METHOD TO PERFORM RAPID FORMATION FLUID ANALYSIS

• US 20140260586A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: VAN HAL, RONALD E.G., POITZSCH, MARTIN E., CRANK, JEFFREY, SCHROEDER, ROBERT J., ANGELESCU, DAN EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US13/829,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20140260586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/152.07
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/082 Wire-line fluid samplers E21B49/083 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for determining a property of a formation is described herein. The method includes positioning a wellbore tool at a location within a wellbore. A formation fluid is withdrawn from the formation using the wellbore tool. The formation fluid is passed through a flow line within the wellbore tool and a formation fluid sample is extracted from the flow line. The method further includes analyzing the formation fluid sample within the wellbore tool to determine a property of the formation fluid sample. The analysis is performed by excluding mud filtrate contamination within the flow line.

Claims

1. A method for determining a property of a formation, the method comprising:

positioning a tool at a first location within a wellbore;

withdrawing a formation fluid from the formation at the first location using the tool, wherein the formation fluid passes through a flow line within the tool;

extracting a formation fluid sample from the flow line; and

analyzing the formation fluid sample within the tool by excluding mud filtrate contamination within the flow line.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises:

removing water from the formation fluid sample by passing the formation fluid sample through a membrane when the mud filtrate is a water-based mud filtrate.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the analysis of the formation fluid sample is selected from the group consisting of:

gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, visible absorption spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence detection, resistivity measurements, pressure measurements, density measurements, viscosity measurements, temperature measurements, and a combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises:

analyzing the formation fluid sample using gas chromatography when the mud filtrate is an oil-based mud filtrate.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein analyzing comprises:

identifying a plurality chemical components within the formation fluid sample;

excluding chemical components that comprise the oil-based mud filtrate; and

determining the property of the formation fluid sample.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one chemical component with a carbon number between 8 and 20 is excluded from consideration.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

using a known chemical composition of the mud filtrate to exclude chemical components that comprise the oil-based mud filtrate.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the property of the formation fluid sample to determine whether to perform an analysis of an uncontaminated formation fluid within the flow line.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the analysis of the uncontaminated formation fluid comprises:

withdrawing the formation fluid from the formation and pumping the formation fluid through the flow line until the formation fluid within the flow line is uncontaminated by mud filtrate; and

performing an analysis of the uncontaminated formation fluid within the tool.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the analysis of the uncontaminated formation fluid comprises:

withdrawing the formation fluid from the formation and pumping the formation fluid through the flow line until the formation fluid within the flow line is uncontaminated by mud filtrate; and

extracting an uncontaminated formation fluid sample from the flow line;

transporting the uncontaminated formation fluid sample for surface analysis.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the property of the formation fluid sample at the first location to a property of a second formation fluid sample at a second location within the wellbore; and

using the comparison to determine whether to perform an analysis of an uncontaminated formation fluid at the first location.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the property of the formation fluid sample at the first location within the wellbore to a property of a second formation fluid sample at a second location; and

using the comparison to determine a property of the formation.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second location is a location selected from the group consisting of:

a location within the wellbore, a location within a second wellbore of a second well and a location within a second wellbore within a multilateral well.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property of the formation fluid sample is a chemical composition for the formation fluid sample and analyzing the formation fluid sample comprises determining the chemical composition for the formation fluid sample.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property of the formation fluid sample is selected from the group consisting of:

bubble point, dew point, asphaltene onset pressure, density, viscosity, pressure, temperature, and a combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property of the formation fluid sample is used to determine the property of the formation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the property of the formation is selected from the group consisting of:

connectivity, water washing, biodegradation and a combination thereof.

18. A method for determining a property of a formation, the method comprising:

positioning a tool at a location within a wellbore;

withdrawing a formation fluid from the formation at the location using the tool, wherein the formation fluid passes through a flow line within the tool;

extracting a formation fluid sample from the flow line;

removing water from the formation fluid sample using a membrane; and

analyzing the formation fluid sample within the wellbore tool to determine a property of the formation fluid sample.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the property of the formation fluid sample is a chemical composition for the formation fluid sample and analyzing the formation fluid sample comprises determining the chemical composition for the formation fluid sample.

20. A method for determining a property of a formation, the method comprising:

positioning a wellbore tool at a location within a wellbore;

withdrawing a formation fluid from the formation at the location using the wellbore tool, wherein the formation fluid passes through a flow line within the wellbore tool;

extracting a formation fluid sample from the flow line;

identifying a plurality of chemical components within the formation fluid sample using gas chromatography;

excluding chemical components that comprise an oil-based mud filtrate; and

determining the property of the formation fluid sample.