Bailer stimulation production unit

Abstract

An apparatus and process for gas, oil, and other fluid production using bailer technology with stimulation to enhance production. An enclosed apparatus and process for removing gas, oil, and/or other fluids from a well while reducing environmental impact. A novel divalve for simultaneously closing a conainer and dumping liquids into it.

1 . An oil and gas recovery system comprising:
 a well casing connecting a subterranean reservoir with a well head,   a collection housing docked to said well head with an open bottom surrounded by a sealing flange,   a bailer capable of entering through said open bottom of said collection housing and being housed therein (“home”) with
 a canister, 
 a means for loading liquids from said reservoir into said canister, and 
 a bivalve with a seal plate assembly that includes a seal plate that seals against said sealing flange, thereby closing said bottom of said collection housing and simultaneously unseals from the bottom of said bailer, thereby permitting liquids from said canister to unload into said collection housing without exposing said liquids to the environment, 
   a winch and cable deployed over a pulley and attached to said bailer for lowering said bailer from said collection housing through said casing into said reservoir, retaining said bailer as said canister fills with said reservoir liquids, and lifting said bailer from said reservoir into said collection housing,   a stimulation means for stimulating production of fluids from said reservoir,   means for uninterrupted production of natural gas from said reservoir without exposing said gas to the environment, and   a means for transferring said fluids from said collection housing to storage facilities or pipelines.   
     
     
         2 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said collection housing and said bailer are cylindrical, the ID of said collection housing is approximately ten to twenty percent less than the OD of said bailer, the length of said bailer is sufficiently less than the length of said collection housing that said bailer fits into said collection housing in its “home” for unloading, and the top of said housing has an opening for said cable. 
     
     
         3 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said recovery system includes a means for determining the depth of the surface of said reservoir liquids, and a programmable logic controller for controlling the fill, empty, and travel times for said bailer. 
     
     
         4 . The recovery system of  claim 3  wherein said means for determining reservoir liquid depth is a scale temporarily attached to said cable above said collection housing. 
     
     
         5 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said stimulation means is a plurality of disks suspended on a rod from said bailer. 
     
     
         6 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said stimulation means releases gases from reservoir fluids, creates additional turbulence and/or to creates waves in said reservoir. 
     
     
         7 . The recovery system of  claim 6  wherein the shape of said disks may be spherical, flat, or cup-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said internal means for uninterrupted production of natural gas includes a spring-loaded check valve centered over an opening in said seal plate. 
     
     
         9 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said seal plate is flat and circular. 
     
     
         10 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said seal plate is hemispherical. 
     
     
         11 . The recovery system of  claim 1  wherein said seal plate assembly includes said seal plate, a retaining spring, and a retaining plate. 
     
     
         12 . The recovery system of  claim 11  wherein said bivalve dumps liquid from said canister into said collection housing when said pulley compresses said retaining spring against said retaining plate, thereby causing said seal plate to simultaneously seal to said sealing flange and unseal from said bailer. 
     
     
         13 . A process by which natural gas is produced and stored comprising:
 the upward passage of natural gas from a subterranean reservoir into a well casing,   the continued upward passage of said natural gas through
 an opening in a steal plate under a bailer canister, 
 a check valve under said bailer canister when the pressure of said gas opens said valve, 
 fluids in said bailer, and 
 vent holes in the top of said canister, into a collection housing, and through outlet means to a storage facility or pipeline. 
   
     
     
         14 . A process by which oil is produced and stored comprising:
 lowering a bailer into a subterranean reservoir,   stimulating fluids in said reservoir,   filling said bailer with oil from said reservoir,   lifting said bailer into its “home” position in a collection housing,   sealing a sealing plate to a sealing flange, thereby closing the bottom of said housing,   simultaneously unsealing the bottom of said bailer, thereby unloading said oil from said bailer into said collection housing,   transferring said oil from said collection housing to a storage facility or pipeline.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for increasing production of oil from a subterranean reservoir comprising:
 a plurality of stimulators,   a means of immersing said stimulators into said reservoir near a wellbore, thereby creating turbulence and waves in standing fluids in said reservoir, and   a means of retrieving said stimulators from said reservoir.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus in  claim 15  wherein said stimulators may be flat disks, oval disks, spherical balls, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus in  claim 15  wherein said stimulators are flat, cupped-shaped disks that increase production by facilitating the removal of solid particles from said standing fluids. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus in  claim 15  wherein said stimulators facilitate the removal of solid particles from said wellbore. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus in  claim 15  wherein said stimulators increase production by facilitating the flow of reservoir hydrocarbons to said wellbore. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus in  claim 15  wherein said stimulators are attached to a rod attached to the bottom of a bailer in a bailer fluid production system and said immersing and retrieval systems are said bailer fluid production system. 
     
