IN-SITU EVALUATION OF RESERVOIR SANDING AND FINES MIGRATION AND RELATED COMPLETION, LIFT AND SURFACE FACILITIES DESIGN

• US 20100258304A1
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: HEGEMAN, PETER S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/250.10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/107 using acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/0875 determining specific fluid parameters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/088 combined with sampling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/10 using side-wall fluid samplers or testers

Abstract

Methods and related systems are described relating to monitoring particulates downhole at in-situ conditions. Solid particles being carried in the fluid as the fluid is produced from the reservoir formation are monitored. The downhole solid particle monitoring can include measuring the quantity (e.g., volume fraction, weight fraction, or the like) of solid particles, measuring the distribution of sizes of the solid particles, and/or measuring the shape of the particles. The solid particles can be monitored using one or more of sensors such as optical spectrometers, acoustic sensors, video cameras, and erosion probes. A sanding prediction is generated based at least in part on the monitoring of the solid particles, and the sanding prediction is then used to design a completion, lift system, and surface facilities for the wellbore and/or select operating conditions so as to control sanding during production.

Claims

1. A system for making measurements relating to particulates downhole at in-situ conditions comprising:

a tool body adapted to be deployed in a borehole formed within a fluid containing subterranean formation; and

a particulate measurement system housed within the tool body and adapted and positioned to monitor solid particles being carried in the fluid as the fluid is produced from the formation.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring quantity of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said measuring quantity of solid particles includes measuring volume percent of the solid particles within the produced fluid and/or weight percent of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring the distribution of sizes of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

6. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a downhole pumping system housed within the tool body and adapted and positioned to generate a pressure differential between the formation and the inside of the tool body.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the measurement system and pumping system are adapted such that the solid particles are monitored at a plurality of different pressure differentials between the formation and the inside of the tool body.

8. A system according to claim 6 further comprising one or more extendable packer members that when extended can form a seal against the wall of the borehole and wherein the pumping system is adapted to increase the pressure in the formation in the vicinity of the seal to measure in-situ stress conditions within the formation.

9. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a core sampling system adapted and positioned to gather a core sample from the formation.

10. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a fluid sampling system housed within the tool body and adapted and positioned to gather a fluid sample from the formation.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein the particulate measurement system includes one or more types of devices selected from the group consisting of:

optical spectrometer, acoustic sensor, video camera, and erosion probe.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein the tool body is suspended from a wireline cable.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein the tool body is part of a drill string.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the particulate measurement system adapted such that the solid particles can be monitored as part of a drillstem test.

15. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a processing system adapted and programmed to generate a sanding prediction based at least in part on the monitoring of the solid particles in the produced fluid.

5. A system according to claim I wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring the shape of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

16. A method for making downhole in-situ evaluations relating to particulates comprising:

deploying a tool body in the wellbore formed within a fluid containing subterranean formation;

drawing the fluid from the formation into the tool body; and

monitoring solid particles being carried in the fluid as the fluid is produced from the formation.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring quantity of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said measuring quantity of solid particles includes measuring volume percent of the solid particles within the produced fluid and/or weight percent of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

19. A method according to claim 16 wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring the distribution of sizes of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein said monitoring of the solid particles includes measuring the shape of the solid particles within the produced fluid.

21. A method according to claim 16 wherein the fluid is drawn from the formation using a pumping system housed within the tool body that generates a pressure differential between the formation and the inside of the tool body.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the solid particles are monitored at a plurality of different pressure differential values.

23. A method according to claim 21 further comprising:

isolating a portion of the borehole using one or more extendable packer members;

increasing the pressure in the formation in the vicinity of the isolated portion of the borehole; and

measuring in-situ stress conditions within the formation.

24. A method according to claim 16 further comprising gathering a core sample from the formation.

25. A method according to claim 16 further comprising gathering a fluid sample from the formation.

26. A method according to claim 16 wherein the solid particles are monitored using one or more types of devices selected from the group consisting of:

optical spectrometer, acoustic sensor, video camera, and erosion probe.

27. A method according to claim 16 wherein the tool body is deployed using a wireline cable.

28. A method according to claim 16 wherein the tool body is deployed using a drill string.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein the solid particles are monitored as part of a drillstem test.

30. A method according to claim 16 further comprising generating a sanding prediction based at least in part on the monitoring of the solid particles in the produced fluid.

31. A method according to claim 30 further comprising designing a completion for the wellbore based at least in part on the sanding prediction.

32. A method according to claim 30 further comprising selecting operating conditions so as to control sanding during production from the wellbore based at least in part on the sanding prediction.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the operating conditions includes one or more selected from the group consisting of:

flow rate, drawdown pressure, and choke size.

34. A method according to claim 30 further comprising designing an artificial lift system for the wellbore based at least in part on the sanding prediction.

35. A method according to claim 34 wherein the artificial lift system is designed to use a technology selected from the group consisting of gas lift system, sanding tolerant downhole pumps, and hydraulic jet pumps.

36. A method according to claim 30 further comprising designing surface facilities based at least in part on the sanding prediction.

37. A method of designing a completion for a wellbore comprising selecting components for the completion system based at least in part on a sanding prediction generated using data of monitored solid particles being carried in a fluid produced from the wellbore gathered under in-situ conditions.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein the sanding prediction is generated also using an analysis of a core sample from the formation.

39. A method according to claim 37 wherein the sanding prediction is generated also using an analysis of a fluid sample from the formation.

40. A method according to claim 37 wherein the solid particles are monitored using one or more downhole measurement selected from the group consisting of particle shape measurements;

particle size distribution measurements; and

measurements of the quantity of solid particles within the produced fluid.

41. A method of controlling sanding potential for a wellbore comprising selecting operating conditions for producing fluid from the wellbore so as to control sanding, the selection being based at least in part on a sanding prediction generated using data of monitored solid particles being carried in a fluid produced from the wellbore gathered under in-situ conditions.

42. A method according to claim 41 wherein the solid particles are monitored using one or more downhole measurement selected from the group consisting of:

particle shape measurements;

particle size distribution measurements; and

measurements of the quantity of solid particles within the produced fluid.