Method and apparatus for determining flow rates in multi-phase fluid flow mixtures

• US 5,586,027 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Atlas International Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Atlas International Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Davarzani, Mohammad J., Carlson, Norman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/557,377
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 364/422, 364/509, 364/510, 73/3, 73/155, 73/861.04
• US Class Current: 702/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2823 Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the water cut of an oil-water flow in a wellbore having a known deviation angle less than 90. A first step includes generating a set of predicted response curves where each response curve relates discrete selected values of the water cut to test values representative of a value of the flow mixture functionally related to measured responses of a selected logging instrument capable of distinguishing between the water and oil phases of the flow mixture for a selected oil-water total flow rate and at a borehole deviation within a selected range of deviation values that include the known borehole deviation. Then the selected logging instrument combination is introduced into the borehole for measuring the total flow rate of the oil-water mixture and the values representative of the responses of the selected logging instrument distinguishing between the oil and water phases of the oil-water mixture. A value functionally related to the measured value representative of the responses of the selected logging instrument is generated. From the set of predicted response curves an estimated value of the water cut of the oil-water mixture at the measured borehole total flow rate of the oil-water mixture is determined in response to the generated value functionally related to the measured value representative of the responses of the selected logging tool.

Claims

1. A method of determining the flow rate of a selected single phase of a flow mixture having at least two phases expressed as fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture in a wellbore having a known deviation angle less than 90°

, comprising the steps of;

generating a set of predicted response curves wherein each such response curve relates discrete selected values of the flow rate of the selected single phase of the flow mixture having at least two phases expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture to test values representative of the volumetric concentration of the selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to measured responses of a selected logging instrument capable of distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture for a selected fluid mixture total flow rate and at a borehole deviation within a selected deviation range that includes the known borehole deviation;

measuring in the borehole the total flow rate of the fluid mixture including the selected single phase thereof;

measuring in the borehole values representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture;

generating a value representative of the volumetric concentration of the selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to said measured value representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument; and

determining from said set of predicted response curves an estimated value of the flow rate of the selected single phase of the flow mixture expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture at said measured borehole total flow rate of the fluid mixture in response to said generated value representative of said volumetric concentration of the selected single phase of the flow mixture.

2. A method of determining the water cut of an oil-water flow in a wellbore having a known deviation angle less than 90°

, comprising the steps of;

generating a set of predicted response curves wherein each such response curve relates discrete selected values of the water cut to test values representative of the volumetric concentration of the water phase of the flow mixture functionally related to measured responses of a selected logging instrument capable of distinguishing between the water and oil phases of the flow mixture for a selected oil-water total flow rate and at a borehole deviation within a selected deviation range that includes the known borehole deviation;

measuring in the borehole the total flow rate of the oil-water mixture;

measuring in the borehole values representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument distinguishing between the oil and water phases of the oil-water mixture;

generating a value representative of the volumetric concentration of the water phase of the oil-water mixture functionally related to said measured value representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument; and

determining from said set of predicted response curves an estimated value of the water cut of the oil-water mixture at said measured borehole total flow rate of the oil-water mixture in response to said generated value representative of said volumetric concentration of the water phase of the flow mixture.

3. A method of profiling the multiple phases of a flow mixture having at least two phases in a wellbore having a known deviation angle less than 90°

, comprising the steps of;

generating a set of predicted response curves wherein each such response curve relates discrete selected values of the flow rate of a selected single phase of the flow mixture having at least two phases expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture to test values representative of the volumetric concentration of said selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to measured responses of a selected logging instrument capable of distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture for a selected fluid mixture total flow rate and at a borehole deviation within a selected deviation range that includes the known borehole deviation;

measuring in the borehole the total flow rate of the fluid mixture including said selected single phase thereof;

measuring in the borehole values representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture;

generating a value representative of the volumetric concentration of said selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to said measured value representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument;

determining from said set of predicted response curves an estimated value of the flow rate of said selected single phase of the flow mixture expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture at said measured borehole total flow rate of the fluid mixture in response to said generated value representative of said volumetric concentration of said selected single phase of the flow mixture;

determining the flow rate of said selected single phase of the flow mixture as a product of said measured total flow rate and said value of the flow rate of said selected single phase of the fluid mixture expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate; and

determining the flow rate of said remaining phase of multiple phase fluid mixture functionally related to said determined flow rate of said selected single phase and said total flow rate of the mixture.

4. Apparatus for determining the flow rate of a selected single phase of a flow mixture having at least two phases expressed as fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture in a wellbore having a known deviation angle less than 90°

comprising;

test flow loop means for generating a set of predicted response curves wherein each such response curve relates discrete selected values of the flow rate of the selected single phase of the flow mixture having at least two phases expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture to test values representative of the volumetric concentration of the selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to measured responses of a selected logging instrument capable of distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture for a selected fluid mixture total flow rate and at a borehole deviation within a selected deviation range that includes the known borehole deviation;

flow measurement means for measuring in the borehole the total flow rate of the fluid mixture including the selected single phase thereof;

means disposed in the borehole for measuring values representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument distinguishing between the at least two phases of the flow mixture;

means for generating a value representative of a characteristic of the selected single phase of the flow mixture functionally related to said measured value representative of said responses of said selected logging instrument; and

means for determining from said set of predicted response curves an estimated value of the flow rate of the selected single phase of the flow mixture expressed as a fraction of the total flow rate of the flow mixture at said measured borehole total flow rate of the fluid mixture in response to said generated value representataive of said volumetric concentration of the selected single phase of the flow mixture.