Patent Application
20230042141
Conventional cores, also known as whole cores, are continuous sections of rock extracted from a formation in a process similar to conventional drilling. Coring and conventional drilling operations differ mainly in the type of bit used, because instead of a drilling bit, coring relies on a hollow bit and a core barrel in a bottomhole assembly (BHA). Coring is used to evaluate rock properties from cores taken from hydrocarbon wells. These rock properties may be measured using techniques and equipment commonly found in laboratories. These laboratories are located on a surface area of a well site or located at a remote location. Usually, before the cores reach a laboratory, they must first be extracted from rock formations below the Earth's surface. The process of obtaining these cores may yield different rock samples based on the extraction technique implemented. During handling of the cores, the integrity of the rock formation represented in the cores may be compromised. This mishandling may provide inaccurate information for future planning and development of a hydrocarbon field. Currently, there are no tools or processes that provide rock properties of rock formations at downhole conditions without the need to cutting cores or extracting cores for sampling at laboratories.
In general, in one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to an imaging device included in an assembly located in a wellbore during drilling operations. The imaging device includes a cylindrical housing that extends along a central axis thereof. The imaging device includes at least one gradient coil configured to produce a unique magnetic field weaker than a main magnetic field. The at least one gradient coil creates a variable field that is increased or decreased by changing a direction of the unique magnetic field with respect to a direction of the main magnetic field to allow a specific part of a rock formation to be scanned by altering and adjusting the main magnetic field. The imaging device includes at least one radio frequency coil configured to transmit radio frequency waves into the rock formation. The imaging device includes at least one magnet disposed in the cylindrical housing that resonates against the unique magnetic field and the radio frequency waves. The imaging device includes at least one collector sensor that monitors a status of the rock formation during the drilling operations. The imaging device includes a power source dedicated to powering the imaging device. The imagine device includes a processor that performs real-time coring during the drilling operations. The real-time coring includes identifying one or more downhole characteristics in real-time.
In general, in one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to an assembly located in a wellbore during drilling operations. The assembly includes a piping element including an aperture that extends along a central axis thereof. The assembly includes an imaging device. The imaging device includes a cylindrical housing that extends along the central axis. The imaging device includes at least one gradient coil configured to produce a unique magnetic field weaker than a main magnetic field. The at least one gradient coil creates a variable field that is increased or decreased by changing a direction of the unique magnetic field with respect to a direction of the main magnetic field to allow a specific part of a rock formation to be scanned by altering and adjusting the main magnetic field. The imaging device includes a radio frequency coil configured to transmit radio frequency waves into the rock formation. The imaging device includes at least one magnet disposed in the cylindrical housing that resonates against the unique magnetic field and the radio frequency waves. The imaging device includes at least one collector sensor that monitors a status of the rock formation during the drilling operations. The imaging device includes a power source dedicated to powering the imaging device. The imaging device includes a processor that performs real-time coring during the drilling operations. The real-time coring includes identifying one or more downhole characteristics in real-time. The assembly includes a drilling bit including various drilling elements that assist in crushing or cutting the rock formation.
In general, in one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for performing real-time coring using an imaging device included in an assembly located in a wellbore during drilling operations. The method includes producing, by at least one gradient coil, a unique magnetic field weaker than a main magnetic field. The method includes creating, by the at least one gradient coil, a variable field that is increased or decreased by changing a direction of the unique magnetic field with respect to a direction of the main magnetic field to allow a specific part of a rock formation to be scanned by altering and adjusting the main magnetic field. The method includes transmitting, by a radio frequency coil, radio frequency waves into the rock formation. The method includes resonating, by at least one magnet, against the unique magnetic field and the radio frequency waves, the at least one magnet being disposed in a cylindrical housing. The method includes monitoring, by at least one collector sensor, a status of the rock formation during the drilling operations. The method includes performing, using a processor, real-time coring during the drilling operations. The real-time coring including identifying one or more downhole characteristics in real-time. The imaging device includes a power source dedicated to powering the imaging device.
Other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
Specific embodiments of the disclosed technology will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.
Specific embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) may be used as an adjective for an element (i.e., any noun in the application). The use of ordinal numbers is not to imply or create any particular ordering of the elements nor to limit any element to being only a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as using the terms “before”, “after”, “single”, and other such terminology. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers is to distinguish between the elements. By way of an example, a first element is distinct from a second element, and the first element may encompass more than one element and succeed (or precede) the second element in an ordering of elements.
