1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to formation testing apparatus and methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pressure-volume tests are typically performed downhole to estimate formation properties and the condition of reservoirs. To perform such tests, a downhole tool is conveyed into a wellbore. A small amount (1 cc-10 cc) of the fluid from the formation is withdrawn generally using a piston. The pressure drop at the point from which the fluid is being withdrawn starts as the drawdown starts. The total amount of the pressure drop generally depends upon the properties of the formation, such as the type of rock, permeability, etc., and the properties of the formation fluid, such as the viscosity, etc., of the fluid. In such tests, the total drop in pressure is typically not controlled and can vary substantially from one test to another and from one formation to another. After the drawdown cycle, the pressure is allowed to build-up until it reaches a stable level. The length of time it takes for the pressure to build-up to the formation pressure level (the “build-up time”) depends upon the type of the formation. For example, the build-up time for tight formations can be form several minutes to hours. Typically, three draw-down and build-up tests are performed to determine the reservoir condition. Therefore, drawing preselected volumes of fluid during draw-downs can lead to excessive build-up times, especially in tight formations, which can be relatively expensive, due to idle rig and personnel time.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus and methods for formation testing applications.
In one aspect, a formation testing apparatus is disclosed that may include: a device configured to draw a fluid from a formation (drawdown); a sensor configured to measure pressure of the fluid; and a processor that is configured to process signals from the sensor taken during the drawdown to estimate an inflection point in the measured pressure of the fluid and control the drawing of the fluid from the formation after the inflection point until the pressure of the fluid reaches a predetermined pressure drop.
In another aspect, a formation testing method is disclosed that may include: drawing a fluid from a formation; measuring pressure during a drawdown; estimating from the pressure an inflection point that corresponds to a mud cake break point; and drawing the fluid from the formation after the inflection point until the pressure of the fluid drops down by selected amount.
Examples of certain features of a formation testing apparatus and method are summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood. There are, of course, additional features of the apparatus and methods disclosed hereinafter that will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.
For a detailed understanding of the disclosure herein, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which same elements are generally referred to by same numerals and wherein:
The disclosure herein describes a formation testing tool in reference to a specific wireline formation evaluation tool. The tool may be utilized alone in a wellbore or it may be run as a part of a wireline tool string that includes other wireline logging tools. The tool may be a part of a drill string that may include drilling assemblies and one or more measurement-while-drilling tools. Additionally, the specific instruments and methods discussed herein are not to be construed as limitations.
Once the pressure at 310 has stabilized, the strain gauge sensor 230 may be calibrated by using pressure measurements made by the strain gauge sensor 230 and the quartz sensor 232. At time T1, that corresponds to the stable pressure 314, the controller 240 or 140 or a combination thereof activates the prime mover 222 to move the piston 220 to extract the fluid 217 from the formation 110 into the piston 220. The piston volume may be any amount but is generally relatively small, such as between 1 cc to 10 cc. The drawing of the fluid from the formation is referred to herein as the “drawdown” and the first such drawing is referred to herein as the “first drawdown.” The pressure of the drawn fluid starts to drop from the original pressure 314 relatively rapidly, as shown by the declining line 316.
A layer of mud (also known in the art as “mud cake”) is typically present along the wellbore wall 216. The mud cake is formed by the invasion of the drilling fluid into the formation during drilling of the wellbore because the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the mud column at any given depth is greater than the innate formation pressure at that depth. The mud cake also tends to form a seal along the wellbore wall. After a certain amount of time during the first drawdown, the mud cake tends to break, as indicated by point 318, at which point the rate (dp/dt) of the pressure drop changes. The pressure at which the rate of the pressure drop changes during the first drawdown is referred to herein as the “inflection point” or “mud cake break point.” As noted above, the sensor 230, such as a strain gauge, has a relatively fast response time (a few milliseconds). Such a sensor is capable of providing sufficient number of pressure measurements (pressure data points) during the time Ti-T1 to estimate the inflection point. The more accurate sensor 232, such as a quartz sensor, typically has a relatively slow response time (about 1.0 sec) and may not provide sufficient measurement data points from which the inflection point may be determined. Although a strain gauge is used herein as an example of a fast response pressure sensor, any suitable sensor that provides sufficient measurements during the time Ti-T1 may be used for estimating the inflection point. Also, it is noted that a quartz sensor is used herein as an example of a high resolution sensor. Any suitable sensor may be used for the purposes of the disclosure. Furthermore, both the fast response sensor 230 and the relatively more accurate sensor 232 may be used to continuously or substantially continuously obtain pressure measurements. The controllers 240 and/or 140 or a combination thereof may utilize programmed instructions to estimate the inflection point from pressure measurements made during the first drawdown. The portion shown by line 316, which corresponds to the time Ti-T1, is sometimes referred herein as the first segment 320 of the first drawdown. In one method, the inflection point 318 may be estimated from the first derivative (dp/dt) or second derivative (d2p/dt2) of the pressure-over-time relationship during the first drawdown.
