of natural gas is described. The well plunger system includes a closed loop controller for the production of natural gas. The well plunger system includes a plunger tube positioned within a casing of a gas well, a tubing line connected to the plunger tube, a plunger moveable within the plunger tube, a plunger sensor for detecting the presence of the plunger, a valve connected to the tubing line and to the general gas distribution system including a sales line and a gas flow meter, a differential pressure sensor positioned in the sales line, a motor for operating the valve, a first pressure sensor positioned in the tubing line and a second pressure sensor positioned in the sales line. The controller opens the valve based on an open pressure difference which is the difference between the pressure of gas in the tubing line and the pressure of gas in the sales line. The controller adjusts the open pressure difference used for each cycle of operation based on the calculated speed of the plunger during the previous cycle of operation versus a target speed. During gas production, the controller maintains the differential pressure of the gas in the sales line within a high differential pressure range, until the pressure in the gas is insufficient. The controller closed the valve when the differential pressure of the gas in the sales line falls below a low differential pressure limit. The low differential pressure limit is adjusted by the controller to prevent excessive plunger speeds.

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First Claim