Apparatus for gas lift production of liquid from wells

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH PRODUCING WELLS AND RELATED WELL FLOW APPARATUS COMPRISING A WELL BOREHOLE PENETRATING THE EARTH TO A PRODUCING FORMATION, AT LEAST ONE TUBING EXTENDING INTO SAID BOREHOLE WHEREBY THERE IS FORMED WITHIN SAID BOREHOLE BOTH AT LEAST ONE PRODUCING CONDIUT IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PRODUCING FORMATION AND A GAS INJECTION CONDUIT CONNECTABLE TO A SOURCE OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE; AT LEAST ONE VALVE MECHANSIM AFFORDING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID GAS INJECTION CONDUIT AND SAID PRODUCING CONDUIT AND COMPRISING: A VALVE HOUSING SECURED TO SAID TUBING AND DEFINING A VALVE CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID VALVE HOUSING HAVING AT LEAST ONE INLET PORT THEREIN IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID GAS INJECTION CONDUIT, SAID VALVE HOUSING HAVING A VALVE SEAT THEREIN DEFINING AN OUTLET PORT IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PRODUCING CONDUIT, VALVE CARRIER MEANS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN PRESSURE IN SAID GAS INJECTION CONDUIT AND MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING AND SEAT IN DIRECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SEAT IN RESPONSE TO SUCH PRESSURE VARIATIONS, A VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED UPON SAID VALVE CARRIER FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID VALVE CARRIER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SEAT BETWEEN A FIRST NORMALLY DISPOSED EXTREME POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIER AND THUS CAPABLE OF MOVEMENTS BOTH WITH AND IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENTS OF SAID CARRIER AND INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID CARRIER IN DIRECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SEAT, ONE EXTREMITY OF RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID SEAT WHEREBY SAID OUTLET PORT IS CLOSED AND THE OTHER POSITIONS OF SAID VALVE MEMBER IN ITS MOVEMENTS BEING AWAY FROM SAID SEAT WHEREBY SAID OUTLET PORT IS OPEN TO AFFORD FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID GAS INJECTION CONDUIT AND SAID PRODUCING CONDUIT.