Fluids Chain-Of-Custody

• US 20050165554A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Mullins, Oliver C., Hegeman, Peter S., Hammami, Ahmed, Ratulowski, John, Nighswander, John Allan, Betancourt, Soraya Sofia
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/11
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/00 Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/007 Devices specially adapted for forensic samples, e.g. tamper-proofing, sample tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/28 Oils , i.e. hydrocarbon liquids edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00613 Quality control

Abstract

A method of assuring the collection of reliable and quality fluid sample includes the steps of acquiring a fluid sample at a point of acquisition, analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at the point of acquisition; recording the point of acquisition sample properties in an electronic database archive, analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at a location remote from the point of acquisition, recording the remote location sample properties in the archive, validating the fluid sample through comparison of the point of acquisition sample properties and the remote location sample properties and recording the validated sample properties in the archive.

Claims

1. A method of assuring acquisition of a representative fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a fluid sample at a point of acquisition;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at the point of acquisition;

recording the point of acquisition sample properties in an electronic database archive;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at a location remote from the point of acquisition;

recording the remote location sample properties in the archive;

validating the fluid sample through comparison of the point of acquisition sample properties and the remote location sample properties; and

recording the validated sample properties in the archive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the point of acquisition is proximate a reservoir formation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote location is at a wellsite from which the fluid sample was acquired.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote location is at a laboratory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyses of the fluid sample at the remote location includes replicating the analyzing techniques utilized to obtain the point of acquisition sample properties.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

recording in the archive information regarding the transfer of the sample between physical locations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition; and

identification of the sample bottle acquired.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties further includes:

sample composition; and

phase transition indicators.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the validation step includes comparing a closing pressure of a sample bottle at the point of acquisition with an opening pressure of the sample bottle at the remote location, compensated for temperature variation, for determination of a pressure difference within a pre-selected discrepancy tolerance range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the validating step includes recording information regarding discrepancies between the point of acquisition sample properties and the remote location sample properties.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the archive is web-based.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the analyses of the fluid sample at the remote location includes replicating the analyzing techniques utilized to obtain the point of acquisition sample properties.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition; and

identification of the sample bottle acquired.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition;

identification of the sample bottle acquired;

sample composition, and

phase transition indicators.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the validation step includes comparing a closing pressure of a sample bottle at the point of acquisition with an opening pressure of the sample bottle at the remote location, compensated for temperature variation, for determination of a pressure difference within a pre-selected discrepancy tolerance range.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the validation step includes comparing a closing pressure of a sample bottle at the point of acquisition with an opening pressure of the sample bottle at the remote location, compensated for temperature variation, for determination of a pressure difference within a pre-selected discrepancy tolerance range.

18. The method of claim 2, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

19. The method of claim 14, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

20. The method of claim 16, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

21. The method of claim 17, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

22. A method of assuring acquisition of a representative fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a fluid sample at a point of acquisition;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at the point of acquisition;

recording the point of acquisition sample properties in an electronic database archive;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at a first location remote from the point of acquisition;

recording the first remote location sample properties in the archive;

validating the fluid sample through comparison of the point of acquisition sample properties and the first remote location sample properties;

recording the first remote location sample properties;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at a second location remote from the point of acquisition;

recording the second remote location sample properties in the archive;

validating the fluid sample through comparison of the point of acquisition sample properties and the second remote location sample properties; and

recording the validated sample properties in the archive.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the remote location is at a wellsite from which the fluid sample was acquired.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the remote location is at a laboratory.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the analyses of the fluid sample at the first and second remote location includes replicating the analyzing techniques utilized to obtain the point of acquisition sample properties.

26. The method of claim 25, further including the steps of:

performing specialized tests on the fluid sample at least one of the remote locations; and

recording the results of the specialized tests in the archive.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the validation step includes comparing a closing pressure of a sample bottle at the point of acquisition with an opening pressure of the sample bottle at the remote location, compensated for temperature variation, for determination of a pressure difference within a pre-selected discrepancy tolerance range.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the validation step includes comparing a closing pressure of a sample bottle at the point of acquisition with an opening pressure of the sample bottle at the remote location, compensated for temperature variation, for determination of a pressure difference within a pre-selected discrepancy tolerance range.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition; and

identification of the sample bottle acquired.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition; and

identification of the sample bottle acquired.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the point of acquisition sample properties includes:

location of point of acquisition;

maximum temperature of point of acquisition during sample acquisition;

closing pressure of sample bottle at point of acquisition; and

identification of the sample bottle acquired.

32. The method of claim 22, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

33. The method of claim 29, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

34. The method of claim 30, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

35. The method of claim 31, further including the step of:

providing a chain-of-custody page by the archive displaying validating parameters for the fluid sample.

36. A method of assuring acquisition of quality fluid samples for flow assurance of a hydrocarbon production system, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a fluid sample at a point of acquisition;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at the point of acquisition;

recording the point of acquisition sample properties in an electronic database archive;

analyzing physical and chemical properties of the fluid sample at a location remote from the point of acquisition;

recording the remote location sample properties in the archive;

validating the fluid sample through comparison of the point of acquisition sample properties and the remote location sample properties;

recording the validated sample properties in the archive; and

designing a hydrocarbon production system utilizing the validated sample properties.

37. The method of claim 36, further including the steps of:

monitoring the hydrocarbon production system utilizing the validated sample properties.