Patent Grant
7372018
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/189,388 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/189,455 having the same inventors being filed concurrently with the present application.
This invention relates generally to oil and gas well logging tools. More particularly, this invention relates tools for measuring gas saturation and gas pressure of earth formations through the use of gamma rays generated by a pulsed neutron source. This invention may be used in cased holes as well as open holes.
In petroleum and hydrocarbon production, there is considerable commercial value in the recovery of gas from reservoirs. Over the course of production of gas, there is an increasing influx of water into the reservoir. This may be due to natural causes or it may be, in the case of secondary recovery operations, the result of injection of water into the reservoir. The production of gas thus leads to a decrease in gas saturation of the reservoir. In addition, due to the fact that reservoirs by their very nature comprise permeable earth formations within impermeable strata, production of gas leads to a decrease of gas pressure. The decrease of gas pressure in turn affects the flow pattern of reservoir fluids. Knowledge of the gas pressure is also very helpful in reservoir development. Knowledge of gas saturation is also important in enhanced oil recovery programs (EOR) where a gas is injected into an injection well and used to direct the flow of oil from the reservoir into a production well.
A basic methodology underlying the determination of gas saturation and/or gas pressure is that of density determination. One approach involves detection of gamma radiation produced in the formation in response to a high-energy neutron source, referred to as induced gamma ray logging. When the neutron source is pulsed, gamma rays are produced by one of two reactions. The first is inelastic scattering of fast neutrons (neutrons with energies above about one MeV or within about one order of magnitude). The second mechanism is from capture of epithermal neutrons (neutrons with energy of about one eV). The third is from capture of thermal neutrons (neutrons with energy of about 0.025 eV). The fast-neutron lifetimes are very small (a few microseconds) such that during the source pulse a mixed-energy neutron field exists. Shortly after the burst, all neutrons slow down to a thermal energy level and these thermal neutrons wander about until being captured, with a lifetime in the hundreds of microseconds. Gamma rays from inelastic scattering are produced in close proximity to the accelerator, and gamma rays from thermal capture are dispersed farther from the accelerator (up to tens of centimeters). The number of capture gamma rays is strongly influenced by the amount of hydrogen and the thermal neutron capture cross section of the formation. The number of gamma rays produced from inelastic scattering is less dependent on these quantities, and a measurement of such gamma rays is more directly related to the formation density. Use of a pulsed neutron source allows capture gamma rays to be separated from inelastic gamma rays, giving a better estimate of density.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,301 to Smith Jr. et al. discloses a method and apparatus for determination of gas saturation using a logging tool deployed in an open borehole. A pulsed neutron source produces pulses of neutrons with energy of about 14 MeV. A single gamma ray detector measures counts of inelastic gamma rays resulting from interaction of the neutrons with nuclei in the formation. Specifically, counts are made in energy bands corresponding to C, O, Si and Ca. By comparing the Si/Ca and C/O ratios in these regions to the Si/Ca and C/O ratios for a known water sand, the relative abundance of limestone in the low hydrogen content formations may be estimated thus distinguishing gas zones from water saturated low porosity limestone.
When the wellbore in which the tool is run is an uncased reservoir, the tool is able to contact the subterranean formation itself. However, once a well has been cased, there exists a layer of steel and concrete between the interior of the wellbore where the tool is located and the formation itself. The well casing makes it difficult for signals to pass between the tool and the reservoir and visa versa. In addition, the cement can confuse the measurement of formation properties.
Formation density measurements have traditionally been made using two gamma ray detectors. In open hole situations, density estimates ρSS and ρLS made by the near and far detectors are used to get a corrected density estimate using the spine and rib method which may be represented by the equation
ρ−ρLS=Δρ=ƒ(ρLS−ρSS) (1),
where ƒ(.) is a function that is nonlinear, depends upon the standoff of the tool or the amount of mud cake between the tool and formation, and determined by a calibration process. This dual detector arrangement is able to compensate for standoff (in MWD applications) and mudcake thickness (in wireline applications). When used with a pulsed neutron source, correction also has to be made for variations in the source intensity, so that a two detector arrangement only gives a single estimate of density based on, for example, a ratio of the outputs of the two detectors.
