Systems and methods for downhole fluid analysis

• US 10,287,879 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Sharma, Shivam, Joshi, Sameer, Gidwani, Arjit
• Primary Examiner(s): Wills, III, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US15/199,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20180003047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/082 Wire-line fluid samplers E21B49/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/10 using side-wall fluid samplers or testers

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system that includes a downhole tool that includes a packer module with an inlet disposed between an upper packer and a lower packer configured to seal an interval of a wellbore. The inlet is configured to admit a formation fluid disposed in the interval. The downhole tool also includes a pump out module, a fluid analysis module, and a sample module including a sample chamber containing an external fluid. The downhole tool also includes a data processing system configured to identify a composition of the formation fluid and includes one or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media including instructions to identify a condition indicating stopping the pump out module, transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval the inlet, resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module, and output the composition of the formation fluid.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a downhole tool, comprising;

a packer module, wherein the packer module comprises;

an upper packer and a lower packer configured to seal an interval of a wellbore in a geological formation; and

an inlet disposed between the upper packer and the lower packer, wherein the inlet is configured to admit a formation fluid disposed in the interval into a flow line of the downhole tool;

a pump out module configured to pump the formation fluid from the inlet;

a fluid analysis module configured to analyze the formation fluid pumped to the fluid analysis module via the pump out module;

a sample module comprising a sample chamber containing an external fluid;

a flow line coupled to the packer module, pump out module, fluid analysis module, and sample module; and

a data processing system configured to identify a composition of the formation fluid, wherein the data processing system comprises one or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media comprising instructions to;

identify a condition indicating stopping the pump out module;

transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module; and

output the composition of the formation fluid;

wherein the external fluid comprises water when the wellbore is drilled with a water based mud (WBM) and the external fluid comprises hydraulic oil when the wellbore is drilled with an oil based mud (OBM) or synthetic oil based mud (SOBM).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole tool is configured for conveyance within the wellbore by at least one of a wireline or a drillstring.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole tool comprises a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the interval.

4. A method, comprising:

placing a downhole tool in a wellbore in a geological formation, wherein the wellbore or the geological formation, or both, contain a formation fluid, and wherein the downhole tool comprises;

a packer module, wherein the packer module comprises;

an upper packer and a lower packer configured to seal an interval of the wellbore; and

an inlet disposed between the upper packer and the lower packer, wherein the inlet is configured to admit the formation fluid disposed in the interval into a flow line of the downhole tool;

a pump out module configured to pump the formation fluid from the inlet;

a fluid analysis module configured to analyze the formation fluid pumped to the fluid analysis module via the pump out module;

a sample module comprising a sample chamber containing an external fluid; and

a flow line coupled to the packer module, pump out module, fluid analysis module, and sample module;

performing downhole fluid analysis using the fluid analysis module to determine a composition of the formation fluid; and

using a processor to;

identify a condition indicating that pumping by the pump out module is to be stopped, wherein the condition comprises a minimum inlet pressure requirement of the pump out module or a maximum differential pressure rating of the packer module;

stop pumping by the pump out module;

transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module;

and

output the composition of the formation fluid as determined by the fluid analysis module.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the downhole tool comprises a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the interval.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the external fluid comprises water when the wellbore is drilled with a water based mud (WBM) and the external fluid comprises hydraulic oil when the wellbore is drilled with an oil based mud (OBM) or synthetic oil based mud (SOBM).

7. The method of claim 4 comprising using the processor to:

pump the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module, wherein the formation fluid comprises a first concentration of mud;

identify the condition indicating stopping the pump out module;

transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module, wherein the formation fluid comprises a second concentration of mud less than the first concentration; and

output the composition of the formation fluid.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the external fluid is transferred from the sample chamber to the interval via a sample chamber pressure greater than an interval pressure.

9. The method of claim 4, comprising using the processor to:

determine that the composition of the formation fluid is inadequate after the transfer of the external fluid;

stop pumping by the pump out module;

transfer additional external fluid from the sample chamber or a second sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module; and

output the composition of the formation fluid as determined by the fluid analysis module.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the geological formation comprises a low mobility zone.

11. One or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media comprising instructions to:

receive at least one measurement representative of a formation fluid as analyzed by a downhole tool in a wellbore in a geological formation within a hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the downhole tool comprises;

a packer module, wherein the packer module comprises;

an upper packer and a lower packer configured to seal an interval of the wellbore; and

an inlet disposed between the upper packer and the lower packer, wherein the inlet is configured to admit the formation fluid disposed in the interval into a flow line of the downhole tool;

a pump out module configured to pump the formation fluid from the inlet;

a fluid analysis module configured to analyze the formation fluid pumped to the fluid analysis module via the pump out module;

a sample module comprising a sample chamber containing an external fluid; and

a flow line coupled to the packer module, pump out module, fluid analysis module, and sample module;

identify a condition indicating that pumping by the pump out module is to be stopped;

stop pumping by the pump out module;

transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module; and

output the composition of the formation fluid as determined by the fluid analysis module;

wherein the external fluid comprises water when the wellbore is drilled with a water based mud (WBM) and the external fluid comprises hydraulic oil when the wellbore is drilled with an oil based mud (OBM) or synthetic oil based mud (SOBM).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the downhole tool comprises a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the interval.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition comprises a minimum inlet pressure requirement of the pump out module or a maximum differential pressure rating of the packer module.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising using the processor to:

pump the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module, wherein the formation fluid comprises a first concentration of mud;

identify the condition indicating stopping the pump out module;

transfer the external fluid from the sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module, wherein the formation fluid comprises a second concentration of mud less than the first concentration; and

output the composition of the formation fluid.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the external fluid is transferred from the sample chamber to the interval via a sample chamber pressure greater than an interval pressure.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising using the processor to:

determine that the composition of the formation fluid is inadequate after the transfer of the external fluid;

stop pumping by the pump out module;

transfer additional external fluid from the sample chamber or a second sample chamber to the interval via the flowline and the inlet;

resume pumping of the formation fluid from the inlet via the pump out module; and

output the composition of the formation fluid as determined by the fluid analysis module.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the geological formation comprises a low mobility zone.