The controllers 140 and/or 240 then may control the operation of the device 220 to controllably draw the fluid further from the formation 110 for a second segment 324 (T2-Ti) until the pressure of the fluid along line 322 drops down by a desired amount (DP1-DPi), as shown by level 326. The drop in pressure from the initial pressure 314 and the inflection point 318 is shown by DPi and the total drop in the pressure during the first drawdown is shown by DP1. In one aspect, the pressure 326 may by chosen to reduce or minimize the time it will take for the pressure to build-up and approach a stable level during an ensuing pressure build-up cycle, as described in more detail below. At the end of the first drawdown, i.e., at or around time T2, the pressure starts to rise, as shown by curve 330 and it approaches a stable level, such as shown by the pressure curve 336. The stable pressure value may be determined from a curve fitted to the measured pressures. The measured pressure may be said to be approaching the stable level when the difference between the measured pressure and the stable level is less than or equal to a selected amount or when the difference in successive pressure measurements is less than or equal to a selected amount. Any other criterion may be used for the purpose of this disclosure. The pressure build-up curve 330 represents the first “build-up.” The sensors 230 and 232 measure the pressure along the first build-up time 332. The first sensor 230 may again be calibrated by using the measurements made at the along the curve 336 (also referred to as the first stable build-up pressure) by the first sensor and the second sensor 232.
Once it is determined that the pressure has approached a stable pressure, the controllers 140 and/or 240 may initiate a second drawdown as shown by curve 340 and continue to control the drawdown process until the pressure drops to a second selected or predetermined pressure 342. The controllers 140 and/or 240 then may allow the pressure to build up (second build-up) 344 so that the pressure approaches a second stable pressure 346. Both the sensors 230 and 232 may be used to measure the pressure during the second drawdown and second build-up cycle. Additional drawdown and build-up cycles, such as a third drawdown 350 and a third build-up 360, may be obtained using the method described above. Generally, a total of three drawdown and build-up cycles are adequate to estimate the formation properties. In one aspect, a processor may be configured to estimate a property of the formation using data from one or more drawdown and build-up cycles. The data used may include pressure, drawdown volume, and build-up time and the property of the formation may be permeability, porosity, etc. The processor may also be configured to estimate other formation characteristics, such as formation type, etc. Estimating the inflection point and controlling the pressure drop thereafter during the first drawdown may allow the system 100 to reduce and in some cases minimize the build-up time for the first and subsequent build-up times. Knowledge of the pressure drop at the end of the first drawdown also may aid in selecting the second drawdown pressure and so forth. In a tight formation, the build-up time for each cycle using the conventional methods can be relatively long, such as from few minutes to more than an hour. Estimating the inflection point and then controlling the pressure drop during drawdown can aid in reducing the pressure drop during each drawdown and thus reduce the corresponding build-up time. The pressure drop during any drawdown may be controlled by controlling the fluid pressure drop, drawdown volume, drawdown time or any combination thereof.
