Patent Application
20060102342
The present disclosure is directed to wellbore lithology fractionation technology, more particularly to fracture characterization using reservoir monitoring devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system and method for using several sensors attached below a fracturing tool string.
A wide variety of downhole tools may be used within a wellbore in connection with producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon formation. Downhole tools such as frac plugs, bridge plugs, and packers, for example, may be used to seal a component against casing along the wellbore wall or to isolate one pressure zone of the formation from another.
Fracturing is a wellbore service operation to break or fracture a production layer with the purpose of improving flow from that production layer. In the case that multiple zones of production are planned, fracturing may be conducted as a multi-step operation, for example positioning fracturing tools in the wellbore to fracture a first zone, pumping fracturing fluids into the first zone, repositioning the fracturing tools in the wellbore to fracture a second zone, pumping fracturing fluids into the second zone, and repeating for each of the multiple zones of production. Fracturing fluids sometimes propagate into water bearing formations, which is undesirable. Water must be separated at the surface from oil or gas and properly disposed of, imposing undesirable expenses on the production operation. If the production fluids are pumped to the surface, pumping energy, and hence money, is expended lifting the waste water product to the surface. What is needed is a system and method to detect during the course of a fracturing job when the fracturing fluid is propagating into a water bearing formation so that the fracturing job may be interrupted.
Fracturing tools may be withdrawn from the wellbore, and sensors may then be deployed into the wellbore and used to directly sense the results of fracturing. The sensors are withdrawn from the wellbore, the sensor information they have stored is downloaded to a computer, and the data is analyzed for use in planning future fracturing jobs in similar lithology structures or similar production fields. This two trip process is undesirable. What is needed is a system and method for co-deployment and co-retraction of fracturing tools and sensors for a fracturing service operation which may reduce the number of tool string trips into and out of the wellbore.
Disclosed herein is a system for monitoring a wellbore service treatment, comprising a downhole tool operable to perform the wellbore service treatment; a conveyance connected to the downhole tool for moving the downhole tool in the wellbore, and a plurality of sensors operable to provide one or more wellbore indications and attached to the downhole tool or a component thereof via one or more tethers.
Further disclosed herein is a method of monitoring a wellbore service treatment, comprising conveying into a wellbore a downhole tool operable to perform the wellbore service treatment and a plurality of sensors operable to provide one or more wellbore indications attached to the downhole tool or a component thereof via one or more tethers, deploying the downhole tool at a first position in the wellbore for service, treating the wellbore at the first position; and monitoring an at least one wellbore indication provided by the wellbore sensors at the first position.
These and other features and advantages will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts.
a depicts a wellbore and a first tool string in a first stage of a fracturing job.
b depicts a wellbore and a first tool string in a second stage of a fracturing job.
c depicts a wellbore and a first tool string in a third stage of a fracturing job.
d depicts a second tool string and fracturing configuration.
e depicts a third tool string and fracturing configuration.
f depicts a fourth tool string and fracturing configuration.
g depicts a fifth tool string and fracturing configuration.
h and 1i depict a sixth tool string and fracturing configuration.
a illustrates a group of tiltmeters tethered together and hanging under a fracturing plug.
b illustrates a group of tiltmeters attached to wellbore casing.
c illustrates a group of tiltmeters each tethered separately to a fracturing plug.
a depicts a data recovery component.
b depicts an embodiment for tethering a sensor.
It should be understood at the outset that although an exemplary implementation of one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated below, the present system may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein.
a, 1b, and 1c show a wellbore 10, which may be cased or uncased, and three stages of a wellbore service job corresponding to a first wellbore service configuration, in
The bridge plug 16 may be generically referred to as a downhole tool. A wide variety of downhole tools may be used within a wellbore in connection with producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon formation. Downhole tools such as frac plugs, bridge plugs, and packers, for example, may be used to seal a component against casing along the wellbore wall or to isolate one pressure zone of the formation from another. In addition, perforating guns may be used to create perforations through casing and into the formation to produce hydrocarbons. Downhole tools are typically conveyed into the wellbore on a wireline, tubing, pipe, or another type of cable. The first tool string 8 provides for the co-deployment and co-retraction of the bridge plug 16 and the sensors 18 using a tubing 20.