In general, embodiments of the disclosure include an imaging device, an assembly, and a method for performing real-time coring using the imaging device. The assembly may be a bottomhole assembly (BHA) that includes a piping element, the imaging device, and a drilling bit. The imaging device may be operated while the drilling bit is performing drilling operations. In some embodiments, the imaging device is a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tool (MRIT) that performs imaging operations such as retrieving imaging information relating to changes in electromagnetic fields and radio frequency waves in a rock formation adjacent to the imaging device. The imaging information retrieved may be detailed information indicating subtle changes in the rock formation. The imaging information may be used for performing coring in real-time as the BHA is lowered into the formation. In this case, as coring may be performed without requiring laboratory sampling of physical cores of the rock formation, a virtual type of coring (i.e., virtual coring) is implemented.
In virtual coring, the cores being sampled are in the immediate area surrounding the imaging device over a predetermined radius. As the BHA moves downward, new virtual cores may be obtained using the imaging device. These virtual cores may be saved in a storage device while they are processed in real time using a scanning engine. Further, the imaging device may establish a communication link with one or more control systems in which the virtual cores may be stored or further evaluated.
In one or more embodiments, the imaging device, the assembly, and the method improve the timing require for drilling a wellbore and coring by eliminating any time required to measure rock properties in laboratories. In this regard, because the virtual cores are not retrieved from the rock formation, the imaging device, the assembly, and the method may eliminate the introduction of impurities in any core samples evaluated. In some embodiments, measuring rock properties at downhole condition from the virtual cores may be implemented while using a streamlined evaluation process. The virtual cores may be composite images formed from sensory feedback received from the rock formation. As such, the virtual cores may be representative of petrophysical properties (i.e., rock formation characteristics) at downhole conditions. These rock formation characteristics may include fluid saturation, permeability, or porosity of the rock formation. Without the need to of cutting cores and through the acquisition of three-dimensional (3D) imaging, all the referred rock formation characteristics and pore size may be measured with a higher level of accuracy when compared with conventional coring techniques.
In some embodiments, the piping element 110 is hollow, thin-walled, steel or aluminum alloy piping that is used on drilling rigs. In this regard, the piping element 110 may be hollow to allow drilling fluid to be pumped down the hole through the drilling bit 150 and back up the annulus. The piping element 110 may be in a variety of sizes, strengths, and wall thicknesses. In some embodiments, the piping element 110 may be between 27 and 32 feet in length, inclusive. In some embodiments, the piping element 110 may be larger than 45 feet in length.
In some embodiments, the imaging device 140 is a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tool (MRIT) or hardware configured for performing MRI scanning of a rock formation. The MRIT may produce detailed images of a rock formation by tracking the behavior of water in a rock formation. In this regard, the MRI improves over Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy because NMR solely generates information (i.e., a spectrum of light corresponding to a chemical structure) based on a frequency of an emitted radiation, which is related to the speed of the jiggling protons. Instead, the imaging device 140 generates images of the rock formations surrounding the imaging device 140 using the intensity of radiation (i.e., the quantity of re-emitted photons) arriving from various parts of the rock formation. Protons in dense or solid structures may be more or less prone to misalignment when disrupting radio waves are applied to the rock formation, resulting in a lower number of re-emitted photons coming from that region and thus a darker area in a resulting image.
In some embodiments, the drilling bit 150 is a tool used to crush or cut rock. The drilling bit 150 may be on the bottom of the BHA disposed on a drillstring. The drilling bit 150 may be changed when it becomes excessively dull or stops making progress. The drilling bit 150 may work by scraping or crushing the rock, or both, as part of a rotational motion. The drilling bit 150 may be a hammer bit that pounds the rock vertically in a fashion similar to an air hammer.
Upon activation, the imaging device 140 may generate composite images representative of three-dimensional (3D) renderings of an area surrounding the imaging device. The composite images may be generated using information collected using one or more systems. The information may be transmitted in real-time to a control system located on a surface. As described in more detail in reference to
During drilling operations, the imaging device 140 may move along the wellbore 180 with the assembly 100. The imaging device 140 may remain at a predetermined distance from the drilling bit 150 such that the position of the imaging device 140 may be monitored with respect to the location of the drilling bit 150. In some embodiments, the imaging device 140 is completely enclosed in the cylindrical housing 200 containing a communication system 210, a processing system 220, a sensing system 230, and a coordination system 240. The communication system 210 may include communication devices such as a transceiver 214, and a localization system 216. The transceiver 214 may transmit and receive communication signals. Specifically, the transceiver 214 may communicate with one or more control systems located at a remote location. The transceiver 214 may communicate wirelessly using a wide range of frequencies and by establishing a communication link. In some embodiments, high or ultrahigh frequencies (i.e., between 10 KHz to 10 GHz) may be implemented. The localization system 216 may include one or more geospatial location identification components that collect information associated with a geospatial location of the imaging device 140 with respect to the rock formation or with respect to the drilling bit 150.
