Apparatus and method for measuring concentrations of scale-forming ions

• US 20070065337A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Jiang, Li, Meredith, Andrew, Jones, Timothy, Pagels, Markus, De Silva, Amilra
• Granted Patent: US 7,767,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/008 Monitoring fouling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1853 hardness of water
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/21 Hydrocarbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for determination of ion concentrations, particularly in downhole water from hydrocarbon wells, aquifers etc. It is useful in a wide range of applications, including predicting the formation of scale and fingerprinting waters from different sources. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of ligands whose electronic configuration is altered by the binding of the scaling ions within a water sample. These alterations are detected, for example by electrochemical means, and are indicative of the concentration of scaling ions in the sample.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the concentration of scale-forming ions;

the apparatus comprising;

a ligand which binds scaling ions in a sample of fluid, said ligand having an electronic configuration which is altered on binding of a scaling ion, said ligand being placed in the vicinity of a flow of said fluid; and

a detector for determining alterations in said electronic configuration, the amount of said alterations being indicative of the concentration of the scaling ion in the sample.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the scaling ion is selected from the group consisting of Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the detector comprises one or more electrodes for determining changes in the electroactivity of said ligand.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the ligand is immobilised on conducting particles attached to one or more of said electrodes.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 such that wherein said conducting particles are carbon or metal particles.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the metal particles are gold particles.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said particles with immobilised ligands thereon form a conducting porous electrode.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a ligand comprises oxygen and/or nitrogen.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ligand is a BAPTA derivative.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ligand is a cryptand derivative.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a processor for calculating the concentration of the scaling ion in the sample water from alterations in the electronic configuration of the ligand.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 comprising a ligand binding two or more different scaling ions and generating a different electronic configuration in response thereto.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 comprising two or more different ligands, said detector being adapted to determine alterations in the electronic configuration of each ligand independently.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each of the said two or more ligands binds to a different combination of scaling ions.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a porous membrane which allows ions from fluid to contact the ligand.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the membrane is ceramic or zeolite.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising ligands embedded in a block of porous material, said block being exposed to a fluid flow.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fluid is a wellbore effluent.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fluid stems from a production flow from a wellbore.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1 being adapted to be placed in a subterranean location.

21. A method of monitoring the concentrations of scaling ions comprising;

contacting a fluid flow with a ligand which selectively binds scaling ions, wherein the binding of scaling ions in said sample to the ligand alters the electronic configuration of the ligand;

measuring changes in the electronic configuration of the ligand; and

, determining the concentration of said scaling ion from said change in the electronic configuration.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the scaling ions are selected from the group consisting of Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions.

23. A method according to claim 21 wherein the change in electronic configuration is determined by measuring alterations in the electroactivity of the ligand.

24. A method according to claim 21 wherein the ligand is a BAPTA derivative.

26. A method according to claim 21 comprising contacting the sample with two or more different ligands and determining alterations in the electronic configuration of each ligand.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein each of the said two or more ligands binds to a different combination of scaling ions.

28. A method according to claim 21 including the step of monitoring the production of a wellbore.

29. A method according to claim 21 including the step of predicting the scaling of hydrocarbon production tubulars or equipment.

30. A method according to claim 21 including the step of monitoring the scaling of hydrocarbon production tubulars or equipment in a downhole location.

31. A method according to claim 21 wherein the ligand binds two or more different scaling ions and generates a different electronic configuration in response thereto.

25. A method according to claim 21 wherein the ligand is a cryptand derivative.

25-1. (canceled)