Patent Application
20250109679
In the resource recovery industry and fluid sequestration industry, a borehole is formed in a formation. Once the borehole reaches a selected depth, a liner can be lowered into the borehole and cemented into place. The cementation process includes pumping cement through the liner into the bottom end of the borehole. The cement then rises through an annulus between the liner and the borehole where it dries to cement the liner into place. It is useful to knowing the location of the top or upper surface of the cement is as the cement is being pumped into the borehole in order to be able to control the cementation operation. Therefore, there is a need to be able to locate the top of the cement during pumping.
In one aspect, a method of installing a liner in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes flowing a cement into an annulus between the liner and a wall of the borehole, measuring an acoustic impedance indicative of a type of a fluid in the annulus using an acoustic sensor disposed within the liner as the wet cement is flowing into the annulus, determining a depth of an upper surface of the wet cement from the acoustic impedance, and performing an operation based on the depth of the upper surface of the wet cement.
In another aspect, a borehole system is disclosed. The borehole system includes a liner disposed in a borehole, a pump for flowing a cement into an annulus between the liner and a wall of the borehole, an acoustic sensor disposed within the liner for measuring an acoustic impedance of the annulus as the cement is flowing into the annulus, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a depth of an upper surface of the wet cement from the acoustic impedance and perform an operation based on the depth of the upper surface of the wet cement.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
The borehole system 100 further includes a cement reservoir 124 and a pump 126 for pumping a cement 128 (i.e., wet cement) from the cement reservoir 124 into the liner 114. In a cementation process, the pump 126 pumps wet cement from the cement reservoir 124 downhole through an interior of the liner 114. The cement 128 exits the bottom of the liner 114 into the borehole 102 and flows uphole through the annulus 116, displacing any fluid 130, such as a borehole fluid, from the annulus 116 in the process. The cement 128 is introduced until an upper surface of the cement rises to a selected location, such as the bottom of the casing 106. The cement 128 is then allowed to dry to secure the liner 114 in place within the borehole 102.
The sensor assembly 122 obtains measurements that are suitable for determining a location or depth of an upper surface 132 of the cement in the annulus 116. The sensor assembly 122 is in communication with a control unit 140 located at the surface location 110 and can send measurements to the control unit 140 for processing. The control unit 140 can include a processor 142 that determines a depth or location of the upper surface 132 of the cement 128 based on sensor measurements and performs an action in response to the determined depth or location. In various embodiments, the performed action can include stopping the cement pump, changing a pump rate, commencing a downhole operation, disconnecting the drill string from the liner, etc.
The acoustic sensor 140 can be operate over a range of frequencies, such as within an acoustic range of frequencies and within an ultrasonic range of frequencies. The acoustic sensor 140 obtains measurements that are suitable for determining a location or depth of an upper surface 132 of the cement in the annulus 116. When operating in the acoustic range, the acoustic sensor 140 can obtain measurements indicative of an acoustic cement bond index. When operating in the ultrasonic range, the acoustic sensor 140 can obtain a pulse echo measurement and/or a flexural vibration measurement.
The sensor assembly 122 is placed at a fixed location or fixed depth within the liner 114. In an illustrative embodiment, the acoustic sensor 140 transmits an ultrasonic pulse radially outward toward an inner surface of the liner 114 and measures an acoustic impedance based on a reflection of the pulse. The value of the acoustic impedance is affected by the material of the liner 114 as well as by the composition of material that is located in the annulus 116 at the same depth as the acoustic sensor 140. The material can be a solid, a liquid or a gas. In various embodiments, the material in the annulus 116 is either a fluid 130 (i.e., a non-cement fluid such as a borehole fluid) or the cement 128 that is being introduced or flowed into the annulus 116 for the cementation process. As the upper surface 132 of the cement rises through the location at which the acoustic sensor 140 is disposed, the acoustic impedance measured by the acoustic sensor 140 changes from a first value (due to the influence of the borehole fluid) to a second value (due to the influence of the wet cement).
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1. A method of installing a liner in a borehole, including flowing a cement into an annulus between the liner and a wall of the borehole, measuring an acoustic impedance indicative of a type of a fluid in the annulus using an acoustic sensor disposed within the liner as the wet cement is flowing into the annulus, determining a depth of an upper surface of the wet cement from the acoustic impedance, and performing an operation based on the depth of the upper surface of the wet cement.
Embodiment 2. The method of any prior embodiment, further including measuring the acoustic impedance at a selected depth using the acoustic sensor fixed at the selected depth.
Embodiment 3. The method of any prior embodiment, further including securing a liner packoff including the acoustic sensor in the liner at the selected depth.
Embodiment 4. The method of any prior embodiment, further including measuring the acoustic impedance at a plurality of depths using a plurality of acoustic sensors, wherein a selected acoustic sensor is located at one of the plurality of depths.
Embodiment 5. The method of any prior embodiment, further including measuring the acoustic impedance as the acoustic sensor is moved axially within the borehole.
Embodiment 6. The method of any prior embodiment, further including determining the depth of the upper surface by determining the depth at which the acoustic impedance changes from a first value to a second value.
Embodiment 7. The method of any prior embodiment, further including measuring a pressure in the annulus using a pressure sensor and calculating a fluid loss from the borehole based on the pressure and the acoustic impedance.
Embodiment 8. The method of any prior embodiment, further including measuring a temperature at a location of the acoustic sensor and determining the depth of an upper surface using the acoustic impedance and the temperature.
Embodiment 9. A borehole system, including a liner disposed in a borehole, a pump for flowing a cement into an annulus between the liner and a wall of the borehole, an acoustic sensor disposed within the liner for measuring an acoustic impedance of the annulus as the cement is flowing into the annulus, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a depth of an upper surface of the wet cement from the acoustic impedance and perform an operation based on the depth of the upper surface of the wet cement.
Embodiment 10. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, wherein the acoustic sensor is disposed at a fixed depth in the borehole.
Embodiment 11. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, further including a liner packoff secured in the liner at the fixed depth, the liner packoff including the acoustic sensor.
Embodiment 12. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, wherein the acoustic sensor further includes a plurality of acoustic sensors at a plurality of depths along the borehole.
Embodiment 13. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, an inner string for moving the acoustic sensor axially within the liner.
Embodiment 14. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the depth of the upper surface by determining the depth at which the acoustic impedance changes from a first value to a second value.
Embodiment 15. The borehole system of any prior embodiment, further including a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure in the annulus, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a fluid loss from the borehole based on the pressure and the acoustic impedance.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of +8% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
