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

Abstract

A method of removing a liquid from a wellbore with a plunger, comprising: flowing a wellbore fluid stream in contact with the plunger and in an uphole direction within the wellbore conduit, wherein the plunger is located within a downhole region of the wellbore conduit and includes an actuatable external seal assembly operable between a retracted position in a low fluid drag state and a deployed position in a high fluid drag state; maintaining the plunger in a low fluid drag state while a variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream is outside a threshold range to permit the plunger to remain within the target region of the wellbore conduit during the flowing; transitioning the external seal assembly to a high fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream being within the threshold range and thereby conveying the plunger and liquid in the uphole direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of removing a liquid from a wellbore conduit with a plunger, the method comprising:
 providing the plunger within the wellbore, the plunder including a plunger body 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;   flowing a wellbore fluid stream in fluid contact with the plunger and in an uphole direction within the wellbore conduit, wherein the plunger is located within a target region of the wellbore conduit;   maintaining the plunger in a low fluid drag state with the actuatable external seal assembly in the retracted position while a variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream is outside a threshold range, wherein the maintaining permits the plunger to remain within the target region of the wellbore conduit during the flowing;   transitioning the plunger to a high fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream being within the threshold range, wherein the transitioning includes increasing a resistance to fluid flow past the plunger to an increased fluid drag state within the wellbore conduit by actuating the actuatable external seal assembly from a retracted position to a deployed position; and   subsequent to the transitioning, conveying the plunger in the uphole direction within the wellbore conduit with the wellbore fluid stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target region of the wellbore conduit is distal from an uphole end of the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger includes a detector configured to detect the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream, wherein the plunger further includes a controller that is in communication with the detector, and further wherein the method comprises:
 detecting, with the detector, that the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream is within the threshold range; and   initiating the transitioning, with the controller, responsive to the detecting.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, during the conveying, the method further includes determining a location of the plunger within the wellbore conduit with the controller. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the plunger further includes a collar locator, and the determining includes determining based, at least in part, on a collar log and data from the collar locator. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, during the conveying, the method further includes determining a velocity of the plunger within the wellbore conduit with the controller and regulating the velocity of the plunger within the wellbore conduit with the controller. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the regulating includes operably actuating the external seal assembly within the wellbore to change a fluid drag on the plunger within the wellbore conduit to change the velocity of the plunger within the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the wellbore conduit defines a distance between a surface region and the target region of the wellbore conduit, wherein the method includes calculating, with the controller, that a velocity of the wellbore fluid stream is sufficient to convey the liquid to the surface region, and further wherein the method includes decreasing a fluid drag on the plunger to cease the conveying the plunger in the uphole direction and return the plunger to the target region of the wellbore conduit without the plunger traversing the entire distance between the surface region and the target region of the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further includes collecting downhole data with the detector, wherein the collecting includes collecting the downhole data while the plunger is within the target region of the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further includes collecting downhole data with the detector, wherein the collecting includes collecting the downhole data during the conveying. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger includes a passive transition device that is configured to:
 (i) passively transition the plunger from the low fluid drag state to the high fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream changing from outside the threshold range to within the threshold range; and   (ii) passively transition the plunger from the high fluid drag state to the low fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream changing from within the threshold range to outside the threshold range.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes a pressure of the wellbore fluid stream. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes a temperature of the wellbore fluid stream. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes a flow rate of the wellbore fluid stream past the plunger. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes a density of the wellbore fluid stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes a plurality of variables associated with the wellbore fluid stream, wherein the plurality of variables associated with the wellbore fluid stream includes at least two of a temperature of the wellbore fluid stream, a pressure of the wellbore fluid stream, a density of the wellbore fluid stream, and a flow rate of the wellbore fluid stream. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to the conveying, the method further includes repeating the method, wherein the repeating the method comprises:
 returning the plunger to the target region of the wellbore conduit, wherein the returning includes returning the plunger to the target region of the wellbore conduit without shutting in the gaseous hydrocarbon well; and   repeating the flowing, the maintaining, the transitioning, and the conveying.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes releasing a supplemental material into the wellbore conduit, wherein the releasing includes at least one of:
 (i) releasing the supplemental material from the plunger while the plunger is within the target region of the wellbore conduit; and   (ii) releasing the supplemental material from the plunger while the plunger is being conveyed in the uphole direction within the wellbore conduit.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger includes a power source, wherein the method includes powering the plunger with the power source, wherein the method includes re-charging the power source, and further wherein the re-charging includes at least one of (i) re-charging while the plunger is located within the target region of the wellbore conduit and (ii) re-charging while the plunger is proximal to a surface tree that is associated with the gaseous hydrocarbon well. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein, during the re-charging, the method further includes conveying data from the plunger to a surface region. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes locating the plunger within the target region of the wellbore conduit, wherein the locating includes at least one of:
 (i) locating the plunger within the target region of the wellbore conduit without shutting in the gaseous hydrocarbon well; and   (ii) locating without exposing the wellbore conduit to ambient atmospheric conditions.   
     
     
         22 . A plunger configured to remove wellbore material from a wellbore, the plunger comprising:
 a drag-regulating structure comprising 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, the drag-regulating structure configured to regulate a fluid drag past an exterior surface of the plunger when the plunger is located within a wellbore conduit that is defined by a conduit body and a wellbore fluid stream flows past the plunger; and   a controller that is programmed to:   maintain the drag-regulating structure in a low fluid drag state while a variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream is outside a threshold range; and   transitioning the drag-regulating structure from a retracted position having a low fluid drag state to a deployed position having a high fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream being within the threshold range.   
     
     
         23 . The plunger of  claim 22 , wherein the controller is further programmed to adjust the drag-regulating structure to adjust the fluid drag on the plunger when the plunger is being conveyed within the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         24 . The plunger of  claim 22 , wherein the drag-regulating structure defines a flow-through opening, and further wherein the drag-regulating structure is configured to transition to at least one intermediate state between the low fluid drag state and the high fluid drag state by changing a cross-sectional area of the flow-through opening. 
     
     
         25 . A hydrocarbon well, comprising:
 a wellbore that extends between a surface region and a subterranean formation;   a conduit body that defines a wellbore conduit that extends within the wellbore;   a plunger located within a target region of the wellbore conduit, wherein the plunger includes the plunger of  claim 22 ; and   hydrocarbons produced from the hydrocarbon well comprising the plunger.   
     
     
         26 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 25 , wherein the hydrocarbon well further includes a downhole support structure that is configured to support the plunger when the plunger is located within the target region of the wellbore conduit. 
     
     
         27 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 26 , wherein the downhole support structure includes a downhole electrical connection that is configured to provide an electric current to the plunger when the plunger is supported by the downhole support structure, wherein the downhole support structure includes a downhole data transfer structure that is configured to permit data transfer from the plunger. 
     
     
         28 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 25 , wherein the hydrocarbon well further includes a surface tree that is configured to selectively regulate a flow of a wellbore fluid stream therethrough, wherein the hydrocarbon well further includes an uphole support structure that is configured to selectively retain the plunger and is proximal to the surface tree. 
     
     
         29 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 28 , wherein the uphole support structure includes an uphole electrical connection that is configured to provide an electric current to the plunger when the plunger is supported by the uphole support structure, and further wherein the uphole support structure includes an uphole data transfer structure that is configured to permit data transfer from the plunger.