In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment(s) only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention. Rather, the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments maybe practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
Also, it is noted that the embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed, but could have additional steps not included in the figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
With reference now to the drawings, the apparatus shown in
The wellbore tool 10 comprises a sampling probe device 20 which is described in more detail hereinafter and which projects from the tool. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sampling probe device 20 may be urged into contact with a part of the sidewall 15 that is adjacent to the earth formation 16. An anchoring device 22 may provide the urging of the sampling probe device 20. In such an operation, the anchoring device 22 may be mounted on the side of the wellbore tool 10 and positioned substantially opposite to the sampling probe device 20, which may be pressed against the sidewall 15 by the configuration of the wellbore tool 10 and the anchoring device 22.
The sampling probe device 20 may comprise one or more of each of a fluid sampling probe 24 and a guard probe 26. In certain embodiments, the one or more of the fluid sample probe 24 and the guard probe 26 may be distinct probes positioned adjacent to one another. In certain aspects, a plurality of guard probes 26 may be positioned adjacent to and around/surrounding a single one of the fluid sampling probe 24. As depicted in
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the fluid sampling probe 24 may be selectively connectable, via a sampling flowline 28 that may contain a pair of changeover (or diverter) valves 30, either to a sample chamber 32 or to a dump outlet (not shown). In such embodiments, the guard probe 26 may be coupled, via a guard flowline 34, with a dump outlet (not shown). In some embodiments of the present invention, the guard probe 26 may also, like the fluid sampling probe 24, be selectively connected via an outlet conduit and valves or the like to either a dump outlet or a sample chamber. As such, in operation of such embodiments, the fluid sampling probe 24, the guard probe 26 and or a combination of both the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26 may be used to collect fluid samples from the earth formation 16.
In an embodiment of the present invention, both the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26 may be arranged to draw fluid samples from the earth formation 16. In certain aspects of the present invention, one or more pumps 38 and a control system 40, which may control the valves 30 and the pumps 38, may be used to control the drawing of fluid samples from the earth formation 16 by the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26. Control of the fluid sampling may be provided by using the pumps 38 to change the pressure at the fluid sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe 26.
In an embodiment of the present invention, fluid sensors 31a and 31b may be used to measure one or more properties of fluid samples obtained by the fluid sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe. In certain embodiments, the fluid sensors 31a and 31b may be positioned in the sampling outlet conduit 28 and the guard outlet conduit 34, respectively. In other embodiments, a single sensor may take the place of the fluid sensors 31a and 31b and the single sensor may be positioned in a flow line associated with either the sampling or the guard probe. In certain aspects, the sensors 31a and 31b may determine the composition of the fluid samples obtained by the fluid sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe 26. This composition determination may comprise a determination of an amount of contamination in the fluid samples obtained form the fluid sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe 26. In other aspects, the sensors 31a and 31b may determine other properties of the fluid samples such as temperature, pressure or the like.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 40 may control the pumps 38 to apply equivalent pumping to both the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26. In such a way the sampling flowline 28 and the guard flowline 34 have equivalent characteristics, operating as essentially a single flowline. Subsequently, the outputs from the sensors 31a and 31b may be processed and the control unit 40 may change the settings of the pumps 38 to provide for effectively splitting the essentially single flowline. In an embodiment of the present invention, the pumps 38 may be replaced by a single pump 38 connected by flow-lines and valves to fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26. In such a configuration, the control unit 40 may be configured to control the valves and flow-lines to provide that fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26 are attached to a single flowline during initial sampling of fluids from the earth formation 16. After processing measurements of properties of fluids flowing through the single flowline that is coupled with the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26, the control unit 40 may provide for splitting the single flowline into separate flow-lines one of which is coupled with the fluid sampling probe 24 and one of which is coupled with the guard probe 26.
In the wellbore tool 10 of
In an embodiment of the present invention, a pump 170 or the like may be used to lower the pressure in the fluid sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe 26. The pump 170 may be coupled with the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26 via a single flow line 173 and a plurality of valves 160. In certain embodiments, a second pump 171 may be connected with one of the sampling probe 24 and/or the guard probe 26 via one of the valves 160a and 160b.
