Method and apparatus for gas lift producing of oil wells

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE, TUBULAR UPPER HOUSING, A VALVE BODY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING, A TUBULAR RESERVOIR HOUSING, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID RESERVOIR HOUSING TO THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY, SAID VALVE BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH TWO PARALLEL THROUGH-BORES COMPRISING A VALVE RECEIVING BORE AND A TUBING RECEIVING BORE, SAID VALVE BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTERCOMMUNICATING PORT BETWEEN SAID VALVE RECEIVING BORE AND SAID TUBING RECEIVING BORE, A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PISTON GUIDE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GAS THROUGH SAID INTERCOMMUNICATING PORT, A PISTON ROD DEPENDING FROM SAID PISTON, BALL GUIDE SEALED IN SAID VALVE RECEIVING BORE AND BEING PROVIDED INTERIORALLY WITH A DOWNWARDLY TAPERING CONE SHAPED BALL SEAT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL INTURNED LEDGE PROVIDED WITH A SHARP PERIPHERAL SEAT, A BALL ARRANGED TO SEAT ON SID SEAT, A PUSH ROD MOUNTED TO SLIDE THROUGH SAID BALL SEAT, SAID VALVE BODY ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH A RELIEF PORT BELOW SAID SEAT FOR THE PASSAGE OF GAS UNDER PRESSURE OUTWARDLY FROM THE VALVE RECEIVING BORE, AND MEANS IN SAID VALVE RECEIVING BORE OPERABLE AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE TO URGE SAID PUSH ROD AGAINST SAID BALL TO UNSEAT IT AND PUSH SAID BALL AGAINST SAID PISTON ROD TO MOVE SAID PISTON ABOVE SAID INTERCOMMUNICATING PORT FOR THE PASSAGE OF GAS FROM SAID TUBING RECEIVING BORE THROUGH SAID INTERCOMMUNICATING PORT AND THENCE THROUGH SAID SEAT AND OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID RELIEF PORT. 9 IN APPARATUS OF THE TYPE FOR AUTOMATIC GAS LIFT OPERATION OF A PLURALITY OF OIL WELLS, EACH OF SAID WELLS HAVING AN OUTER CASING, INTERMEDIATE TUBING WITHIN SAID CASING, INNER TUBING WITHIN SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBING AND A GAS LIFT VALVE BETWEEN SAID INNER TUBING AND SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBING, AN INDEXABLE MULTIPLE OUTLET VALVE WITH OUTLETS COMMUNICATING RESPECTIVELY WITH EACH OF SAID GAS LIFT VALVES IN EACH OF SAID WELLS FOR SELECTIVELY SUPPLYING THERETO OPERATING GAS UNDER PRESSURE, MOTIVE POWER MEANS AND TIMER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE FOR INDEXING SAID MULTIPLE OUTLET VALVE TO SUPPLY OPERATING GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID WELLS ACCORDING TO A PREDETERMINED PROGRAM, AND EACH OF SAID GAS LIFT VALVES HAVING MEANS THEREIN FOR EQUALIZING THE PRESSURE BETWEEN SAID OUTER CASING AND SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBING.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUID FROM A PLURALITY OF WELLS EACH HAVING AN OUTER CASING, INTERMEDIATE TUBING WITHIN SAID OUTER CASING AND INNER TUBING WITHIN SID INTERMEDIATE TUBING, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PERIODICALLY SUPPLYING OPERATING GAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM A COMMON SOURCE TO SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBING OF EACH OF SAID WELLS ACCORDING TO A PRESCRIBED PROGRAM TO LIFT FLUID FROM SAID WELLS, SEPARATING GAS AND LIQUID FROM THE FLUID LIFTED FROM SAID WELLS, RECYCLING A PORTION OF SAID GAS, TEMPORARILY STORING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID GAS WITHIN THE CASING OF ONE OF SAID WELLS, AND EQUALIZING THE PRESSURES BETWEEN SAID INNER TUBING AND SAID INTERMEDIATE TUBING AND THE PRESSURES BETWEEN SAID INNER TUBING AND SAID OUTER CASING DURING EACH PERIOD.