Formation tester comprising reactive filter material sensors

• US 10,704,387 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Perkins, David L., Jones, Christopher Michael, Pelletier, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Megna Fuentes, Anthony W
• Application Number:
  US15/548,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20180340418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/105 Expanding tools specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/008 Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to sensors having reactive filter materials for detecting analytes in wellbores. The sensor includes at least one reactive filter material arranged in a flow line, wherein the reactive filter material sorbs an analyte in a wellbore fluid in the flow line; and at least one detector that detects a sorption signal specific to the analyte at at least a first location and a second location of the reactive filter material, wherein the first location is upstream in the flow line relative to the second location. The detector either (1) calculates a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore or (2) relays the measurements to a signal processing unit to calculate a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

at least one reactive filter material arranged in a flow line, wherein the at least one reactive filter material sorbs an analyte in a wellbore fluid in the flow line; and

a first detector that detects a first sorption signal specific to the analyte at a first location upstream of the at least one reactive filter material and a second detector that detects a second sorption signal specific to the analyte at a second location downstream of the at least one reactive filter material, wherein the sensor either calculates a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore or relays the first sorption signal and the second sorption signal to a signal processing unit configured to calculate the balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore;

wherein the calculation of the balanced measurement is based on the first sorption signal and the second sorption signal.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the flow line is in a formation tester.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the flow line is in a formation tester and the flow line further comprises at least one sample chamber, and the sensor is in the flow line downstream of the sample chamber.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore fluid is a quantitative or qualitative concentration.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of reactive filter materials of the same type.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of reactive filter materials of at least two different types.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one reactive filter material is a sorbent material sensitive to the analyte.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the analyte is selected from the group consisting of mercury, hydrogen sulfide, a salt, carbon dioxide, and any combination thereof.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the second detector that detects the second sorption signal at the second location comprises the second detector to detect a measurement of interference of the wellbore fluid with the analyte removed, and wherein calculation of the balanced measurement is based on a comparison of the first sorption signal detected at the first location and the second sorption signal detected at the second location.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the first detector that detects the first sorption signal at the first location comprises the first detector to detect an interference at the first location that is the same as the interference detected at the second location.

11. A method comprising:

introducing a sensor into a flow line in a wellbore in a subterranean formation, the sensor comprising;

at least one reactive material arranged in the flow line, wherein the at least one reactive filter material sorbs an analyte in a wellbore fluid in the flow line; and

a first detector that detects a first sorption signal specific to the analyte at a first location upstream of the at least one reactive filter material and a second detector that detects a second sorption signal specific to the analyte at a second location downstream of the at least one reactive filter material;

flowing the wellbore fluid through the flow line, wherein the wellbore fluid first contacts the first location and thereafter contacts the second location; and

calculating a balanced measurement with the sensor corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore fluid;

wherein the calculation of the balanced measurement is based on the first sorption signal and the second sorption signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flow line is in a formation tester.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the flow line is in a formation tester and the flow line further comprises at least one sample chamber, and the sensor is in the flow line downstream of the sample chamber.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore fluid is a quantitative or qualitative concentration.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of reactive filter materials of the same type.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of reactive filter materials of at least two different types.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one reactive filter material is a sorbent material sensitive to the analyte.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the analyte is selected from the group consisting of mercury, hydrogen sulfide, a salt, carbon dioxide, and any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second detector that detects the second sorption signal at the second location comprises the second detector to detect a measurement of interference of the wellbore fluid with the analyte removed, and wherein calculating the balanced measurement comprises calculating the balanced measurement based on a comparison of the first sorption signal detected at the first location and the second sorption signal detected at the second location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first detector that detects the first sorption signal at the first location comprises the first detector to detect an interference at the first location that is the same as the interference detected at the second location.

21. A system comprising:

a sensor placed in a wellbore extending in a subterranean formation, the sensor comprising;

at least one reactive filter material in a flow line, wherein the at least one reactive filter material sorbs an analyte in a wellbore fluid in the flow line; and

a first detector that detects a first sorption signal specific to the analyte at a first location upstream of the at least one reactive filter material and a second detector that detects a second sorption signal at a second location downstream of the at least one reactive filter material, wherein the sensor calculates a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore fluid;

wherein the calculation of the balanced measurement is based on the first sorption signal and the second sorption signal.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the flow line is in a formation tester.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the second detector that detects the second sorption signal at the second location comprises the second detector to detect a measurement of interference of the wellbore fluid with the analyte removed, and wherein calculation of the balanced measurement is based on a comparison of the first sorption signal detected at the first location and the second sorption signal detected at the second location.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first detector that detects the first sorption signal at the first location comprises the first detector to detect an interference at the first location that is the same as the interference detected at the second location.