DOWNHOLE FLUID CHARACTERIZATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS USING MULTI-ELECTRODE CONFIGURATIONS

• US 20180223654A1
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Roberson, Mark, Bartee, Charles, Goodwin, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,190,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/005 Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/01 Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/092 by detecting magnetic anomalies
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/16 through the drill string or casing , e.g. by torsional acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/20 operating with propagation of electric current
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/26 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30

Abstract

Systems and methods using multi-electrode configurations for characterizing fluids in subterranean formations during various treatment operations are provided. In certain embodiments, the methods comprise: placing a tubular base structure having a multi-electrode configuration disposed thereon in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, the multi-electrode configuration comprising at least first and second electrodes with a dielectric layer between the tubular base structure and the electrodes; collecting electromagnetic measurements using the multi-electrode configuration; and processing the electromagnetic measurements to obtain a characterization of at least one fluid in an annulus between the tubular base structure and an inner wall of the well bore. The first and second electrodes of the multi-electrode configuration may be oriented along non-parallel planes and/or positioned at different heights from an outer surface of the tubular base structure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing a tubular base structure having a multi-electrode configuration disposed thereon in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, the multi-electrode configuration comprising at least first and second electrodes with a dielectric layer between the tubular base structure and the electrodes, wherein the first electrode is positioned at a first height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure and at least another of the electrodes is positioned at a second height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure that is greater than or less than the first height;

collecting electromagnetic measurements using the multi-electrode configuration; and

processing the electromagnetic measurements to obtain a characterization of at least one fluid in an annulus between the tubular base structure and an inner wall of the well bore.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first or second heights is equal to zero.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first electrode is oriented along at least a first plane,

the second electrode is oriented along at least a second plane, and

the first and second planes are not parallel to each other.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a layer of a second fluid in the portion of the well bore based at least in part on the electromagnetic measurements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the tubular base structure is a pipe string, a casing string, or a mandrel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

a first fluid is present in the annulus;

the tubular base structure comprises a casing string;

the method further comprises

circulating a cementing fluid into the annulus to displace at least a first portion of the first fluid from the annulus while a second portion of the first fluid remains in the annulus, and

allowing the cementing fluid to at least partially set in the annulus; and

the characterization of the at least one fluid in the annulus comprises a characterization of a second portion of the first fluid.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first fluid is a drilling fluid, a spacer fluid, or a combination thereof.

8. A method comprising:

placing a tubular base structure having a multi-electrode configuration disposed thereon in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, the multi-electrode configuration comprising at least;

a first electrode oriented along at least a first plane,

a second electrode oriented along at least a second plane, and

a dielectric layer between the tubular base structure and the electrodes,

wherein the first and second planes are not parallel to each other;

collecting electromagnetic measurements using the multi-electrode configuration; and

processing the electromagnetic measurements to obtain a characterization of at least one fluid in an annulus between the tubular base structure and an inner wall of the well bore.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first electrode is positioned at a first height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure and at least another of the electrodes is positioned at a second height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure that is greater than or less than the first height.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein one of the first or second heights is equal to zero.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the tubular base structure is a pipe string, a casing string, or a mandrel.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein:

a first fluid is present in the annulus;

the tubular base structure comprises a casing string;

the method further comprises

circulating a cementing fluid into the annulus to displace at least a first portion of the first fluid from the annulus while a second portion of the first fluid remains in the annulus, and

allowing the cementing fluid to at least partially set in the annulus; and

the characterization of the at least one fluid in the annulus comprises a characterization of a second portion of the first fluid.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first fluid is a drilling fluid, a spacer fluid, or a combination thereof.

14. A fluid characterization system comprising:

a tubular base structure having a multi-electrode configuration disposed thereon in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, the multi-electrode configuration comprising at least;

a first electrode oriented along at least a first plane,

a second electrode oriented along at least a second plane, and

a dielectric layer between the tubular base structure and the electrodes,

wherein the first and second planes are not parallel to each other;

an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes; and

a processor electrically coupled to the electronic control unit and the electrodes.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the tubular base structure is a pipe string, a casing string, or a mandrel.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first electrode is positioned at a first height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure and at least another of the electrodes is positioned at a second height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure that is greater than or less than the first height.

17. A fluid characterization system comprising:

a tubular base structure having a multi-electrode configuration disposed thereon in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation, the multi-electrode configuration comprising at least first and second electrodes with a dielectric layer between the tubular base structure and the electrodes, wherein the first electrode is positioned at a first height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure and at least another of the electrodes is positioned at a second height from an outer surface of the tubular base structure that is greater than or less than the first height;

an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes; and

a processor electrically coupled to the electronic control unit and the electrodes.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the tubular base structure is a pipe string, a casing string, or a mandrel.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein one of the first or second heights is equal to zero.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the first electrode is oriented along at least a first plane,

the second electrode is oriented along at least a second plane, and

the first and second planes are not parallel to each other.