The bridge plug 16 is an isolation tool that is operable to shut the well in, to isolate the zones above and below the bridge plug 16, and to allow no fluid communication therethrough. The bridge plug 16 may be referred to as a sealable member. The sensors 18 may be tiltmeters, geophones, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, combinations thereof, or other sensors operable to sense wellbore characteristics which are known to those skilled in the art. The sensors 18 may each be supported by an individual or dedicated link or tether to the bridge plug 16 as shown in
In the first wellbore service configuration of
In the second wellbore service configuration of
In the third wellbore service configuration in
When the first tool string 8 is removed from the wellbore 10, the sensors 18 may be operably coupled to a monitoring computer to download the data collected by the sensors 18 during the wellbore service job. The sensor data may be analyzed to model the effect of the fracture job and to adjust fracturing parameters for future fracture jobs in similar lithology. The co-deployment and co-retrieval of the bridge plug 16 and the sensors 18 saves extra trips into the wellbore 10 to deploy and retract the sensors 18.
Turning now to
A fracturing job is shown in progress, with fracturing fluid, which may contain proppants, being pumped down the tubing 20, through the tool body 104, out of the jets 106, into the zone of interest 14. The sensors 18 hang down from the packer 102, out of the path of fracturing fluid flow, for example as shown in
Turning now to
A fracturing job is shown in progress, with fracturing fluid, which may contain proppants, being pumped down the tubing 20, through the tool body 104, out of the jets 106, into the zone of interest 14. The sensors 18 hang above the packer 102, out of the path of fracturing fluid flow, suspended in the wellbore fluid due to buoyancy or through the action of a propulsion action. In an embodiment, the sensors may attach themselves to the wellbore wall as in
Turning now to
A fracturing job is shown in progress, with fracturing fluid, which may contain proppants, being pumped down the tubing 20, through the tool body 104, out of the jets 106, into the zone of interest 14. The sensors 18 hang below the bridge plug 16, out of the path of fracturing fluid flow, for example as shown in
Turning now to
A fracturing job is shown in progress, with fracturing fluid, which may contain proppants, being pumped down the tubing 20, through the tool body 104, out of the jets 106, into the zone of interest 14. The sensors 18 hang below the bridge plug 16, out of the path of fracturing fluid flow, for example as shown in
Each of the tool strings may be referred to generally as a downhole tool. While the exemplary wellbore service jobs described above referred to using a bridge plug 16 and a packer 102 in various tool string configurations, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other sealable members may be employed to conduct fracturing wellbore service jobs as well as other wellbore service jobs. Other dispositions of the sensors 18 out of the flow of fracture fluid are also contemplated by this disclosure.
Turning now to
Turning now to
In another embodiment, the tiltmeters 50a-f may hang in tension, suspended by the links 52a-f and simultaneously attached to the wellbore casing without slack in the links.
The links 52a-f may be chain links; rope wire, or cable tethers; bands, or data transmission cables formed of metal, plastic, rubber, ceramic, composite materials, or other materials known to those skilled in the art. The sensors 50a-f may separate the links 52a-f, forming part of the weight bearing structure supporting sensors located below. Alternately, the links 52a-f may form a continuous chain or tether, and sensors 50a-f may be attached thereto without forming part of the weight bearing structure. The links 52a-f may also serve as data communication pathways between the sensors 50a-f and a memory module 60, as in
The discussion of how the sensors 50a-f are suspended from the bridge plug 16 and attached to the wellbore casing also applies to the alternative tool strings illustrated in
Turning now to
The memory tool 64 may be a data recording device such as for example a microcontroller/microprocessor associated with a memory and operable to receive and store data from the sensors 18. Electrical power is provided to and data is returned from each of the sensors 18 through a path comprising the first cable 66a, the first sensor 18a, a second cable 66b attached between the first sensor 18a and the second sensor 18b, the second sensor 18b, a third cable 66c attached between the second sensor 18b and the third sensor 18c, the third sensor 18c, a fourth cable 66d attached between the third sensor 18c and the fourth sensor 18d, and the fourth sensor 18d.