The processing system 220 may include a processor 222, a memory 224, and a power supply 226. The power supply 226 may be a battery or wired connection for providing electrical energy to the imaging device 140. In some embodiments, the battery is charged using electrical connectors (not shown). The processor 222 may perform computational processes simultaneously and/or sequentially. The processor 222 may determine information to be transmitted and processes to be performed using information received or collected. Similarly, the processor 222 may control collection and exchange of geospatial information through the localization system 216.
As noted above, the processor 222 may perform real-time coring during the drilling operations with the real-time coring including identifying one or more downhole characteristics in real-time. The processor 222 may generate at least one composite image representative of a 3D rendering. The at least one composite image may be processed in association with a timestamp and location information. The processor 222 may compare a status of the rock formation with predetermined rock formation characteristics. The predetermined rock formation characteristics may include information relating to a depth and a thickness of the rock formation. The processor 222 may trigger the triggering condition when the status of the rock formation equals the predetermined rock formation characteristics. Further, the memory 224 may store stores the at least one composite image by indexing the at least one composite image based on the timestamp and by sorting the at least one composite image based on the location information.
The sensing system 230 may include collector sensors 232 and a cell group sensing element 236. The collector sensors 232 may be sensors that collect physical data from the environment surrounding the imaging device 140 (i.e., the rock formation and/or the surface). The collector sensors 232 may be sensors that collect physical data from the imaging device 140 itself (i.e., internal temperature, internal pressure, or internal humidity). The collector sensors 232 may be lightweight sensors requiring a small footprint. These sensors may monitor a status of the rock formation during the drilling operations. These sensors may exchange information with each other and supply it to the processor 222 for analysis. The cell group sensing element 236 may be a logging tool of an electrical type that establishes communication links with one or more additional devices disposed on the surface or at a remote location. The cell group sensing element 236 may identify trends, characteristics or properties (i.e., such as pressure or temperature changes) relating to the movement of the imaging device 140 in relation to the rock formation. The cell group sensing element 236 may stabilize communications associated with the transceiver 214 by preventing magnetic interference between the transceiver 214 and the rest of the imaging device 140. The power supply 226 may be operationally connected to the cell group sensing system 236 and including connections (not shown) for collecting energy and producing electrical energy as a result.
The coordination system 240 may include drilling elements 242 and translation elements 244. The drilling elements 242 may include nozzles and bit cutters disposed in the drilling bit 150. The translation elements 244 may be mechanisms that identify and track the positioning of the imaging device 140 with respect to one or more instructions indicated for the movement of the assembly 100 and the rock formation.
The main magnet 340 may be a large magnet that produces a main magnetic field. The main magnet 340 may be located around the entirety of the cylindrical housing 200. The main magnetic field 345 may produce two distinct effects that work together to create an image. The main magnetic field 345 causes water molecules in the rock formation to resonate in a specific radio-frequency (RF) range. This resonance causes the water molecules to function as a tuned radio receiver and transmitter during any imaging processes. In this case, MRI scanning may involve a two-way radio communication between the water molecules and the cylindrical housing 200.
The main magnet 340 may be a superconducting magnet type, a resistive magnet type, or a permanent magnet type.
A superconducting magnet type is capable of producing a strong and stable magnetic field. The superconducting magnet type is an electromagnet that operates in a superconducting state. This means that, in the superconducting magnet type, very small superconducting wires can carry very large currents without overheating, which is typical of more conventional conductors like copper. There are two requirements for superconductivity. During normal operation, the superconducting magnet type allows for electrical current to flow through a superconductor without dissipating any energy or producing heat. If the temperature of the conductor rises above the critical superconducting temperature, the current may begin to produce heat and the current is rapidly reduced. The superconducting magnet type may be in the form of cylindrical coils or solenoid coils with the main magnetic field 345 in an internal bore. The resistive magnet type is made from an electrical conductor such as copper. The name “resistive” refers to the inherent electrical resistance that is present in all materials except for superconductors. Heat may be produced when a current is passed through a resistive conductor to produce a magnetic field. The permanent magnet type does not require either electrical power or coolants for operation.
