This invention relates to extracting fluid from subterranean wells, more particularly, this invention relates to a system for extracting oil from marginal or stripper wells.
As subterranean oil well ages, the marginal cost of retrieving oil from the well increases. When the cost of extracting the oil from the well is higher then desired, the well is defined as a “stripper well.”
Stripper wells are normally straight and relatively shallow. These wells typically produce up to about 10 barrels of oil a day. Stripper wells may also produce various quantities of water with the oil. The oil produced from stripper wells is sometimes called “marginal oil.” Since the cost of producing oil from a well with such a low production volume is marginally economical, the oil is labeled “marginal oil.” As a result, when the current market value of oil is low, retrieval of marginal oil by current methods of extraction can be cost prohibitive.
Since stripper wells are wells of past high volume production, the exact locations of the wells and true marginal oil reserves remaining in the wells are known. Extracting marginal oil from stripper wells involves zero exploration costs and drilling costs; however, a cost effective system for the extraction of marginal oil from stripper wells is needed.