For measurements made in cased holes, as noted above, there is an additional complication due to the presence of casing and cement. In order to probe the formation, neutrons must exit the tool, pass through the casing and cement and scatter, or be captured in the formation before the resulting gamma rays pass passing back through the cement and the casing to finally reenter the tool to be detected. Thus, instead of just a mudcake correction (for open hole wireline) or a standoff correction (for MWD), a cased hole density tool must be able to correct or compensate for the cement and casing, an effect which is greater than that of the mudcake. U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,797 to Moake discloses the use of a three detector tool using a chemical gamma ray source which corrects for the effects of casing. A drawback of the Moake device is the need for a relatively high energy chemical source (a safety issue) and the fact that gamma ray energies are measured (instead of count rates). In addition, it is not possible to separate inelastic gamma rays from capture gamma rays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,024 to Badruzzaman discloses an apparatus for measuring the density of a subterranean formation from within a wellbore, especially a cased wellbore. The apparatus has an energy source configured to generate 14 MeV of neutrons in pulses of 20 microseconds or less. The apparatus has at least three detectors for detecting gamma rays which are produced as a result of the neutron pulse. The detectors and energy source are aligned along a central axis with the energy source being at one end. Shielding is disposed between each of the three detectors and between the end detector and the energy source adjacent to it. The detectors are configured to measure gamma rays below 700 KeV and generate a signal in response thereto. The signals may then be compared to predetermined characteristic signals or computer simulations to determine the density, and hence porosity, of the formation.
Badruzzaman et al. (SPE89884) discuss the use of a four sensor arrangement for through-casing density measurements with a pulsed neutron source. These included a pseudo-density determination, C/O measurements for oil saturation determination, and pulsed neutron capture (PNC) cross section measurements for water and steam saturation.
None of the prior art recognizes the inter-relation between the effects of gas saturation and gas pressure on the measurements made by a nuclear logging tool. The present invention recognizes the inter-relation and represents a comprehensive approach to the determination of reservoir characteristics through casing.
One embodiment of the invention is a method of evaluating an earth formation having a gas therein. The earth formation is irradiated with a source of neutrons in a borehole. Radiation resulting from interaction of the neutrons with nuclei in the earth formation is measured at at least one detector spaced apart from the source. From the measurements, a value of a gas saturation Sg and a gas pressure Pg is estimated. Estimating Sg and Pg may further involve determining from a first subset of the measurements a value of a gas zone parameter (GZP) indicative of Sg and Pg at at least one depth in the borehole, determining from a second subset of the measurements a value of a Carbon/Oxygen (C/O) ratio, and estimating from the determined value of the GZP and the C/O ratio the values of Sg and Pg. The borehole may be a cased borehole. A pulsed neutron source may be used. The interaction may involve inelastic scattering. Two or more detectors may be used with the GZP being related to a ratio of measurements made by two detectors. Determining the values of the GZP may be based on a formation mineralogy, a formation porosity, a tool response characteristic, a formation fluid density, a borehole fluid density, a borehole diameter, a casing diameter, a gas density, and/or an equation of state. A Monte Carlo simulation may be used. Estimating the values of Sg and Pg may be based on determining a value of Sg and a gas density ρg that correspond to the determined value of GPZ and the determined value of the C/O ratio. Estimating the values of Sg and Pg may be based on using an equation of state.