METHOD OF DOWNHOLE CHARACTERIZATION OF FORMATION FLUIDS, MEASUREMENT CONTROLLER FOR DOWNHOLE CHARACTERIZATION OF FORMATION FLUIDS, AND APPARATUS FOR DOWNHOLE CHARACTERIZATION OF FORMATION FLUIDS

• US 20100313647A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Mullins, Oliver C., Terabayashi, Toru, Kinjo, Hideki, Nakayama, Takeaki, Chikenji, Akihito, Yamate, Tsutomu, Dong, Chengli, O'Keefe, Michael, Betancourt, Soraya S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,256,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/152.55
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/081 with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample E21B49/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/0875 determining specific fluid parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2823 Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures

Abstract

A downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids is provided. The apparatus comprises a downhole tool including a flowline for flowing the formation fluids capable of isolating a quantity of the formation fluids in a portion thereof; and a pump unit for depressurizing the isolated formation fluids; and a measurement controller which controls the downhole tool. The measurement controller includes a rough value estimation unit which estimates a rough value of the bubble point pressure of the formation fluids; and a speed controller which controls the depressurizing speed of the pump unit such that the isolated formation fluids are depressurized at a first speed to a certain pressure which is a predetermined value higher than said estimated rough value, and the isolated fluids are depressurized at a second speed which is slower than said first speed in order to measure a precise value of the bubble point pressure.

Claims

1. A measurement controller for downhole characterization of formation fluids which controls a downhole tool,

said downhole tool including a flowline for flowing said formation fluids capable of isolating a quantity of said formation fluids in a portion thereof;

and a pump unit for depressurizing the isolated formation fluid, comprising;

a rough value estimation unit which estimates a rough value of a bubble point pressure of said isolated formation fluids; and

a speed controller which controls the depressurizing speed of said pump unit such that said isolated formation fluids are depressurized at a first speed to a certain pressure which is a predetermined value higher than said estimated rough value, and at a second speed which is slower than said first speed in order to measure a precise value of the bubble point pressure.

2. The measurement controller according to claim 1, wherein said downhole tool further includes one or more sensors provided on said flowline, and

wherein said rough value estimation unit estimates said rough value of the bubble point pressure of said formation fluids based on the fluid property obtained by operation of said one or more sensors.

3. The measurement controller according to claim 2, wherein said rough value estimation unit performs, specifying the composition of said formation fluids by said operation of one or more sensors on said flowline, obtaining an equation of state for said formation fluids based on said composition of the specified components contained in said formation fluids;

and estimating said rough value of the bubble point pressure based on said equation of state for said formation fluids.

4. The measurement controller according to claim 3, wherein said rough value estimation unit obtains said equation of state for said formation fluids by using said composition of said specified components contained in said formation fluids as parameters for the calculation, and said certain pressure is determined based on the total number of said specified components such that said predetermined value becomes lower as the total number of said specified components becomes larger.

5. The measurement controller according to claim 3, wherein said rough value estimation unit obtains said equation of state for said formation fluids by using said composition of said specified components contained in said formation fluids as parameters for the calculation by a software program, said software program being provided with a guaranteed accuracy value range for the result of the calculation, and said certain pressure is determined such that said predetermined value becomes larger than said guaranteed accuracy value range.

6. The measurement controller according to claim 1, wherein said downhole tool further includes a first selectively operable device and a second selectively operable device, said portion of said flowline being formed between said first and second selectively operable device;

and

wherein said portion of said flowline for isolating said fluids includes;

a bypass flowline, said first and second selectively operable device being structured and arranged for isolating said fluids in said bypass flowline; and

a circulation line interconnecting a first end of said bypass flowline with a second end of said bypass flowline such that said fluids isolated between said first and second selectively operable devices can circulate in a closed loop formed by said circulation line and said bypass flowline, and

a fluid analysis module further comprising;

a circulation pump for circulating said fluids in said closed loop of said circulation line and said bypass flowline.

7. The measurement controller according to claim 1, wherein said rough value estimation unit estimates said rough value of the bubble point pressure by measuring the bubble point of said formation fluids flowing in said flowline by said operation of one or more sensors on said flowline before isolating said formation fluids.

8. The measurement controller according to claim 1, wherein said precise value of the bubble point pressure is measured by detecting onset of bubble formation in said formation fluids by monitoring the compressibility of said formation fluids.

9. A downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids, comprising:

a downhole tool including a flowline for flowing said formation fluids capable of isolating a quantity of said formation fluids in a portion thereof; and

a pump unit for depressurizing said isolated formation fluids; and

a measurement controller which controls said downhole tool, said measurement controller including,

a rough value estimation unit which estimates a rough value of the bubble point pressure of said formation fluids; and

a speed controller which controls the depressurizing speed of said pump unit such that said isolated formation fluids are depressurized at a first speed to a certain pressure which is a predetermined value higher than said estimated rough value, and said isolated fluids are depressurized at a second speed which is slower than said first speed in order to measure a precise value of the bubble point pressure.

10. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 9,

wherein said downhole tool further includes one or more sensors provided on said flowline, and

wherein said rough value estimation unit estimates said rough value of the bubble point pressure of said formation fluids based on the fluid property obtained by operation of said one or more sensors.

11. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 10, wherein said rough value estimation unit performs, specifying the composition of said formation fluids by said operation of one or more sensors on said flowline, obtaining an equation of state for said formation fluids based on said composition of the specified components contained in said formation fluids;

and

estimating said rough value of the bubble point pressure based on said equation of state for said formation fluids.

12. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 11, wherein said rough value estimation unit obtains said equation of state for said formation fluids by using said composition of said specified components contained in said formation fluids as parameters for the calculation, and said certain pressure is determined based on the total number of said specified components such that said predetermined value becomes lower as the total number of said specified components becomes larger.

13. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 11, wherein said rough value estimation unit obtains said equation of state for said formation fluids by using said composition of said specified components contained in said formation fluids as parameters for the calculation by a software program, said software program being provided with a guaranteed accuracy value range for the result of the calculation, and said certain pressure is determined such that said predetermined value becomes larger than said guaranteed accuracy value range.

14. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 9, wherein said downhole tool further includes a first selectively operable device and a second selectively operable device, said portion of said flowline being formed between said first and second selectively operable device;

and

wherein said portion of said flowline for isolating said fluids includes;

a bypass flowline, said first and second selectively operable device being structured and arranged for isolating said fluids in said bypass flowline; and

a circulation line interconnecting a first end of said bypass flowline with a second end of said bypass flowline such that said fluids isolated between said first and second selectively operable devices can circulate in a closed loop formed by said circulation line and said bypass flowline, and

a fluid analysis module further comprising;

a circulation pump for circulating said fluids in said closed loop of said circulation line and said bypass flowline.

15. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 9, wherein said rough value estimation unit estimates said rough value of the bubble point pressure by measuring the bubble point of said formation fluids flowing in said flowline by said operation of one or more sensors on said flowline before said formation fluids are isolated.

16. The downhole characterization apparatus for formation fluids according to claim 9, wherein said precise value of the bubble point pressure is measured by detecting onset of bubble formation in said formation fluids by monitoring the compressibility of said formation fluids.