Apparatus and method for formation testing while drilling with minimum system volume

• US 6,478,096 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Michaels, John M., Krueger, Volker, Lee, Jaedong, Meister, Matthias, Jones, Stanley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAY, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US09/621,398
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 175/50, 175/40, 175/48, 175/308, 166/336, 166/250.01, 166/252.5, 166/254.1, 166/254.2, 166/250.02, 166/250.09, 166/264, 166/373, 731/521.8, 731/521.9, 731/522.2, 731/522.3
• US Class Current: 175/50
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/008 by injection test; by analysing pressure variations in an injection or production test, e.g. for estimating the skin factor measuring pressure E21B47/06
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/10 using side-wall fluid samplers or testers

Abstract

A minimum volume apparatus and method is provided including a tool for obtaining at least one parameter of interest of a subterranean formation in-situ, the tool comprising a carrier member, a selectively extendable member mounted on the carrier for isolating a portion of annulus, a port exposable to formation fluid in the isolated annulus space, a piston integrally disposed within the extendable member for urging the fluid into the port, and a sensor operatively associated with the port for detecting at least one parameter of interest of the fluid.

Claims

1. A tool for obtaining at least one parameter of interest of a subterranean formation in-situ, the tool comprising:

(a) a carrier member for conveying the tool into a borehole, the borehole and tool having an annulus extending between a tool exterior and a wall of the borehole;

(b) a selectively extendable pad member mounted on the carrier member for isolating a portion of the annulus;

(c) a first piston for extending and retracting the pad member;

(d) a port exposable to a fluid containing formation fluid in the isolated annulus portion;

(e) a second piston integrally disposed within the first piston for urging the fluid into the port; and

(f) a sensor operatively associated with the port for detecting at least one parameter of interest of the fluid, the at least one fluid parameter of interest indicative of the at least one formation parameter of interest.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the carrier member is selected from a group consisting of (i) a jointed pipe drill string;

(ii) a coiled tube; and

(iii) wireline.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein the selectively extendable member is an extendable rubber cushion.

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein the first and second pistons are hydraulically operated using a fluid selected from a group consisting of (i) an oil and (ii) drilling mud.

5. The tool of claim 1 wherein the first and second pistons are operated by an electric motor.

6. The tool of claim 5 wherein the electric motor is selected from a group consisting of (i) a spindle motor and (ii) a stepper motor.

7. The tool of claim 5 wherein the electric motor further comprises a ball screw assembly for translating the first and second pistons.

8. The tool of claim 1 wherein the second piston selectively reciprocates between a first position and a second position, the second piston urging the fluid contained in the isolated annular space into the port when moving from the first position to the second position, and wherein the selectively extendable pad member further comprises a check valve disposed thereon for expelling the fluid from the tool when the piston is urged from the second position to the first position.

9. The tool of claim 1 further comprising a conduit for fluid communication between the port and the sensor.

10. The tool of claim 1 further comprising a pump for transferring the fluid from the port to at least one fluid storage reservoir.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 by further comprising an extendable housing and wherein the at least one selectively extendable member is mounted in the extendable housing.

12. The tool of claim 1 further comprising at least two packers.

13. An apparatus for obtaining at least one parameter of interest of a subterranean formation in-situ, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a drilling rig having a drill string for drilling a borehole into the formation, the borehole and drill string having an annulus between a borehole wall and drill string exterior;

(b) at least one selectively extendable pad member mounted on the drill string for isolating a portion of the annulus;

(c) a first piston for extending the pad member;

(d) a port exposable to a fluid containing formation fluid in the isolated annular space;

(e) a second piston integrally disposed within the first piston for urging the fluid into the port;

(f) a sensor operatively associated with the port for detecting at least one parameter of interest of the fluid, the at least one fluid parameter of interest indicative of the at least one formation parameter of interest;

(g) a surface controller for initial activation of the tool;

(h) a two way communication subsystem for transmitting test initiation commands downhole and for transmitting data up hole; and

(i) a processor for determining the at least one formation parameter of interest.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the carrier member is selected from a group consisting of (i) a drill pipe;

(ii) a coiled tubing; and

(iii) a wireline.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising transferring the fluid from the port to a fluid storage reservoir using a pump.

15. A method for obtaining at least one parameter of interest of a subterranean formation in-situ, the method comprising:

(a) conveying a tool on carrier member into a borehole;

(b) extending at least one pad member mounted on the carrier member with a first piston;

(c) isolating a portion of annulus between the carrier member and the borehole with the at least one pad member;

(d) exposing a port to a fluid containing formation fluid in the isolated annulus;

(e) urging the fluid contained in the isolated annulus into the port with a second piston integrally disposed within the pad member; and

(f) detecting at least one parameter of interest of the fluid with a sensor operatively associated with the port for detecting, the at least one fluid parameter of interest indicative of the at least one formation parameter of interest.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising operating the first and second pistons hydraulically using hydraulic fluid selected from a group consisting of (i) an oil and (ii) drilling mud.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising reciprocating the second piston between a first position and a second position, the first piston urging the fluid into the port when moving from the first position to the second position, and expelling the fluid from the tool through a check valve when the second piston is urged from the second position to the first position.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing fluid communication between the port and the sensor through a conduit.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising operating the first and second pistons with an electric motor.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the electric motor is selected from a group consisting of (I) a spindle motor and (ii) a stepper motor.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising operating the first and second pistons with an electric motor and ball screw assembly.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the tool further comprises an extendable housing and the at least one pad member is coupled to the extendable housing, the method further comprising extending the housing from the tool.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the pad member is an extendable rubber cushion.