Determining fluid chemistry of formation fluid by downhole reagent injection spectral analysis

• US 7,427,504 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Mullins, Oliver C., Raghuraman, Bhavani, Rabbito, Philip, Vasques, Ricardo Reves, Harrigan, Edward, Gustavson, Gale, Torgersen, Torleif
• Primary Examiner(s): Gakh; Yelena G
• Application Number:
  US10/667,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20040129874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 436/28
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/11 using tracers; using radioactivity
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water

Abstract

A method for analyzing formation fluid in earth formation surrounding a borehole includes storing analytical reagent in a reagent container in a fluids analyzer in a formation tester and moving the formation tester, including the reagent, downhole. Reagent from the reagent container is injected into formation fluid in the flow-line to make a mixture of formation fluid and reagent. The mixture is moved through a spectral analyzer cell in the fluids analyzer to produce a time-series of optical density measurements at a plurality of wavelengths. A characteristic of formation fluid is determined by spectral analysis of the time-series of optical density measurements.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing formation fluid in an earth formation surrounding a borehole, the method comprising:

in a formation tester having a reagent container coupled to a fluids analyzer via a flow line, storing analytical reagent in the reagent container;

transporting the formation tester downhole;

drawing formation fluid into the flow-line at least once such that the formation fluid is in communication with the fluids analyzer whereby the fluids analyzer establishes a baseline analysis;

while the formation tester remains downhole, mixing a predetermined amount of the analytical reagent with the formation fluid in view of the formation fluid baseline analysis;

moving a reacted mixture of formation fluid and analytical reagent fluid through a spectral analyzer cell in the fluids analyzer; and

performing spectral analysis on the reacted mixture while downhole.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of mixing the analytical reagent with the formation fluid comprises injecting analytical reagent into formation fluid within the flow-line to create the mixture of formation fluid and analytical reagent in the flow-line.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein injecting analytical reagent comprises injecting a predetermined volume of analytical reagent.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein injecting the predetermined volume of the reagent comprises adjusting an injection period of time.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein injecting the predetermined volume of the reagent comprises adjusting an injection pump rate.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein injecting analytical reagent comprises injecting analytical reagent into a stopped formation fluid.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein injecting reagent comprises injecting reagent into a flowing formation fluid.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein injecting reagent comprises injecting reagent using wellbore overpressure.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein injecting reagent comprises injecting reagent at a controlled rate using a restrictor.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein injecting reagent comprises injecting reagent at a controlled rate using a throttle valve.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein injecting reagent comprises injecting reagent for a controlled period of time.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein injecting analytical reagent comprises injecting analytical reagent using a syringe pump.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the spectral analysis being an optical spectral analysis, and establishing the baseline analysis being measuring baseline optical density values of the formation fluid for at least one wavelength prior to mixing the analytical reagent, then storing the baseline optical density values with a memory means.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein an extractor pump extracts formation fluid from a stopped flowline so as to induce analytical reagent injection into the flowline.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein injecting analytical reagent comprises injecting a predetermined volume of analytical reagent.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein injecting the predetermined volume of the reagent comprises setting an extraction pump rate.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein injecting the predetermined volume of the reagent comprises setting an extraction time.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the extractor pump is a syringe piston.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein extracting formation fluid comprises using a flow-line pump.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein extracting formation fluid comprises using a step piston.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein extracting formation fluid comprises adjusting metering valve settings.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing analytical reagent comprises storing different reagents in first and auxiliary reagent containers.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the result of the formation fluid baseline analysis indicates if the stored analytical reagent is to be used.