Actuatable Plungers with Actuatable External Seals, and Systems and Methods Including the Same

Abstract

A plunger apparatus, comprising: a plunger body able to travel within the tubular string; a flow channel through the plunger body; an actuatable external seal assembly operatively provided on or within an outer surface of the plunger body; and a plug mechanism mechanically integrated with the plunger body and reversibly moveable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel, the open position configured to permit the passage of a continuous water slug past the plug mechanism and through the flow channel; and wherein the actuatable external seal assembly is actuated between the deployed position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the closed position and the retracted position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the open position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plunger apparatus, comprising:
 a plunger body having a substantially annular cross-section and an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is less than an inner diameter of a tubular string of a gas producing well, the plunger body able to travel within the tubular string;   a flow channel through the plunger body;   an actuatable external seal assembly operatively provided on or within an outer surface of the plunger body, the actuatable external seal assembly having a deployed position and a retracted position; and   a plug mechanism mechanically integrated with the plunger body and reversibly moveable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel, the open position configured to permit the passage of a continuous water slug past the plug mechanism and through the flow channel;   wherein the plug mechanism operatively extends from an end of the plunger body and comprises a substantially streamlined profile when the plug mechanism is operatively extended in the open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel; and   wherein the actuatable external seal assembly is actuated by the plug mechanism between the deployed position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the closed position and the retracted position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the open position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger apparatus is configured to fall through the fluid in the wellbore tubular when the plug mechanism is in the open position and the actuatable seal assembly is in the retracted position at a falling velocity relative to the continuous water slug velocity greater than about (150+50×M) feet per minute (ft/min), where M is the mass in units of lbm of the plunger apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuation member operatively engaged with the plug mechanism and having a surface area exposed to the continuous water in the gas producing well smaller than a surface area of the plug mechanism exposed to the continuous water in the gas producing well and the surface area exposed to the fluid flow having a streamlined profile, wherein the plunger apparatus falls in the open position until the actuation member encounters an actuation force causing (i) the plug mechanism to move to the closed position and (ii) the actuatable external seal assembly to move from the retracted position to the deployed position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuatable external seal assembly comprises at least two seals and the plug mechanism selectively actuates one of the seals without actuating the other of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein thereafter, the plug mechanism selectively actuates the other of the seals without actuating the one of the seals. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein thereafter, the plug mechanism actuates the other of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a seal selector mechanism to cause the plug mechanism to selectively actuate at least one of a determined one of the at least two seals, a determined other of the at least two seals, and a determined both of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the seal selector mechanism operates at least one of mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically, electronically, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a locking device configured to hold the plug mechanism in the open position as the plunger apparatus falls through continuous water at the falling velocity. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a friction reduced coating on at least a portion of the plunger apparatuses, wherein the FRC is selected from the group consisting of: diamond-like carbon (DLC), advanced ceramics, graphite, and near-frictionless carbon (NFC). 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger is a one-piece plunger. 
     