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus for evaluating an earth formation having a gas therein, the apparatus includes a source of neutrons conveyed in a borehole in the earth formation. The source irradiates the earth formation. At least one detector spaced apart from the source produces signals indicative of results of interaction of the radiation with nuclei in the earth. A processor which estimates from the signals a value of a gas saturation Sg and a gas pressure Pg. The processor may estimate the value of Sg and Pg by further determining from a first subset of the signals a value of a gas zone parameter (GZP) indicative of a gas saturation Sg and a gas pressure Pg at at least one depth in the borehole, determining from a second subset of the signals a value of a carbon/oxygen (C/O) ratio, and using the determined value of the GZP and the determined value of the C/O ratio. The borehole may be a cased borehole. The neutron source may be a pulsed source. The interaction may be inelastic scattering. Two or more detectors may be used with the GZP being related to a ratio of measurements made by one of the two detectors to measurements made by another of the two detectors. The processor may establish the values of the GZP using a formation mineralogy, a formation porosity, a tool response characteristic, a formation fluid density, a borehole fluid density, a borehole diameter, a casing diameter, a gas density, and/or an equation of state. A Monte Carlo simulation may be used. The processor may estimate the values of Sg and Pg by further determining a value of Sg and a gas density ρg that correspond to the determined value of GPZ and the determined value of the C/O ratio. The processor may estimate the values of Sg and Pg by further using an equation of state. The apparatus may include a wireline or a slickline which convey the source of neutrons into the borehole
Another embodiment of the invention is a machine readable medium for use with an apparatus for evaluating an earth formation having a gas therein. The apparatus includes a source of neutrons conveyed in a borehole in the earth formation, the source irradiating the earth formation, and at least one detector spaced apart from the source, the at least one detector producing signals indicative of results of interaction of the radiation with nuclei in the earth formation. The medium includes instructions which enable a processor to determine from the signals a value of a gas zone parameter (GZP) indicative of a gas saturation Sg and a gas pressure Pg at at least one depth in the borehole, to determine from the signals a value of carbon/oxygen (C/O) ratio, and to estimate from the determined value of the GZP and the determined value of the C/O ratio a value of Sg and a value of Pg. The medium may be a ROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a Flash Memory, and/or an optical disk.
The present invention is best understood with reference to the accompanying figures in which like numerals refer to like elements and in which:
The system shown in
The outputs from XLX, LS and SS detectors 17, 144 and 16 are coupled to detector board 22, which amplifies these outputs and compares them to an adjustable discriminator level for passage to channel generator 26. Channel generator 26 is a component of multi-channel scale (MCS) section 24 which further includes spectrum accumulator 28 and central processor unit (CPU) 30. MCS section 24 accumulates spectral data in spectrum accumulator 28 by using a channel number generated by channel generator 26 and associated with a pulse as an address for a memory location. After all of the channels have had their data accumulated, CPU 30 reads the spectrum, or collection of data from all of the channels, and sends the data to modem 32 which is coupled to cable 20 for transmission of the data over a communication link to the surface apparatus. Channel generator 26 also generates synchronization signals which control the pulse frequency of source 18, and further functions of CPU 30 in communicating control commands which define certain operational parameters of instrument 12 including the discriminator levels of detector board 22, and the filament current and accelerator voltage supplied to source 18 by power supply 15.
The surface apparatus includes master controller 34 coupled to cable 20 for recovery of data from instrument 12 and for transmitting command signals to instrument 12. There is also associated with the surface apparatus depth controller 36 which provides signals to master controller 34 indicating the movement of instrument 12 within well 10. The system operator accesses the master controller 34 to allow the system operator to provide selected input for the logging operation to be performed by the system. Display unit 40 and mass storage unit 44 are also coupled to master controller 34. The primary purpose of display unit 40 is to provide visual indications of the generated logging data as well as systems operations data. Storage unit 44 is provided for storing logging data generated by the system as well as for retrieval of stored data and system operation programs. A satellite link may be provided to send data and or receive instructions from a remote location.
In a well logging operation such as is illustrated by
In addition, as would be known to those versed in the art, many of the functions of the components described with reference to
Two or more gamma-ray detectors are employed, in one or more modes of operation. Such modes include, but are not limited to, a pulsed neutron capture mode, a pulsed neutron spectrometry mode, a pulsed neutron holdup imager mode, and a neutron activation mode. In a pulsed neutron capture mode, for example, the tool pulses at 1 kHz, and records a complete time spectrum for each detector. An energy spectrum is also recorded for maintaining energy discrimination levels. Time spectra from short-spaced and long-spaced detectors can be processed individually to provide traditional thermal neutron capture cross section information, or the two spectra can be used together to automatically correct for borehole and diffusion effects and produce results substantially approximating intrinsic formation values.
In a pulsed neutron spectrometry mode, the instrument pulses at 10 kHz, for example, and records full inelastic and capture gamma ray energy spectra from each detector. These data are processed to determine elemental ratios including carbon/oxygen and calcium/silicon from the inelastic spectra and silicon/calcium from the capture spectra.
With the neutron generator turned off, the measurement apparatus can also be used to detect the distribution of materials, tagged with radioactive tracers, that are injected into the well during well treatments. In this manner, the effectiveness of operations such as hydraulic fracturing or gravel pack placement can be evaluated.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a pulsed neutron generator with improved reliability and higher output is coupled with high-speed downhole microprocessor-controlled drivers and detector electronics. The system supports multiple frequency operation and different detection gate timings to make the different measurements. The modes of operation can be selected from the surface with no need to pull the tool out of the well.
After just a few μs, most of the neutrons are slowed by either inelastic or elastic scattering until they reach thermal energies, about 0.025 eV. This process is illustrated schematically in
We next give a broad overview of the method of the present invention. As noted above, the objective is to determine gas saturation and/or gas pressure in a reservoir. We discuss first the situation in which the gas pressure is known and the objective is to determine the gas saturation. We next discuss the situation in which the gas saturation is known and the objective is to determine the gas pressure. We finally discuss a method of determining simultaneously the gas saturation and the gas pressure.
Turning now to
From the measurements made by the detectors 155, the ratio RIN13 of the near to the extra-long spacing detector for inelastic collisions is determined. This ratio has been found to be the most sensitive to the effects of gas. It should be noted that the ratio RIN23 is also sensitive to the formation gas, but the statistical variability of this ratio is generally greater than that of RIN12 and RIN13. In one embodiment of the present invention, a weighted combination of the measurements may be used. This weighted combination is discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/955,867 of Gilchrist et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,235,402, having the same assignee as the present invention and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. We define any of these quantities as a Gas Zone parameter (GZP). It should also be noted that the ratio RATO13 of the capture gamma ray counts is even more sensitive to the presence of gas and may be used in one embodiment of the invention. However, capture gamma ray counts are also sensitive to factors such as formation salinity and shale minerals and proper correction is needed for these other factors. It should be noted that during the time interval in which inelastic gamma rays are measured, there is also a contribution from capture gamma rays. Typically, both the inelastic and the capture gamma rays are measured over the same energy band of approximately 0.1 MeV to 8 MeV. In one embodiment of the invention, improved counts of inelastic gamma rays are obtained by correcting for the contribution from the capture gamma rays. A method of making this conection is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,823 to Odom. Other methods would be known to those skilled in the art.
A table look-up is performed 157 for bounds on the GZP. The table is generated using a Monte Carlo simulation. It should be noted that the term “table look-up” as used herein is intended to include equations derived from Monte Carlo simulation relating the various factors considered in the simulation. The Monte Carlo simulation may include such factors as the formation mineralogy and effective porosity, the known tool response characteristics, the formation fluid density, the borehole fluid density, the borehole diameter and the casing diameter. In one embodiment of the invention, four broad minerals are considered: sandstones, shales, limestone and dolomite. In one embodiment of the invention, the gas pressure is taken as a known quantity and the table look-up is for a fixed gas pressure. The gas pressure may be determined using flow tests. The density of the formation fluid may be determined using devices such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,939 to Michaels et al., having the same assignee as the present invention and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Density measurements may also be made at the surface. The borehole fluid properties may be measured at the surface and appropriate temperature and pressure corrections applied for downhole conditions.
