Gas lift apparatus and method for producing a well

Abstract

A gas lift system is provided for use in unloading a fluid from a perforation interval of a subterranean well to facilitate producing gas from a gas-bearing formation. The system may include a packer having dual ports, a tubing string running from the surface to the packer for producing the well, and an injection tool extending below from the packer into the perforation interval. The injection tool may include at least one gas lift valve for injecting gas into the perforating interval of the well.

1 . A gas lift tool for providing artificial lift in a well, comprising:
 a hollow tube open at a first end and closed at a second end;   gas lift valves situated along a length of the hollow tube, each gas lift valve communicating between an interior and an exterior of the hollow tube; and   an outside surface of the hollow tube sized to form a pressure seal with a second aperture of a well packer in which a production tube occupies a first aperture of the well packer.   
     
     
         2 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first end receives a gas from a wellbore above the well packer and each gas lift valve opens at a gas pressure assigned to the individual gas lift valve. 
     
     
         3 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein the gas lift valves open in a sequence as the gas pressure increases in the hollow tube. 
     
     
         4 . The gas lift tool of  claim 3 , wherein the gas lift valves close providing only one gas lift valve in the sequence open at a given time. 
     
     
         5 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gas lift valves injects the gas proximate a perforation interval of the well. 
     
     
         6 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a retrieving element attached to the hollow tube for removing the gas lift tool from the well packer. 
     
     
         7 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein the gas lift valves of the gas lift tool and gas lift valves associated with the production tube open in a sequence based on a gas pressure assigned to each gas lift valve in the gas lift tool and each gas lift valve associated with the production tube. 
     
     
         8 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein the well comprises a gas-bearing well. 
     
     
         9 . The gas lift tool of  claim 1 , wherein the well comprises an oil-bearing well. 
     
     
         10 . A system for providing artificial lift in a well, comprising:
 a production tube for removing a resource from the well;   a dual-port packer having one port attached near a deepest end of the production tube in the well;   a hollow tube having an open end attached at the other port of the dual-port packer, and a closed end disposed deeper than the deepest end of the production tube; and   at least a gas lift valve situated along a length of the hollow tube and communicating between an interior and an exterior of the hollow tube.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the open end of the hollow tube receives gas from a surface side of the dual-port packer and releases the gas into the well via the gas lift valve. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising multiple gas lift valves along the hollow tube; and
 wherein and each gas lift valve opens at a gas pressure assigned to the individual gas lift valve.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the gas lift valves open in a sequence as the gas pressure increases in the hollow tube. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the gas lift valves close providing only one gas lift valve in the sequence open at a given time. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the gas lift valves injects the gas proximate a perforation interval of the well. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the gas lift valves situated along the hollow tube and other gas lift valves associated with the production tube open in a sequence based on a gas pressure assigned to each gas lift valve. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a retrieving element attached to the hollow tube for removing the hollow tube from the well. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the well comprises a gas-bearing well. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the well comprises an oil-bearing well. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising:
 installing a packer near a lower end of a production tube in a well;   installing an injection tube in the packer, a first end of the injection tube at the packer and a gas lift valve attached to the injection tube deeper in the well than the end of the production tube; and   forcing gas into the well above the packer to provide gas lift below the production tube.