The apparatus and methods described above use specific embodiments. This is not to be construed as a limitation of the embodiments that may be utilized for estimating an inflection point or controlling the drawdown and build-up cycles for the formation evaluation apparatus or the methods described herein. Additionally, the embodiments described herein reference wireline tools. The apparatus and methods described herein, however, are equally applicable for use with tools conveyed on a tubular, such as coiled tubing or slickline, and with a drill string used for drilling wellbores. Further, implicit in the processing of measurements and other data herein is the use of a computer programs stored on a suitable machine-readable medium that enables a processor to perform the controls and data processing relating to the apparatus and methods described herein. The computer programs include instructions to perform the various control functions and the features of the methods described herein. The machine-readable medium may include any suitable medium, including but not limited to ROMs, EPROMs, EAROMs, Flash Memories and Optical disks. The measurements, data and estimated parameters may be stored in any suitable media.
Thus, in view of the above description, a formation testing method according to one aspect, may include: drawing a fluid from a formation (“the first drawdown”); measuring pressure during a portion of the first drawdown using a first sensor; estimating from the measured pressure an inflection point that corresponds to a mud cake break point; and controllably drawing the fluid after the inflection point during the first drawdown. The fluid may be withdrawn until the fluid pressure drops to a selected pressure level or by controlling the drawdown volume or by drawing the fluid for a selected time period or any combination thereof. The inflection point may be estimated by using any suitable technique, including, but not limited to, using a first derivative of the measured pressure versus time or a second derivative of the measured pressure versus time. In another aspect, the method may further include allowing the pressure of the fluid to build up to approach a first stable level and measuring pressure of the fluid thereafter using a second sensor. Further, the first sensor, in one aspect, may be a strain gauge and the second sensor a quartz gauge. The method may also include calibrating in-situ the first sensor using measurements made by the first and second sensors at least two points each. The method may further include drawing the fluid from the formation after the pressure has built up to a selected level (“the second drawdown”) until the pressure drops down to a second selected level, allowing the pressure of the fluid to build up to a second level; and measuring the pressure approaching the second level using the second sensor. The method also may include estimating a property of the formation using one or more of a: drawdown volume; drawdown pressure; and build-up time. The estimated property of the formation may be one of permeability and porosity.
In another aspect, a formation testing apparatus is provided that in one embodiment may include: a device configured to draw fluid from a formation during a first drawdown; a first sensor configured to measure a pressure of the fluid; and a processor configured to process signals from the first sensor taken during the first drawdown to estimate an inflection point in the measured pressure of the fluid and control the drawing of the fluid from the formation after the inflection point until the pressure of the fluid drops by a first selected amount or reaches a selected level. The processor may be further configured to allow the pressure of the fluid to build up to approach a first stable level. The processor may estimate the inflection point from a first derivative of the measured pressure versus time, a second derivative of the measured pressure versus time or both. The apparatus may further include a second sensor configured to take pressure measurements upon pressure approaching the first stable level. The first sensor may be a fast response pressure sensor, such as a strain gauge sensor, and the second sensor may be high accuracy pressure sensor, such as a quartz pressure sensor. The processor may calibrate in-situ the first sensor using measurements made by the first and second sensors before a drawdown and/or after a build-up. The processor may also be configured to estimate a property of the formation using one or more of: a draw down volume; a drawdown pressure; and a build-up time. The estimated property may include one or more of: permeability of the formation; porosity of the formation; and reservoir characteristics. The apparatus may further include a probe configured to contact the formation; and a piston associated with the probe configured to withdraw the fluid from the formation, wherein at least one sensor is in pressure communication with the withdrawn fluid for taking pressure measurements.
In another aspect, a system is provided that may include: a conveying member configured to convey a formation testing tool into the wellbore; the formation testing tool may include: a device for withdrawing fluid from the formation; a first sensor and a second sensor configured to take pressure measurements of the drawn formation fluid; and a processor configured to estimate an inflection point in the pressure measured by the first sensor during a first drawdown of the formation fluid, control the drawing of the formation fluid from the formation after the inflection point until the pressure of the fluid has dropped to a first selected level, and to monitor the formation fluid pressure to build-up.
The foregoing description is directed to particular embodiments for the purpose of illustration and explanation. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that many modifications and changes to the embodiments set forth above are feasible without departing from the scope and spirit of the embodiments and concepts disclosed herein. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such modifications and changes.
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