Based on the table look-up, a value is generated for 0% gas saturation and 100% gas saturation. These are the bounds (referred to as the envelope) for the GZP 159. Values for the bounds and the GZP are stored for display 161 and the next depth is processed 163. This process continues until all the depths have been processed. It should be noted that curves may also be generated for additional values of Sg. The relationship between GZP and Sg at constant gas pressure is not linear, so that for quantitative analysis, nonlinear or linear interpolation or extrapolation may be done.
While the example given above is for an EOR operation, similar results may be obtained in gas wells: the separation of the GZP from the “wet” value may be used for identifying gas sands within the reservoir. Subsequent development of the reservoir would then be based on perforating the casing at the identified gas intervals and producing the gas.
In another embodiment of the invention, the gas pressure may be determined. The basis for this is illustrated in
An example from a natural gas reservoir is shown in
The same is not true towards the bottom of the section. The curve 261′ is the wet bound, the curve 263′ is the curve at the initial reservoir gas pressure for Sg=1. The curve 265′ is the Sg=1 curve for a depleted reservoir gas pressure. The actual measurements 267′ lie close to the curve 265′, indicating that the deeper gas reservoirs have been pressure depleted and the gas pressure reduced. This has an important bearing on the reservoir development.
The present invention recognizes the fact that the assumptions of constant gas pressure or the assumption of constant gas saturation may not be satisfied. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, the Carbon/Oxygen (C/O) ratio is also determined. As would be known to those versed in the art, the inelastic gamma rays scattered at an energy of about 4.4 MeV are primarily due to carbon nuclei in the formation. The inelastic gamma rays scattered at an energy of about 6.13 MeV are indicative of oxygen nuclei in the formation. The C/O ratio is an independent measurement that is affected by both the gas saturation and the gas pressure.
In order to see how this may be used, we first examine
We next see what information about gas saturation may be obtained from the C/O ratio. The C/O ratio for a given borehole diameter and casing diameter depends upon effective porosity, the fluid in the rock and the fluid in the borehole. An example is given in
Again, for a given effective porosity, a measured value of the C/O ratio can be obtained from various combinations of Sg and ρg for a plurality of values of the effective porosity. This is represented in
This embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the flow chart of
The methods described above are quantitative methods for determination of gas saturation and gas pressure. This is in contrast to prior art methods based on density determination that are effective in qualitatively identifying the presence of gas but have little value in quantitative analysis.
The neutron source and the gamma ray detectors may be conveyed into the cased borehole on a wireline. Alternatively, the conveyance may be done using a slickline. For a slickline conveyed embodiment, the data are stored on a suitable memory device and may be processed upon recovery of the memory device at the surface or a remote location.
The processing of the measurements made in wireline applications may be done by the surface processor 33, by a downhole processor, or at a remote location. The data acquisition may be controlled at least in part by the downhole electronics. Implicit in the control and processing of the data is the use of a computer program on a suitable machine readable medium that enables the processors to perform the control and processing. The machine readable medium may include ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, Flash Memories and Optical disks. The term processor is intended to include devices such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA).
While the foregoing disclosure is directed to the specific embodiments of the invention, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims be embraced by the foregoing disclosure.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3780301 | Smith, Jr. et al. | Dec 1973 | A |
| 5374823 | Odom | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5473939 | Leder et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5525797 | Moake | Jun 1996 | A |
| 5825024 | Badruzzaman | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5900627 | Odom et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 20020036260 | Adolph | Mar 2002 | A1 |
| 20040222368 | Odom et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20050067563 | Gilchrist et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050139759 | Pitts et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20060243898 | Gilchrist | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070023625 A1 | Feb 2007 | US |
