Formation testing and sampling apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A formation tester for testing or sampling formation fluids in a borehole, comprising:
- an elongated sealing pad movable with respect to the tester by one or more extendable supports operable to protrude the entire sealing pad away from the tester, the elongated sealing pad having at least one opening establishing fluid communication between the formation and the interior of the tester, the elongated sealing pad having an outer surface to seal a region along a surface of the borehole, the elongated sealing pad having at least one elongated recess to establish fluid flow from the formation to the at least one opening.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for downhole formation testing based on the use of one or more elongated sealing pads capable of sealing off and collecting or injecting fluids from elongated portions along the surface of a borehole. The modified sealing pads increase the flow area by collecting fluids from an extended portion along the surface of a borehole, which is likely to straddle one or more layers in laminated or fractured formations. A tester device using the elongated sealing pads can be deployed and withdrawn using an extendible element pressing the pads to the borehole. Various designs and arrangements for use with a fluid tester, which may be part of a modular fluid tool, are disclosed in accordance with different embodiments.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A formation tester for testing or sampling formation fluids in a borehole, comprising:
an elongated sealing pad movable with respect to the tester by one or more extendable supports operable to protrude the entire sealing pad away from the tester, the elongated sealing pad having at least one opening establishing fluid communication between the formation and the interior of the tester, the elongated sealing pad having an outer surface to seal a region along a surface of the borehole, the elongated sealing pad having at least one elongated recess to establish fluid flow from the formation to the at least one opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A tool for testing or retrieval of fluids from an underground formation, comprising:
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one or more openings providing fluid communication between the formation and the tool; sealing means for providing sealed contact along a region on the surface of a borehole and for collecting fluids inside the sealed off region through the one or more openings, the sealing means comprising an elongated sealing pad movable with respect to the tool by one or more extendable supports operable to protrude the entire sealing pad away from the tester, the elongated sealing pad having at least one elongated recess to establish fluid flow from the formation to the one or more openings; moving mechanism to extend the sealing means away from the tool toward the formation and to retract the elongated sealing pad from the formation into the tool; and a means for controlling the rate of retrieval of fluids through the one or more openings into the tool. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of testing or sampling a reservoir formation comprising:
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lowering a formation tester into a borehole, the tester having at least one opening and an elongated sealing pad movable with respect to the tool, the elongated sealing pad having an outer surface to seal a region along a surface of the borehole and having at least one elongated recess to establish fluid flow from the formation to the at least one opening, the at least one opening and the sealing pad being attached to an extendable element for protruding the entire elongated sealing pad away from the tester toward the formation or retracting the elongated sealing pad from the formation into the tester; positioning the extendable element adjacent a selected subterranean formation; extending the extendable element to establish a sealing engagement with an elongated region along the surface of the borehole straddling at least one layer of a laminated or naturally fractured formation in the borehole, the sealing pad of the tester isolating a region of the borehole adjacent the selected formation; and drawing into the tester fluids from the isolated region of the well bore. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification