Device and method for corrosion detection and formation evaluation using integrated computational elements

• US 10,443,376 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Teale, David Warren, Perkins, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Akanbi, Isiaka O
• Application Number:
  US14/787,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20160061028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,308 Days
• Field of Search: 356614, 356437, 356445, 356448, 3562416
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/113 using electrical indications; using light radiations
• 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: G01N 17/04 Corrosion probes

Abstract

An optical computing device and method for (1) determining and/or monitoring corrosion data in a given environment and (2) evaluating a downhole formation, both being accomplished in real-time by deriving the data from the output of an optical element.

Claims

1. A method utilizing an optical computing device to determine corrosion of a sample, the method comprising:

deploying an optical computing device into an environment, the optical computing device comprising an optical element and a detector;

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a sample to produce sample-interacted light;

optically interacting the optical element with the sample-interacted light to generate optically-interacted light which corresponds to a characteristic of the sample;

determining, at a time T1, baseline data of the sample using the optical computing device;

generating a signal that corresponds to the optically-interacted light through utilization of the detector; and

determining corrosion of the sample using the signal by comparing, at a time T2, the signal to the baseline data of the sample at a time T2 to thereby determine a spectral change between the signal and baseline data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the optical element is an Integrated Computational Element.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the sample is a multiphase wellbore fluid.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the sample is selected from of a downhole tool component, a tubular, a rock formation, or a slurry.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the corrosion of the sample is determined in real-time.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising utilizing the signal to generate a historical record of a rate of corrosion of the sample over time.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising utilizing the signal to predict life expectancy of the sample.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the corrosion of the sample is achieved using a signal processor communicably coupled to the detector.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein deploying the optical computing device further comprises deploying the optical computing device as at least one of:

part of a downhole tool extending along a wellbore;

part of a casing extending along the wellbore;

or

part of a workstring extending along the wellbore.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising utilizing the signal to determine whether remedial action is necessary.

11. An optical computing device to determine corrosion of a sample, comprising:

electromagnetic radiation that optically interacts with a sample to produce sample-interacted light;

a first optical element that optically interacts with the sample-interacted light to produce optically-interacted light which corresponds to a characteristic of the sample; and

a detector positioned to measure the optically-interacted light and thereby generate a signal utilized to determine corrosion of the sample by comparing baseline spectral data of the sample corresponding to a time T1 to spectral data in the signal corresponding to a time T2 to thereby determine a spectral change between the signal and baseline data.

12. An optical computing device as defined in claim 11, further comprising an electromagnetic radiation source that generates the electromagnetic radiation.

13. An optical computing device as defined in claim 11, further comprising a signal processor communicably coupled to the detector to computationally determine the corrosion of the sample in real-time.

14. An optical computing device as defined in claim 11, wherein the optical element is an Integrated Computational Element.

15. An optical computing device as defined in claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the sample is at least one of an elemental corrosion by-product, material loss or physical defect of the sample.

16. An optical computing device as defined in claim 11, wherein the optical computing device comprises at least one of:

part of a downhole tool extending along a wellbore;

part of a casing extending along the wellbore;

or

part of a workstring extending along the wellbore.

17. A method utilizing an optical computing device to determine corrosion of a sample, the method comprising:

deploying an optical computing device into an environment;

obtaining baseline data of a sample within the environment at a time T1;

obtaining a signal that corresponds to a characteristic of the sample at a time T2; and

computing a shift in spectral information between the baseline data and signal to thereby determine corrosion of the sample using the optical computing device.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the environment is a wellbore and the corrosion is determined in real-time.

19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the optical computing device comprises an Integrated Computational Element.

20. A method utilizing an optical computing device to evaluate a downhole formation, the method comprising:

deploying an optical computing device into a downhole environment as part of a downhole tool, the optical computing device comprising an optical element and a detector;

using an adjustable linkage having an arm to extend the optical computing device from the downhole tool and into proximity with a surface of the formation;

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a formation sample to produce sample-interacted light;

optically interacting the optical element with the sample-interacted light to generate optically-interacted light which corresponds to a characteristic of the formation sample;

generating a signal that corresponds to the optically-interacted light through utilization of the detector; and

evaluating the formation sample.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the optical element is an Integrated Computational Element.

22. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein deploying the optical computing device further comprises positioning the optical computing device adjacent to a surface of the formation along an open hole section of the downhole environment.

23. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the characteristic of the formation sample comprises at least one of a formation chemistry data, sand fraction data, porosity data, watercut data, tracer data or tag data.

24. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the formation is evaluated in real-time.

25. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the formation is evaluated using a signal processor communicably coupled to the detector.

26. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein deploying the optical computing device further comprises deploying the optical computing device as at least one of:

part of a downhole tool extending along a wellbore;

part of a casing extending along the wellbore;

or

part of a workstring extending along the wellbore.

27. An optical computing device to evaluate a downhole formation, comprising:

electromagnetic radiation that optically interacts with a formation sample to produce sample-interacted light;

an optical element that optically interacts with the sample-interacted light to produce optically-interacted light which corresponds to a characteristic of the formation sample; and

a detector positioned to measure the optically-interacted light and thereby generate a signal utilized to evaluate the formation sample,

wherein the optical computing device is secured to an adjustable linkage positioned along a workstring, the adjustable linkage having an arm adapted to extend the optical computing device from the workstring and into proximity with a surface of the formation.

28. An optical computing device as defined in claim 27, further comprising an electromagnetic radiation source that generates the electromagnetic radiation.

29. An optical computing device as defined in claim 27, wherein the optical element is an Integrated Computational Element.

30. An optical computing device as defined in claim 27, wherein the characteristic of the formation sample comprises at least one of a formation chemistry data, sand fraction data, porosity data, watercut data, tracer data or tag data.

31. An optical computing device as defined in claim 27, further comprising a signal processor communicably coupled to the detector to evaluate the formation in real-time.

32. An optical computing device as defined in claim 27, wherein the optical computing device forms part of:

a downhole tool extending along a wellbore;

a casing extending along the wellbore;

or

a workstring extending along the wellbore.

33. A method utilizing an optical computing device to evaluate a downhole formation, the method comprising:

deploying an optical computing device into a downhole environment;

evaluating a first sample present within the environment using the optical computing device, the first sample being a formation sample;

evaluating a second sample present within the environment using the optical computing device; and

determining corrosion of the second sample by comparing the second sample to baseline data of the second sample to thereby determine a spectral change between the second sample and baseline data.

34. A method as defined in claim 33, wherein the first and second samples are evaluated in real-time.

35. A method as defined in claim 33, wherein the optical computing device comprises an Integrated Computational Element.