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For low pressure gaseous wells, an oil/gas separator is mounted at the end of a production string to provide a continuous upwardly spiralling separating velocity to the oil/gas entering the tool in order to separate outwardly at least sufficient gas to reduce gas lock in the sucker rod pump mounted

For low pressure gaseous wells, an oil/gas separator is mounted at the end of a production string to provide a continuous upwardly spiralling separating velocity to the oil/gas entering the tool in order to separate outwardly at least sufficient gas to reduce gas lock in the sucker rod pump mounted in the production string. The oil/gas separator of this invention includes a separation chamber having a continuously upwardly spiralling ramp and an internal collection tube to collect the separated gas and move the gas upwardly and out of the tool and into the annulus of the oil well. The method of this invention is practiced by directing an oil/gas mixture from a producing zone in a helical direction to impart centrifugal separating velocity at varying levels to the mixture to cause gas to separate from the mixture.

대표청구항 ▼

A fluid separator adapted to be mounted in a producing oil/gas well for substantially separating gas from oil of a oil/gas mixture, comprising: a generally cylindrical housing forming a separation chamber, said housing having an inlet at the bottom of said housing located below said separation chamb

A fluid separator adapted to be mounted in a producing oil/gas well for substantially separating gas from oil of a oil/gas mixture, comprising: a generally cylindrical housing forming a separation chamber, said housing having an inlet at the bottom of said housing located below said separation chamber adapted to receive an oil/gas mixture for introduction into said separation chamber; said housing including an oil flow outlet for directing separated oil outwardly of said housing and a gas flow outlet for directing outwardly separated gas, said oil and gas flow outlets being located above said separation chamber; continuous flow separation means mounted with said separation chamber for receiving said oil/gas mixture from said inlet, for separating gas from the oil/gas mixture and for directing separated oil out of said oil flow outlet and separated gas out of said gas flow outlet; said continuous flow separation means including means for imparting an upward helical velocity to said entering oil/gas mixture to cause a separation of said oil/gas mixture into oil and gas and means for directing separated oil to said oil glow outlet and separated gas to said gas flow outlet; said inlet, oil flow outlet, separation chamber and continuous flow separation means cooperating to provide fluid treatment means through said separator for delivering downwardly through said separator oil well treatment fluid; said continuous flow separation means includes a plurality of separation stages positioned in said housing separation chamber between said inlet and said outlets; and said plurality of separation stages mounted within said separation chamber including a first stage for imparting the greatest separation velocity and making the greatest separation of gas from said oil/gas mixture and with each stage thereafter located between said first stage and said outlets successively imparting lesser velocity and lesser separation such that said gas is removed from said oil/gas mixture in stages. A method of separating oil and gas from oil/gas mixture downhole in a producing oil well, comprising the steps of: providing a production string extending from the surface into the borehole and terminating in the production zone; mounting an oil/gas separator onto the end of the production string and installing a packer between a lower and upper section of the oil/gas separator such that the inlet of the oil/gas separator is located below the packer and the outlets therefor are located above the packer; providing for the entry of producing oil/gas mixture into the lower section of the oil/gas separator and providing a helical annular velocity tunnel through the oil/gas mixture to cause said oil under centrifugal force to move radially outwardly and causing said separated gas to move radially inwardly into a central collection zone in said lower section of the oil/gas separator so that the separated gas in said lower section of the oil/gas separator is directed through the packer and outwardly of the oil/gas separator above the packer; directing the oil separated in said lower section upwardly through the packer and into the end of the production tubing so that such oil can be pumped upwardly by a downhole pump mounted in the production tubing; and providing the annular helical velocity tunnel within the oil/gas separator in a series of stages, the lowest stage in the oil/gas separator imparting the greatest separating velocity to the oil/gas mixture entering the oil/gas separator with subsequent, upper stages providing decreasing separating velocity by stage.