The pump 170 may draw the formation fluids 124 and the wellbore fluids 112 into the sampling probe device 20. As such, a guard flow 140a may flow through the guard probe 26 and a sample flow 140b may flow through the fluid sampling probe. As depicted, a guard sensor 150a may measure properties of the guard flow 140a and a sample sensor 150b may measure properties of the sample flow 140b. In certain aspects, the sensors 150a and 150b may comprise a single sensor that may measure properties of the guard flow 140a or the sample flow 140b or may be positioned so as to measure properties of a combined flow comprising the guard flow 140a and the sample flow 140b. In certain aspects, the properties that are measured may comprise temperature, pressure, contamination and or the like. The sensors 150a and 150b may comprise optical fluid analyzers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors and/or the like. With regard to contamination, the sensors 150a and 150b may generate a signal that is proportional to an amount of contamination measurable by the sensor.
A processor 180 or the like may be coupled with the sensors 150a and 150b. The processor 180, which may be a software program or the like, may process the measurements from the sensors 150a and 150b to determine properties of the fluids being received by the sampling probe device 20. In certain aspects of the present invention, the sensors 150a and 150b may generate an output signal S that is proportional to the contamination sensed in the flow in the sampling probe device 20, where the contamination comprises wellbore fluids—drilling mud, drilling mud filtrates, drilling fluids, wellbore treatment fluids—and or the like that contaminate the formation fluids. The processor 180 may process a contamination value from the output signal S, wherein the contamination value may comprise an amount of contamination in the volume of fluid flowing in the sampling probe device 20. To determine the contamination value, the processor may process a linear relationship between the output signal S and the contamination value, may be calibrated using known contamination values and/or the like.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor 180 may determine from the properties measured by the sensors 150a and 150b when to split the single flow line 173a into a guard flow line and a sample flow line.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor 180 may process the output signal or output signals from the sensors 150a and 150b to determine when to split the flow line to the fluid sampling probe 24 and the guard probe 26 into the sampling flowline 176 and the guard probe line 179. In
In embodiments of the present invention, the determination as to when to switch the single flowline to the sampling flowline 176 and the guard probe line 179 may be made by various different methods. In one aspect, the processor 180 may be used to process the contamination of the fluid being received by the sampling probe device 20 from the output signal S and may provide for switching the flowline when this value is below a set constant, wherein the set constant may be determined mathematically, experimentally, from analysis of previous sampling and/or the like. In such aspects, the set constant may dependent on the amount of flow of fluid in the sampling probe device 20, which may be determined by a flow measuring device. In other aspects, the determination may be made based upon a delta function of the difference of output signals S from the sensor 150a and the sensor 150b; as described in more detail in the copending application titled “System and Method for Real-Time Management of Formation Fluid Sampling with a Guarded Probe” referenced herein by attorney docket number 57.0707. In yet different aspects, the sensors 150a and 150b may measure temperature and the processor 180 may use a modeling process, which may be a theoretical or experimental model, to determine when the temperature is substantially equivalent to the temperature of the formation fluids, as they exist in the earth formation. Additionally, in other aspects different processing techniques may be used to determine when to split the flow, such techniques may range from using a simple temporal based constant—which may be determined theoretically, experimentally, from previous sampling or the like—determining an occurrence of a maximum, a minimum, an approach to an asymptote or the like of the output signal S from the sensor 150a and/or 150b or a variable associated with the output signal S.
In some aspects of the present invention, once the processor 180 has determined to switch the single flowline the sampling flowline 176 and the guard probe line 179, as depicted in
In step 310, the guarded-probe-formation-fluid-sampling-device may be configured to provide that the formation fluid sampling probes and the one or more guard probes are essentially coupled with a single flowline. This single flowline may provide for flowing of fluids from the sidewall of the wellbore and/or an earth formation adjacent to the sidewall through the probes and through the single flowline. The single flowline may be coupled with a pump or the like to provide for the drawing of the fluids from the sidewall of the wellbore and/or an earth formation adjacent to the sidewall into the guarded-probe-formation-fluid-sampling-device.
In step 320, one or more properties of the fluid flowing in guarded-probe-formation-fluid-sampling-device may be determined. Determination of the properties may be provided by a sensor or the like, wherein the sensor may be an OFA, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flowmeter and/or the like. The determined property may be a signal corresponding to wellbore contaminants detected by the sensor, temperature, pressure, viscosity, velocity, volume flow and/or the like. In step 330, the measured property or properties may be processed by a processor, software program or the like. The processing may comprise modeling successive measurements received from the sensor(s) according to a mathematical model, experimental model and/or past sampling model or using a database or look-up table. From the modeling, determinations may be made about the fluid being collected by the guarded-probe-formation-fluid-sampling-device. Merely by way of example, from a sensor signal corresponding to an amount of contaminants being sensed by the sensor, the processor may process an amount of the contaminants in the fluid in the fluid sampling probe. In some aspects, such a signal value may be interpolated with a flowmeter reading to determine an amount of such contaminants flowing in the fluid flowing in the guarded-probe-formation-fluid-sampling-device. The processor may determine when signals from the sensor reach a maximum or a minimum, tend towards an asymptotic value and/or the like.
In step 340, based upon a determination by the processor, the flow line to the one or more fluid sampling probes and the guarded probes may be split. In some embodiments of the present invention, only a flow line to the fluid sampling probes may be provided and upon the determination by the processor, a flow line to the guard probes may be provided to provide for a split flow line. In other embodiments, only a flow line to the guarded probes may be provided embodiments of the present invention, only a flow line to the fluid sampling probes may be provided and upon the determination by the processor, a flow line to the fluid sampling probes may be provided to provide for a split flow line. In step 350, after the splitting of the flow lines a sample of the fluid flowing in the fluid sampling flow line and/or the fluid sampling probe may be collected.
In one embodiment of the present invention, sensor signals, e.g. OFA signals, may be provided from whichever flow line is in use, Changes in sensor output may indicate changes in the concentration of wellbore fluid contaminants, such as drilling fluid filtrate contamination, in the fluid collected by the guarded probe. An assumption may be made of a linear relation between the signal S 405 and the wellbore fluid contamination λ 430 and, but this assumption may be unnecessary if the sensor has been calibrated. During the initial stages of fluid withdrawal, the flow-lines of the guarded probe may not be split and the guarded probe may effectively act as an unguarded probe, and all fluid may enter a single flowline. In certain aspects, the sensor data may be input into existing algorithms to predict a real-time best estimate δ of the value of the signal S 405 corresponding to pure formation fluid. If Sf is a value of the signal S 405 corresponding to pure wellbore fluid contamination λ 430, and if the sensor signal is linear in the amount of contamination, a real-time value of the signal S 405 may correspond to a contamination of the sampled fluid given by:
However, in other aspects, any alternative method for estimating the contamination c from the sensor data may be used instead of equation (1). Modeling of contamination in the guarded probe may be provided based upon an assumption that the contamination in the sampled fluids may be a decreasing function of the fluid volume pumped into the guarded sampling probe. In certain embodiments, the modeling of the contamination may be based upon the relationship that:
for some volume Vi which can be used to define a length-scale,
where φ is the porosity of the rock. In such modeling, ri may be treated as being related to the depth of filtrate invasion around the wellbore and the pumped volume V may be used to define a depth R=(3V/4πφ)1/3 from which fluid has been withdrawn from the wellbore sidewall/earth formation. As such, if c is known, modeling may be used to determine:
As the fluid is withdrawn from the earth formation for a longer period, so R increases and c decreases (since α<0). If the sampling probe flow rate is very small, it may collect contamination-free formation fluid when R>ri. In more complex modeling analysis, effects such as dispersion and the complex geometry for flow around the wellbore may be considered and included in processing. In modeling that does not include these effects, a margin for error may be provided for and the flow-lines may be split when c<csplit<1. In certain aspects, a small value of csplit may be used provided that fluids are withdrawn for longer will pump for longer and R/ri may be greater. In some embodiments of the present invention, the best estimate of the λ 430 may be used as a real-time value of c in equation (2).
In
S=βV
α+δ (3)
using at each step the last half of the data points collected so far. In alternative aspects, the power law index αcould be fixed, and set e.g. to α=− 5/12.
The figure below illustrates estimates of λ obtained when fitting the data from
Letting Qg2 and Qs2 be the volumetric flow rates into the guard and sampling flow lines immediately after separation, with corresponding OFA (or other sensor) readings Sg2, SS2 and letting S1 be the sensor reading immediately prior to the split. Then if S is proportional to contamination, it may be provided that:
In certain aspects, the precise value of csplit for which the flow lines should be split may vary somewhat with the choice of α. This choice of a may be decided by field trials. A value csplit may also be expected to vary with the ratio of the volumetric flow rates into the sampling and guard flow lines. The larger this ratio becomes, the longer the wait period may be until the fluids in the sampling probe become filtrate-free, and the smaller csplit may be. The contamination estimate λ may be made using the current analysis based on a fixed power law-index, but any other method for estimating c may be used, if used consistently.
Certain embodiments of the present invention may also provide for the use of data from the sensors in the flow lines, combined with suitable models, for purposes other than determinations as to when to separate the flow lines, to collect samples or the like. For example, data from the sensors in the flow lines may be combined with suitable models to provide information about the reservoir fluid, rock formations/characteristics around the wellbore—either close to the wellbore or further out into the reservoir—or the like.
Merely by way of example, from the sensor readings and suitable models, the concentration profile of filtrate contamination as a function of distance away from the wellbore may be analyzed. This profile may be of interest because of its effect upon the interpretation of electrical wireline logs since such information may provide for man understanding regarding the permeability and relative permeability of the surrounding rock formations and, among other things, how these permeabilities may be influencing/controlling flow of fluids in the pores of the rock. In theory, in certain embodiments it may be possible to obtain information about this radial profile of contamination by inverting the mathematical formulae describing the simple model of Hammond (see P. S Hammond, One- and two-phase flow duringfluid sampling by a wireline tool, T
In other aspects, models and analysis of flow into a guarded probe may be used with the sensor data. In such modeling, in certain aspects of the present invention, the models may be analysed/modified on a basis that the central sampling region of the guarded probe may collect only a small proportion of the total flow of fluids towards the probe device, and the fluid in the sample flow line may be drawn in through the probe along a line perpendicular to the wellbore in isotropic rock (persons of skill in the art may appreciate that the modification to model an anisotropic rock formation may also be understood by employing necessary variants). In certain aspects, to analyze contamination/rock around the wellbore, processing of data may be based on an analysis in which the contamination measured in the sample flow line may be taken to correspond to the contamination along the radius away from the wellbore, and a simple model based on spherical flow towards the probe may therefore be used to relate the time at which contamination is measured to the radial position from which this fluid originated. This model may be further enhanced by allowing for the dispersion that occurs as the fluid is drawn through the rock towards the sampling probe.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the temperature distribution away from the wellbore, and in particular the temperature in the reservoir far from the wellbore may be ascertained from the sensor data and an appropriate model. Persons of skill in the art may appreciate that models for the temperature distribution around a wellbore may be used in conjunction with temperature measurements in an unguarded probe to estimate reservoir temperature. However, fluid entering an unguarded probe is contaminated by filtrate, which is typically at a temperature different to (usually lower than) that of the reservoir. The measured temperature therefore differs from that of the reservoir, i.e., it may be too low, and as such measured data may have to be extrapolated by means of a model in order to determine the reservoir temperature.
In aspects of the present invention, analysis may be made on a model wherein when a guarded probe is used for sampling, the sample flow line of the guarded probe may eventually collects pure pore fluid. The temperature of this fluid will have been modified by its passage through (typically cooler) rock near the wellbore, but the fluid travels perpendicular to the wellbore and so the distance over which cooling occurs may be minimal. In consequence, the temperature of fluid in the sample flow line may approaches that of the reservoir more quickly than does the temperature of fluid collected by an unguarded probe. As such, the amount of extrapolation required is reduced compared to an unguarded probe sampling device. Thereby, the guarded probe may provide for improving the measurement accuracy, and the time taken to collect the data can be reduced, thereby reducing costs and reducing the probability of the tool or cable becoming stuck downhole due to differential pressure sticking. The model required for extrapolation of data is also simplified, since fluid flow towards the sampling probe occurs over a narrow cone if the sampling probe takes only a small proportion of the total flow, and so flow is close to 1-dimensional.
In the foregoing description, for the purposes of illustration, various methods and/or procedures were described in a particular order. It should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, the methods and/or procedures may be performed in an order different than that described. It should also be appreciated that the methods described above may be performed by hardware components and/or may be embodied in sequences of machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a machine, such as a general-purpose or special-purpose processor or logic circuits programmed with the instructions, to perform the methods.
Hence, while detailed descriptions of one or more embodiments of the invention have been given above, various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without varying the invention. Moreover, except where clearly inappropriate or otherwise expressly noted, it should be assumed that the features, devices and/or components of different embodiments may be substituted and/or combined. Thus, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.