Downhole formation testing tool

• US 7,191,831 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Harrigan, Edward, Brennan, William E. III, Reid, Lennox
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsay; Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/710,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/264
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/04 using explosives in boreholes; using projectiles penetrating the wall
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/06 using side-wall drilling tools pressing or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/10 using side-wall fluid samplers or testers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a wireline assembly that includes a coring tool for taking coring samples of the formation and a formation testing tool for taking fluid samples from the formation, where the formation testing tool is operatively connected to the coring tool. In some embodiments, the wireline assembly includes a low-power coring tool. In other embodiments, the coring tool includes a flowline for formation testing.

Claims

1. A wireline assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a coring tool for taking coring samples of the formation, wherein the coring tool is disposed in the housing and includes a coring bit extendable from the housing; and

a formation testing tool for taking fluid samples from the formation,

wherein the formation resting tool is operatively connected to the coring tool.

2. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the coring tool comprises:

a first brushless DC motor;

a hydraulic pump coupled to the first brushless DC motor; and

a coring motor hydraulically coupled to the first hydraulic pump.

3. The wireline assembly of claim 2, there in the coring tool further comprises:

a second brushless DC motor;

a second hydraulic pump operatively coupled to the second brushless DC motor; and

a kinematics piston in fluid communication with the second hydraulic pump.

4. The wireline assembly of claim 3, wherein the coring tool further comprises a pulse-width modulated solenoid valve in fluid communication with the second hydraulic pump.

5. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the coring tool consumes less than about 2 kW of power.

6. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the coring tool consumes less than about 1 kW of power.

7. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the coring tool further comprises a sample chamber and a first flowline, wherein the first flowline is in fluid communication with a flowline in the formation testing tool and with the sample chamber, and wherein the sample chamber is configured to receive core samples from a coring bit disposed in the coring tool.

8. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the coring tool and the formation testing tool are connected by a field joint.

9. The wireline assembly of claim 8, wherein the formation testing tool comprises one selected from the group consisting of an upper module and a lower module, and the coring tool comprises the other of the group consisting of the upper module and the lower module, and wherein the tool joint comprises:

a bottom field joint connector at a lower end of the upper module; and

a top field joint connector at an upper end of the lower module,

wherein the upper module comprises;

a cylindrical housing for receiving the lower module;

a first flowline; and

a female socket bulkhead having at least one female socket, and

wherein the lower module comprises;

a second flowline;

a male pin bulkhead; and

one or more male pins disposed in the male pin bulkhead so that at least a portion of the one or more male pins protrudes upwardly from the male pin bulkhead.

10. The wireline assembly of claim 9, wherein the formation testing tool comprises the upper module.

11. The wireline assembly of claim 9, wherein the formation testing tool comprises the lower module.

12. The wireline assembly of claim 9, wherein the male pin bulkhead is moveable with respect to the lower module, and wherein the lower module further comprises a spring disposed below the male pin bulkhead so as to exert an upward force on the male pin bulkhead.

13. The wireline assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower module further comprises a protective sleeve disposed around the male pin bulkhead.

14. The wireline assembly of claim 13, wherein the protective sleeve is porous.

15. The wireline assembly of claim 13, wherein the protective sleeve is perforated.

16. The wireline assembly of claim 1, further including a motor operatively coupled to the coring bit to rotate the coring bit.

20. The method of claim 16, further including rotating the coring bit with a motor operatively coupled to the coring bit.

17. A method for evaluating a formation, comprising:

lowering a wireline assembly into a borehole;

activating a formation testing tool connected in the wireline assembly to obtain a sample fluid from the formation;

activating a coring tool connected in the wireline assembly; and

extending a coring bit of the coring tool from the wireline assembly into a formation to obtain a core sample.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

directing the core sample into a sample chamber disposed in the wireline assembly; and

directing the fluid sample into the sample chamber.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving the wireline assembly;

analyzing the core sample; and

analyzing the fluid sample.

21. A downhole tool, comprising:

a tool body having an opening therein;

a coring bit disposed proximate the opening in the tool body and selectively extendable therethrough; and

a flowline disposed proximate the coring bit; and

a sealing surface disposed proximate a distal end of the flowline.

22. The downhole tool of claim 21, further comprising a sample block disposed proximate the opening in the tool body, wherein the coring bit is disposed on a first side of the sample block and the sealing surface is disposed on a second side of the sample block.

23. The downhole tool of claim 22, wherein the sample block is rotatably coupled to the tool.

24. The dowohole tool of claim 22, wherein the first flowline is disposed in the sample block and further comprising:

a second flowline; and

a tubing connected between the first flowline and the tool flowline.

25. The dowuhole tool of claim 24, wherein the tubing comprises a flexible tubing.

26. The dowahole tool of claim 24, wherein the tubing comprises a telescoping tubing.

27. The downhole tool of claim 21, wherein the sealing surface comprises a packer seal, the coring bit is extendable through an interior of a sealing area of the packer seal;

and the distal end of the flowline is disposed inside the sealing area of the packer seal and operatively coupled to a fluid pump.

28. The dowohole tool of claim 21, further comprising a sample chamber.

29. The downhole tool of claim 28, wherein the sample chamber is segmented by one or more valves.

30. The downhole tool of claim 29, wherein the one or more valves are gate valves.

31. The downhole tool of claim 29, wherein the one or more valves are iris valves.

32. The downhole tool of claim 28, further comprising a fill line connected to the sample chamber and connected to flowline.

33. The downhole tool of claim 32, further comprising a fill valve disposed in the fill line selectively positionable to put the sample chamber in fluid communication with the flowline.

34. A field joint for connecting tool modules, comprising:

an upper module having a bottom field joint connector at a lower end of the upper module; and

a lower module having a top field joint connector at an upper end of the lower module,

wherein the upper module comprises;

a cylindrical housing far receiving the lower module;

a first flowline; and

a female socket bulkhead having at least one female socket, and

wherein the lower module comprises;

a second flowline;

a male pin bulkhead; and

one or more male pins disposed in the male pin bulkhead so that at least a portion of the one or more male pins protrudes upwardly from the male pin bulkhead.

35. The field joint of claim 34, wherein the lower module further comprises a protective sleeve disposed around the male pin bulkhead.

36. The field joint of claim 35, wherein the protective sleeve is porous.

37. The field joint of claim 35, wherein the protective sleeve is perforated.

38. The field joint of claim 34, wherein the male pin bulkhead is moveable with respect to the lower module, and wherein the lower module further comprises a spring disposed below the male pin bulkhead so as to exert an upward force on the male pin bulkhead.

39. A method for taking downhole samples, comprising:

obtaining a core sample using a caring bit disposed on a sample block in a downhole tool;

rotating the sample block;

establishing fluid communication between a flowline in the sample block and a formation; and

withdrawing a formation fluid from the formation through the flowline.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the establishing fluid communication between the flowline in the sample block and a formation comprises extending the sample block so that a packer disposed on the sample block is in contact with the formation.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

ejecting the core from the coring bit into a sample chamber; and

direction the formation fluid to the sample chamber.

42. A method for taking downhole samples, comprising:

establishing fluid communication between a flowline in a downhole tool and a formation by extending the a packer seal to be in contact with a formation;

obtaining a core sample using a coring bit configured to extend inside a sealing area of the packer seal;

ejecting the core from the coring bit and into a sample chamber; and

withdrawing a formation fluid from the formation through the flowline.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising directing the formation fluid to the sample chamber.