     
         12 . A two-piece plunger apparatus, comprising:
 a plunger body having a substantially annular cross-section and an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is less than an inner diameter of a tubular string of a gas producing wellbore and the plunger body is able to travel within the tubular string;   a flow channel through the plunger body;   a plug mechanism releasably connectable with the plunger body, the plug having a closed (connected) position with respect to the plunger body and an open (released) position with respect to the plunger body and the flow channel, the open position configured to permit the passage of continuous fluid flow through the flow channel while maintaining the open position; and   an actuatable external seal assembly operatively provided on or within an outer surface of the plunger body, the actuatable external seal assembly having a deployed position and a retracted position; and   wherein the actuatable external seal assembly is actuated between (i) the deployed position when the plug mechanism is releasably connected to the plunger body in the closed position and (ii) the retracted position respectively when the plug mechanism is disengaged from the plunger body.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the plunger body and flow channel comprise a profile, wherein at least a portion of the profile is selected from the group consisting of: a substantially streamlined profile, a substantially tapered profile, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein when the actuatable external seal assembly is in the retracted position the plunger body is configured to fall through continuous fluids flow in the tubular string at a falling velocity relative to the continuous fluid flow at a falling velocity greater than about (150+50×M) feet per minute (ft/min), where M is either the mass in units of lbm of the plunger body or the mass in units of lbm of the plug mechanism. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the actuatable external seal assembly comprises at least two seals and the plug mechanism selectively actuates one of the seals without actuating the other of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein thereafter, the plug mechanism selectively actuates the other of the seals without actuating the one of the seals. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein thereafter, the plug mechanism additionally actuates the other of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a seal selector mechanism to cause the plug mechanism to selectively actuate either a determined one of the at least two seals, a determined other of the at least two seals, and a determined both of the at least two seals. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the seal selector mechanism operates at least one of mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically, electronically, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a controller, wherein a position of the plug mechanism is at least one of input into the processor and determined by the processor, and wherein the processor controls the seal selector mechanism. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the external seal assembly is actuated between the deployed position and the retracted position by the controller by at least one of fluidic inflation and deflation of the external seal assembly. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the seal selector mechanism further comprises a control valve assembly controlled by the controller, the control valve assembly selectively controlling actuation of a selected portion of the actuatable external seal assembly to the deployed position and concurrent actuation of other portions of the actuatable external seal assembly in the retracted position. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claims 12  further comprising a friction reduced coating on at least a portion of the plunger apparatuses, wherein the FRC is selected from the group consisting of: diamond-like carbon (DLC), advanced ceramics, graphite, and near-frictionless carbon (NFC). 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing hydrocarbon-containing gas, comprising:
 providing a hydrocarbon well having a wellbore, a flow line in fluid communication with the wellbore, a top portion with a tubular head stopper, and a bottom portion with a bottom bumper stopper;   producing a volume of liquids and a gaseous stream imparting a gaseous pressure from the bottom portion to the top portion of the wellbore, wherein at least a portion of the produced volume of liquids remains in the bottom portion of the wellbore; and   operating a plunger apparatus in the wellbore in a plunger lift cycle, the lift cycle comprising:   lifting at least a portion of the produced volume of liquids in the bottom portion of the wellbore towards the top portion of the wellbore and within the flow line utilizing the gaseous pressure from the bottom portion to the top portion of the wellbore, wherein the plug mechanism of the plunger apparatus comprises;
 (i) a plunger body having a substantially annular cross-section and an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is less than an inner diameter of a tubular string of a gas producing well, the plunger body able to travel within the tubular string; 
 (ii) a flow channel through the plunger body; 
 (iii) an actuatable external seal assembly operatively provided on or within an outer surface of the plunger body, the actuatable external seal assembly having a deployed position and a retracted position; and 
 (iv) a plug mechanism mechanically integrated with the plunger body and reversibly moveable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel, the open position configured to permit the passage of a continuous water slug past the plug mechanism and through the flow channel; 
 (v) wherein the plug mechanism operatively extends from an end of the plunger body and comprises a substantially streamlined profile when the plug mechanism is operatively extended in the open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel; and 
 (vi) wherein the actuatable external seal assembly is actuated by the plug mechanism between the deployed position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the closed position and the retracted position when the plug mechanism is operatively in the open position 
   impacting the tubular head stopper with the plunger apparatus causing the plunger apparatus to change the operating state from the closed position to an open position with respect to the plunger body and flow channel, and causing the actuatable external seal assembly to operatively change from the deployed position to the retracted position;   descending the automatic plunger apparatus in the open position to the bottom of the wellbore, wherein a gravitational force on the plunger apparatus is greater than a combined drag force and pressure force on the plunger apparatus caused by the passage of the volume of fluids and the gaseous stream;   impacting the bottom bumper stopper with the plunger apparatus causing the plunger apparatus to automatically change the operating state from the open position to the closed position and actuate the external seal assembly from the retracted position to the deployed position, and repeating the plunger lift cycle.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the plunger apparatus includes a plug mechanism and a plunger body, wherein the plug mechanism extends from the plunger body towards the bottom portion of the wellbore in the open position and comprises a substantially streamlined shape configured to fall through continuous water in the hydrocarbon well while maintaining the open position. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the plunger apparatus is configured to fall through continuous water in the gas producing well at a falling velocity relative to the continuous water velocity greater than about (150+50×M) feet per minute (ft/min), where M is the mass in units of lbm of the plunger body. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising controlling the plunger lift cycle, comprising:
 catching the plunger apparatus at or near the top portion of the wellbore;   holding the plunger apparatus for a period of time; and   releasing the plunger apparatus upon the occurrence of a condition in the wellbore.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 forming the plunger body out of a single piece of material;   fixedly attaching a support element to the plunger body within the flow channel; and   slidably attaching a valve element to the support element.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising applying a friction reduced coating on at least a portion of the plunger, wherein the FRC is selected from the group consisting of: diamond-like carbon (DLC), advanced ceramics, graphite, and near-frictionless carbon (NFC).