Systems, methods and apparatuses for monitoring and recovery of petroleum from earth formations

• US 7,931,081 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Sponchia, Barton
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates; Zakiya W.
• Application Number:
  US12/140,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20090283263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/250.11
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells

Abstract

A system for monitoring a location of a borehole for production of petroleum from an earth formation is provided. The system includes: an assembly including at least one of an injection conduit for injecting a thermal source into the formation and a production conduit for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation; a guide conduit attached to at least a portion of the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit, the guide conduit extending in a direction at least substantially parallel to the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit; and a detection source conduit insertable through the guide conduit and configured to dispose therein a detection source for detecting a location of the assembly in the formation. A method of monitoring a location of a borehole for production of petroleum from an earth formation is also provided.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a location of a borehole for production of petroleum from an earth formation, the system comprising:

an assembly including at least one of an injection conduit for injecting a thermal source into the formation and a production conduit for recovering material including the petroleum from the formation;

a guide conduit attached to at least a portion of the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit, the guide conduit extending in a direction at least substantially parallel to the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit; and

a detection source conduit insertable through the guide conduit and configured to dispose therein a detection source for detecting a location of the assembly in the formation, the detection source including an elongated electrically conductive member extendable along at least a portion of the detection source conduit, at least one portion of the elongated member including an electrosensitive material, the electrosensitive material reactive to an electric current to change shape in response to the electric current to form an electromagnet at the portion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection source is a plurality of detection sources distributed at selected locations along a length of the detection source conduit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection source is selected from at least one of a magnetic source, a point of nuclear source, an electro-magnetic induction coil, an acoustical device, a transmitting device, and a well logging tool.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide conduit is attached to the production conduit, and includes a stinger to connect the guide conduit to the production conduit, the guide conduit being connected to an energy source for injection into the guide conduit to facilitate flow of petroleum through the production conduit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the energy source is selected from at least one of a steam and a gas source.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a one-way valve disposed between the guide conduit and the production conduit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide conduit is a coil tubing material.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an exterior housing surrounding the portion of the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit and a portion of the guide conduit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the exterior housing is configured to maintain the guide conduit and the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit in fixed position relative to each other.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the exterior housing is configured to function as a packer to attach the exterior housing to a first location in a string conduit disposed in the borehole.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the exterior housing is attached to the string conduit by a plurality of slips.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second packer disposed in the string conduit and connected to the string conduit at a second location, the second packer being unattached to the string conduit.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrosensitive material is configured to cause the elongated member to form a coil in response to the electric current, and the elongated member is configured to cause the coil to form a magnetic field in response to a selected electric current.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated member is a conductive cable, and the electrosensitive material is selected from at least one of an electrosensitive shape memory alloy and an electrically sensitive polymer.

15. A method of monitoring a location of a borehole for production of petroleum from an earth formation, the method comprising:

inserting a detection conduit through a guide conduit attached to at least a portion of at least one of an injection conduit and a production conduit in the borehole, the guide conduit extending in a direction at least substantially parallel to the at least one of the injection conduit and the production conduit;

disposing at least one detection source in the borehole via the detection conduit, the at least one detection source including an elongated electrically conductive member extendable along at least a portion of the detection conduit, at least one portion of the elongated member including an electrosensitive material, the electrosensitive material reactive to an electric current to change a shape of the electrosensitive material;

advancing the at least one detection source to a selected location;

activating the at least one detection source to emit a detection signal by applying an electric current to the at least one detection source and causing the electrosensitive material to change shape in response to the electric current to form an electromagnet; and

detecting the detection signal to determine a location of the detection source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein disposing includes hydraulically lowering the at least one detection source.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the detection source is selected from at least one of a magnetic source, a point of nuclear source, an electro-magnetic induction coil, an acoustical device, a transmitting device, and a well logging tool.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein activating the at least one detection source includes applying a current to the elongated member to cause the electrosensitive material to change shape and cause the elongated member to form a coil, and forming an electromagnet at the portion responsive to the electric current.