     
         21 . A process for increasing production of oil from a subterranean reservoir using a bailer recovery system comprising:
 lowering a bailer with a plurality of stimulators attached underneath said bailer into a well casing,   immersing said stimulators into said reservoir,   creating turbulence and waves in standing fluids in said reservoir, and   retrieving said stimulators from said reservoir.   
     
     
         22 . A production system for uninterrupted production of natural gas from a subterranean reservoir comprising:
 a well casing connecting said reservoir with a cylindrical collection housing,   a cylindrical bailer with an OD approximately eighty to ninety percent of the ID of said collection housing,   a check valve in the bottom of said bailer providing gas communication between said reservoir and a canister in said bailer when the pressure of said natural gas from said reservoir is sufficient to open said valve,   a plurality of vent holes in the top of said canister providing gas communication between said canister and a wellhead collection housing, and   an outlet means in said collection housing for transferring said natural gas to a storage facility or pipeline.   
     
     
         23 . A process for uninterrupted production of oil and natural gas from an oil and gas well using a bailer recovery system comprising:
 venting said natural gas around an empty bailer and through a check valve and vent holes in said bailer while lowering said bailer through a wellbore to the surface of a subterranean reservoir,   venting said natural gas through said wellbore while immersing said bailer into said reservoir,   venting said natural gas through said wellbore as a canister in said bailer fills with said oil from said reservoir,   venting said natural gas around a full bailer while retrieving said bailer from said reservoir into a collection housing,   venting said natural gas around a full bailer in said collection housing, venting said natural gas around said bailer as said oil empties from said canister into said collection housing,   venting said natural gas around said bailer and through said check valve and said vent holes while said oil is transferred from said collection housing to an oil storage facility or a pipeline,   transferring said natural gas and said oil from said collection housing to storage facilities or pipelines, and   repeating said production steps for continued fluid production.   
     
     
         24 . A bivalve for unloading liquid from a vessel comprising:
 a collection housing with an opening through which said vessel may enter and exit, a seal flange, and an outlet means for transferring said liquids to a storage facility or pipeline,   a means for moving said vessel into and out of said collection housing, and   a seal plate that seals to said seal plate, thereby closing said collection housing and unseals from the bottom of said vessel, thereby opening said vessel and unloading said liquid from said vessel into said collection housing when said vessel is “home” inside said collection housing.   
     
     
         25 . The bivalve of  claim 24  wherein said vessel enters and exits said collection housing through an opening in the bottom of said collection housing which is sealed closed by said seal plate when said vessel is “home” inside said collection housing. 
     
     
         26 . The bivalve of  claim 25  wherein said vessel and housing are cylindrical, a winch and cable pull said vessel into said collection housing, said seal plate seals against a sealing flange in said bottom of said collection housing, said winch and cable compresses said vessel against a spring as said vessel is pulled into said collection housing, and said vessel separates from said seal plate, thereby creating an opening for said liquid in said vessel to flow into said collection housing, and thence to a storage facility or pipeline via an outlet in said collection housing. 
     
     
         27 . The bivalve of  claim 24  wherein said vessel is a bailer used to produce oil from a well. 
     
     
         28 . The bivalve of  claim 27  used to release oil from said bailer. 
     
     
         29 . A process for emptying liquid from a vessel into a collection housing comprising:
 moving said vessel up through an opening in the base of said collection housing,   sealing said opening,   unsealing said seal plate from the bottom of said vessel, thereby creating an opening in the base of said vessel,   unloading said liquid from said vessel into said collection housing,   transferring said liquid from said housing into a storage facility or pipeline,   sealing said seal plate to the bottom of said vessel,   unsealing said seal plate from said opening, thereby reopening said collection housing, and   moving said vessel down through said housing opening.   
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 29  wherein said opening in said collection housing is sealed with a seal plate sealed to a sealing flange in said bottom of said housing and said bottom of said vessel is sealed with said seal plate sealed to said bottom of said vessel. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 29  wherein said seal plate is a flat plate that seals under said opening in said bottom of said collection housing. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 29  wherein said seal plate is a hemispherical seal that seals against the perimeter of said opening in said bottom of said collection housing.