The gradient coils 330 (i.e., gradient magnets) may be three separate sets of gradient coils. These gradient coils 330 are oriented so that gradients can be produced in the three orthogonal directions (i.e., the x, y, and z directions). A gradient is a change in field strength from one point to another in the AOI in the rock formation. The gradients are produced by the gradient coils 330, which are contained within the cylindrical housing 200 of the imaging device 130. During an imaging procedure the gradients are turned on and off many times. This action produces the sound or noise that comes from the magnet. Two or more of the gradient coils 330 may be used together to produce a gradient in any desired direction. These gradients are used to perform many different functions during the image acquisition process, such as identifying spatial characteristics by producing slices and voxels of the rock formation.
The radio frequency coils 320, the radio frequency receivers 310, and the radio frequency transmitters 350 may form a RF system that provides the communications link with the AOI in the rock formation for the purpose of producing an image. The imaging device 130 uses RF signals to transmit the scanned image from the rock formation. The RF energy used is a form of non-ionizing radiation. The RF pulses that are applied to the AOI are absorbed by the rock formation and converted to heat. A small amount of the energy is emitted by the radio formation as signals used to produce an image. The radio frequency coils 320 may be located within the magnet assembly and relatively close to the patient's body. In the imaging device 130, these coils function as the antennae for both transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the AOI.
The radio frequency receivers 310 and the radio frequency transmitters 350 are used to generate RF energy, which is applied to the coils and then transmitted to the rock formation. The energy is generated as a series of discrete RF pulses. The characteristics of a composite image are determined by the specific sequence of RF pulses.
The radio frequency transmitters 350 may include RF modulators and/or power amplifiers to produce pulses of RF energy. The radio frequency transmitters 350 are capable of producing high power outputs on the order of several thousand watts. The actual RF power required is determined by the strength of the main magnetic field 345.
A short time after a sequence of RF pulses is transmitted to the rock formation, the resonating AOI will respond by returning an RF signal. These signals are picked up by the radio frequency coils 320 and processed by the radio frequency receivers 310. The signals are converted into a digital form and transferred to the processor 222 and the memory 224, where they are temporarily stored.
In some embodiments, the cell group sensing element 236 is configured to shield portions of the imaging device 130 against external RF signals. In some embodiments, shielding may be performed by surrounding it with an electrically conducted enclosure that follows the cylindrical housing 200. These enclosures may be made out of sheet metal and copper screen wire. The cell group sensing element 236.
In some embodiments, during drilling operations, the control system 530 may collect and record wellhead data for the well system 500. The control system 530 may include flow regulating devices that are operable to control the flow of substances into and out of the wellbore 130. For example, the control system 530 may include one or more production valves (not shown separately) that are operable to control the flow of fluids in the well system 500 during drilling operations. In some embodiments, the control system 530 may regulate the movement of the assembly 100 through the conveyance mechanism by modifying power supplied to the actuating devices 510.
The control system 530 may include a reservoir simulator (not shown). The reservoir simulator may include hardware and/or software with functionality for performing one or more coring operations regarding the formation and/or performing one or more slicing analysis. The reservoir simulator may perform production analysis and estimation based on one or more characteristics associated to the formation. These characteristics may include information associated to reservoir behavior to optimize production based on the analysis of core porosity, permeability, fluid saturation, grain density, lithology, and/or texture of the rock formation. Further, the reservoir simulator may include a memory for storing well logs and data regarding core samples for performing simulations. While the reservoir simulator may be included in the control system 530 at a well site, the reservoir simulator may be located away from the well site. In some embodiments, the reservoir simulator may include a computer system disposed to estimate a depth of the imaging device 140 at any given time. The reservoir simulator may use the memory for compiling and storing historical data about the drilling operation.
In some embodiments, the actuating devices 510 may be motors or pumps connected to the assembly 100 and the control system 530. The control system 530 may be coupled to the sensors 520 to sense characteristics of substances and conditions in the wellbore 130, passing through or otherwise located in the well system 500. The sensors 520 may include a surface temperature sensor.
