System and method for rehabilitating a water well with compressed nitrogen
A system and method for rehabilitating a water well using compressed nitrogen. The method includes compressing air to a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure; providing the air at the first pressure to a nitrogen generator; removing oxygen from the air, resulting in a nitrogen gas having at least 80% nitrogen; compressing the nitrogen gas to a second pressure higher than the first pressure; inserting a venting apparatus into the bore; and discharging the pressurized nitrogen gas into the bore. In another aspect, a different method of treating a water well is disclosed. The method comprises providing a tank of pressurized nitrogen gas; inserting a venting apparatus into the bore; discharging the pressurized nitrogen gas into the bore; depleting the pressure of the nitrogen gas in the tank to produce low-pressure nitrogen; re-pressurizing the low-pressure nitrogen to a desired pressure; and discharging the re-pressurized nitrogen gas into the bore.
1. A method of treating a water well having a well bore, the method comprising:
mounting a first compressor, a second compressor, and a nitrogen generator on a vehicle having wheels;
positioning the vehicle with the first compressor, the second compressor, and the nitrogen generator adjacent a well bore;
compressing air, with the first compressor, from atmospheric pressure to a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure;
providing the air at the first pressure to the nitrogen generator;
removing oxygen from the air, resulting in a nitrogen gas having at least 80% nitrogen;
compressing the nitrogen gas, with a first stage of the second compressor, to pressurized nitrogen to a second pressure higher than the first pressure;
compressing the nitrogen gas, with a second stage of the second compressor, to pressurized nitrogen from the second pressure to a third pressure higher than the second pressure;
inserting a gas venting apparatus into the well bore; and
discharging the pressurized nitrogen gas, at the third pressure, through the gas venting apparatus and into the well bore.
2. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pressure is at least 150 psi.
3. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second pressure is at least 2000 psi.
4. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of removing oxygen from the air results in a nitrogen gas having at least 85% nitrogen.
5. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of removing oxygen from the air results in a nitrogen gas having at least 90% nitrogen.
6. A system for treating a water well having a well bore, the system comprising:
a vehicle having wheels;
a first compressor supported on the vehicle and having a first inlet adapted to receive air at a first pressure and provide air at a second pressure higher than the first pressure to a first outlet;
a nitrogen generator supported on the vehicle and having a nitrogen inlet fluidly coupled to receive compressed air from the first outlet and increase the nitrogen concentration of the air to produce a nitrogen gas at a third pressure less than the second pressure at a nitrogen outlet;
a second compressor mounted on the vehicle and having a first stage and a second stage, the first stage having a second inlet fluidly coupled to receive nitrogen gas from the nitrogen outlet and provide nitrogen gas at a fourth pressure higher than the third pressure to a second outlet, the second stage having a third inlet fluidly coupled to receive nitrogen gas from the second outlet and provide nitrogen gas at a fifth pressure higher than the fourth pressure to a third outlet; and
a percussive gas venting apparatus fluidly coupled to receive nitrogen gas from the third outlet.
7. The system for treating a water well as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first compressor comprises different stages of a multi-stage compressor.
8. A method of treating a water well having a well bore, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of tanks of pressurized gas;
inserting a gas venting apparatus into the well bore;
discharging the pressurized gas from the plurality of tanks, through the gas venting apparatus and into the well bore at an operational pressure or higher;
depleting the pressure of the gas in the plurality of the tanks to produce low-pressure gas at a low pressure below the operational pressure;
re-pressurizing the low-pressure gas with a compressor from the plurality of tanks into re-pressurized gas in a storage vessel at the operational pressure or higher; and
after re-pressurizing the low-pressure gas, discharging the re-pressurized gas through the gas venting apparatus and into the well bore.
9. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the gas comprises nitrogen.
10. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the gas comprises at least 80% nitrogen.
11. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the gas comprises at least 85% nitrogen.
12. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the gas comprises at least 90% nitrogen.
13. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , where the operational pressure is at least 2500 psi.
14. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , where the low pressure is at most 500 psi.
15. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , where the low pressure is at most 200 psi.
16. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , where the low pressure is at most 100 psi.
17. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , where the low pressure is 90 psi.
18. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the storage vessel comprises one of the plurality of tanks.
19. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the providing step, the inserting step, the discharging step, the depleting step, and the re-pressurizing step all occur onsite adjacent the well bore.
20. The method of treating a water well as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the compressor is a multi-stage compressor with four stages.