Page 14 - Artificial Lift Methods

Plunger Lift

Petroleum Extension-The University of Texas at Austin

Plunger Lift

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In this chapter:

• Typical applications of plunger lift
• Operating principles and functionality
• System components and their effectiveness

• Factors to consider when designing a plunger-lift system

lunger lift is a method of lifting fluid by produced gas to drive a
Pfree-piston (plunger) from the lower end of the tubing string to
the surface. This is done to remove accumulated fluid from the tub-
ing string. Plunger lift is similar to intermittent gas lift in that it uses
stored gas energy from the annulus or wellbore to periodically lift
slugs of liquid, rather than lifting the entire column of fluid all at once.
The plunger lift overcomes two of the efficiency challenges of
intermittent gas lift. First, the plunger acts as a mechanical interface
seal between the slug of liquid that is lifted and the gas that moves
the plunger and liquid. Thus, fluid fallback is greatly reduced, result-
ing in improved lifting efficiency. Second, the fluid is lifted using the
energy of the formation rather than requiring pressurized injection
gas energy from the surface. The result is the most cost efficient lift
technology for low-volume applications (fig. 61).

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