In some embodiments, the measurements are recorded in real-time, and are available for review or use within seconds, minutes or hours of the condition being sensed (e.g., the measurements are available within 1 hour of the condition being sensed). In such an embodiment, the coring operations may be referred to as being performed “real-time.” Real-time data may enable an operator of the well system 500 to assess a relatively current state of the well system 500, and make real-time decisions regarding drilling operations.
In some embodiments, the scanning engine 700 may perform coring operations by measuring rock formation characteristics at downhole conditions from virtual cores obtained through scanning. As noted above, the rock formation characteristics may be petrophysical properties of the rock at downhole conditions, which may include fluid saturation, permeability, or porosity indicators without the need to of retrieving and cutting physical cores.
The log event information 720 may be used after a log event recording 710 is triggered. The scanning engine 700 may create, or obtain, an instruction indicating an area of interest anywhere on the rock formation based on a point of interest selected by a user or a decision-making server. In this context, a user is any person responsible for directly, or indirectly, triggering the log event recording 710. Further, a decision-making server is any entity that triggers the log event recording 710 directly by sending instructions that may be configured by a person or machine learning algorithm. In log event recording 710, the area of interest may be assessed through a condition status 712 and an event request and verification 714, which may provide raw information relating to the condition of the imaging device 140 and its location in the wellbore 130 with respect to the area of interest.
The slicing analysis information 740 may be used after a location identification validation 730 is triggered. The scanning engine 100 may obtain slicing analysis information 740 including one or more rock formation characteristics for any area of interest. Specifically, the scanning engine 100 may access slicing analysis information 740 based on a specific combination of the condition status 712 and the event request and verification 714. The scanning engine 700 may determine the location of the assembly 100 and the imaging device 140 via an location mapping system 732 and a scanning determination system 734. The scanning engine 700 may use the location mapping system 732 to analyze drilling operation information of the selected area of interest to determine the relations and interconnections between historical data of the rock formation and data collected during the drilling operations. Further, the scanning engine 700 may use the scanning determination system 734 to identify and categorize types of assets in the area of interest. Assets may be any change in the structure of the rock formation along the area of interest.
The scanning results information 760 may be used after a composite image generator 750 is triggered. The scanning engine 100 may analyze the results of the location identification validation 730 and test the slicing analysis information 740 in accordance with coring practices. The scanning engine 700 may use magnetic fields 752 and radio frequency waves 754 to determine an exact location of assets in the area of interest. In this regard, the composite image generator 750 may create 3D images by combining scanning results information 760 with multiple images including the slices used for the slicing analysis information.
In some embodiments, the scanning engine 100 outputs the coring analysis and report 770 based on the various information processed without affecting the characteristics of the rock formation through surface conditions because the scanning engine 700 allows for rock formation characteristics to be evaluated at downhole conditions. As noted above, in reference to
The method allows the imaging device 140 to scan the rock formation at the downhole by acquiring 3D images in real-time. The real-time collection of images may be used as virtual cores for coring during drilling operations.
In Block 910, a unique magnetic field is produced to be weaker than a main magnetic field using at least one gradient coil.
In Block 920, a variable field is created using the at least one gradient coil. The variable field is increased or decreased by changing a direction of the unique magnetic field with respect to a direction of the main magnetic field to allow a specific part of a rock formation to be scanned by altering and adjusting the main magnetic field.
In Block 930, radio frequency waves are transmitted into the rock formation using a radio frequency coil.
In Block 940, at least one magnet resonates against the unique magnetic field and the radio frequency waves. The at least one magnet is disposed in a cylindrical housing.
In Block 950, the a status of the rock formation is monitored using at least one collector sensor during drilling operations.
In Block 960, real-time coring is performed using a processor during the drilling operations. The real-time coring includes identifying one or more downhole characteristics of the rock formation in real-time.
While
As shown in
In one or more embodiments, for example, the input device 1020 may be coupled to a receiver and a transmitter used for exchanging communication with one or more peripherals connected to the network system 1030. The receiver may receive information relating to one or more reflected signals as described in reference to
Further, one or more elements of the computing system 1000 may be located at a remote location and be connected to the other elements over the network system 1030. The network system 1030 may be a cloud-based interface performing processing at a remote location from the well site and connected to the other elements over a network. In this case, the computing system 1000 may be connected through a remote connection established using a 5G connection, such as protocols established in Release 15 and subsequent releases of the 3GPP/New Radio (NR) standards.
The computing system in
While
While the disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be limited only by the attached claims.
