	US 12,442,279 B2
	Multi-stage plunger hydrocarbon lifting
Amr Mohamed Zahran, Al Khobar (SA); Syed Muhammad Bin Syed Taha, Dhahran (SA); Mohamed Sayed, Dammam (SA); Gustavo Alvarez, Dhahran (SA); and Bagus Wahyu Setiadi, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/240,001.
Prior Publication US 2025/0075600 A1, Mar. 6, 2025
Int. Cl. E21B 43/12 (2006.01); E21B 34/06 (2006.01); F04B 47/12 (2006.01)

CPC E21B 43/121 (2013.01) [E21B 34/06 (2013.01); F04B 47/12 (2013.01)]

21 Claims

1. A method, comprising:

lifting a first plunger within a production string disposed within a wellbore formed in a subterranean zone, the production string extending from a wellhead and comprising a plurality of plunger landing assemblies residing in the production string and dividing the production string into a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a portion of the production string between two consecutive plunger landing assemblies or a plunger landing assembly and the wellhead, the plurality of plunger landing assemblies comprising a first landing assembly and an intermediate landing assembly residing between the first landing assembly and the wellhead, wherein the lifting comprises lifting the first plunger in a first stage of the plurality of stages to lift production fluid accumulated uphole of the first plunger;

continuing to lift the first plunger until the first plunger strikes the intermediate one of the plurality of landing assemblies, allowing the production fluid to flow past the second one of the plurality of landing assemblies into a second stage of the plurality of stages;

securing, with a controllable catcher, the first plunger to retain the first plunger and prevent the first plunger from traveling in a downhole direction; and

lifting, with the production fluid accumulated uphole of a second plunger residing in the second stage, the second plunger to lift the production fluid toward the wellhead.