A first chain 68a is shown supporting the weight of the sensors 18. The first chain 68a is shown attached to the data recovery component 60, but in some embodiments the first chain 68a may attach to the bridge plug 16. A second chain 68b, a third chain 68c (not shown), and a fourth chain 68d (not shown) are interconnected through the bodies of the sensors 18 and support the weight of the sensors 18. In an alternate embodiment as shown in
In some embodiments, the cable 66 and the chain 68 attached to each sensor 18 may attach directly to the data recovery component 60. In an embodiment, the cable 66 may be a continuous cable with Tee-like drop connections provided along the length of the continuous cable for coupling to the sensors 18. In some embodiments the cable 66 and the chain 68 may be enclosed in a sheath to prevent entanglements and to protect the cable 66 and chain 68 from hazards in the wellbore 10. The cable 66 may be interwoven in the chain 68. In an embodiment, the cable 66 may be integrated with the chain 68 or a tether.
The discussion of the data recovery component 60 also applies to the alternative tool strings illustrated in
In some embodiments, a communication path may be provided between the surface and the downhole tool 16 and/or the sensors 18. The communication path may be contained by the tubing, for example provided by a cable inside or embedded in the walls of the tubing 20. In addition to or alternatively, the communication path may be provided by a wireless link such as radio link, an optical link, and/or an acoustic link through the fluid in the wellbore 10.
A communication path between the surface and the second tool string 101, the third tool string 120, and the fourth tool string 140, for example through a cable inside or embedded in the walls of the tubing 20 to a monitoring computer located at the surface, may be provided by the tubing 20. This capability, which may be termed a real-time fracture monitoring capability or near real-time fracture monitoring capability, could be employed to monitor a wellbore servicing operation such as detecting pumping of fracturing fluid into a water bearing formation. Pumping fracturing fluid into a water bearing formation increases flow of water, which is generally not desirable. Being able to detect this event permits stopping the fracturing job and minimizing the fracturing of the water bearing formation. Additionally, this real-time or near real-time fracture monitoring capability may be employed to adaptively control the fracture job, such as stopping pumping of fracturing fluid after data from the sensors 18 fed into a fracture model generated by the monitoring computer indicates an optimal fracture stage has been arrived at.
In an embodiment, an acoustic communication link between the surface and the first tool string 8, such as using hydraulic telemetry, may be established. This communication link may be used to monitor fracturing processes while fracturing is in progress as described above.
In one embodiment, a communication path between the surface and the fifth tool string 160 by providing a connectionless communication link between the bridge plug 16 and the packer 102 and by providing a connected communication link, for example a wire cable within the tubing 20, from the packer 102 to the surface. The connectionless communication link may be provided by a radio link, an optical link, or an acoustic link, such as using hydraulic telemetry, through the fluid between the bridge plug 16 and the packer 102. The communication path between the bridge plug 16 and the surface may support the ability to monitor fracturing processes while fracturing is in progress as described above.
In other embodiments, a combination of these communication link technologies may be employed to provide the ability to monitor fracturing processes or other wellbore service operations in real-time or near real-time.
Turning now to
The first method proceeds to block 208 where a wellbore service procedure such as a fracturing job is conducted. This involves pumping fracturing fluid down the wellbore 10 at the appropriate pressure, temperature, and flow rate with the appropriate mix of materials, such as proppants and fluids. The parameters for a specific fracturing job are engineered for a specific lithology or field based on experience and data obtained during previous fracture jobs, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Upon completion of pumping, the first method proceeds to block 210 where the tubing 20 is deployed into the wellbore 10 and reattaches to the bridge plug 16.
The first method proceeds to block 212 where the bridge plug 16 detaches from the wellbore casing. The first method proceeds to block 214 where the tubing 20 is retracted from the wellbore 10, drawing out with it the bridge plug 16 and the sensors 18.
The first method proceeds to block 216 where the data collected by the sensors 18 is downloaded to a first computer system. The first method proceeds to block 218 where the data downloaded from the sensors is employed to characterize the fracture job by modeling on a second computer system. This first and second computer systems may be the same computer, or they may be different computers. The characterization of the fracture job of block 218 may occur at the location of the wellbore 10 or it may occur away from the location of the wellbore 10, for example at a headquarters or at an office.
Observe that the first method described above saves extra trips into the wellbore 10 to deploy and retrieve the sensors 18, for example using a wireline equipment. In the first method the sensors 18 are co-deployed and co-retracted with the bridge plug 16.
Turning now to
The first method proceeds to block 222 where a wellbore service procedure such as a fracturing job is conducted. This involves pumping fracturing fluid down the wellbore 10 at the appropriate pressure, temperature, and flow rate with the appropriate mix of materials, such as proppants and fluids. The parameters for a specific fracturing job are engineered for a specific lithology or field based on experience and data obtained during previous fracture jobs, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Upon completion of pumping, the second method proceeds to block 223 where the tubing 20 is deployed into the wellbore 10, the tubing 20 reattaches to the bridge plug 16, and the bridge plug 16 detaches from the wellbore casing.
The second method proceeds to block 224 where if another zone of the wellbore 10 remains to be fractured, the second method proceeds to block 225. In block 225 the bridge plug 16 and sensors 18 are repositioned to fracture the next zone of the wellbore 10, for example at a position further out of the wellbore 10. The second method proceeds to block 221. By repeatedly looping through blocks 221, 222, 223, 224, and 225 multiple zones of the wellbore 10 may be fractured. Note that the sensors 18 attached to the bridge plug 16 are not deployed into and retracted from the wellbore 10 between each of the fracturing operations, thus saving numerous extra trips into and out of the wellbore 10. The sensors 18 detect, collect, and store data for each of the multiple fracturing operations.
In block 224 if no additional zones of the wellbore 10 remain to be fractured, the second method proceeds to block 226 where the tubing 20 is retracted from the wellbore 10, drawing out with it the bridge plug 16 and the sensors 18.
The second method proceeds to block 227 where the data collected by the sensors 18 is downloaded to a first computer system. The second method proceeds to block 228 where the data downloaded from the sensors is employed to characterize the multiple fracture jobs by modeling on a second computer system. This first and second computer systems may be the same computer, or they may be different computers. The characterization of the fracture job of block 228 may occur at the location of the wellbore 10 or it may occur away from the location of the wellbore 10, for example at a headquarters or at an office.
Observe that the second method described above saves multiple extra trips into the wellbore 10 to deploy and retrieve the sensors 18, for example using wireline equipment. In the second method the sensors 18 are co-deployed and co-retracted with the bridge plug 16.
Turning now to
The third method proceeds to block 234 where a fracturing job is started. This involves pumping fracturing fluid down the wellbore 10 at the appropriate pressure, temperature, and flow rate with the appropriate mix of materials, such as proppants and fluids, as is well known to those skilled in the art.
The third method proceeds to block 236 where the sensors 18 are monitored at the surface by a first computer system. The monitoring includes gathering data from each of the sensors 18 and analyzing the gathered data. Analysis may include feeding the gathered data into a fracture model which predicts fracture progress based on a history of sensor data. The results of the analyzing the gathered data provides input to fracture job operators making a decision to continue pumping fracturing fluid, to stop pumping fracturing fluid, and perhaps to change the material mix of the fracturing fluid or other fracture job parameters such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate.
In an embodiment, in block 236 the pumping of fracturing fluid into the wellbore is completely ceased. Substantial vibration may be produced in the wellbore by the pumping of fracturing fluid, and this vibration may interfere with the sensors 18 monitoring the progress of the fracturing job. In another embodiment, in block 236 the pumping of fracturing fluid continues.
The third method proceeds to block 238 where if the fracturing fluid is not being pumped into a water bearing formation the third method proceeds to block 240. In block 240, if the fracture job is not complete, the third method returns to block 234 and the fracture job continues.
If in block 238 the fracturing fluid is being pumped into a water bearing formation the third method proceeds to block 242. Similarly, if in block 240 the fracturing job is complete the third method proceeds to block 242. In block 242 the pumping of fracturing fluid is stopped. The third method proceeds to block 244 where the bridge plug 16 detaches from the wellbore casing, and the tubing 20 is retracted from the wellbore 10, drawing out with it the first tool string 101, the bridge plug 16, and the sensors 18.
Observe that the third method described above saves extra trips into the wellbore 10 to deploy and retrieve the sensors 18, for example using wireline equipment. In the third method the sensors 18 are co-deployed with the first tool string 101 or with the bridge plug 16 and co-retracted with the first tool string 101 or with the bridge plug 16. Additionally, the third method permits on-location adaptation of fracture job plans to better accord with the circumstances detected, in real-time or near real-time, by the sensors 18.
While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented.
Also, techniques, systems, subsystems and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discreet or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown as directly coupled or communicating with each other may be coupled through some interface or device, such that the items may no longer be considered directly coupled to each but may still be indirectly coupled and in communication with one another. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.
