Fluid sample cleanup

• US 8,905,130 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Landsiedel, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Jennifer H
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARROLL, DAVID P.
• Application Number:
  US13/237,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20130068463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 731/520.1, 731/521.8, 166/264, 166/100, 166/101, 166/191, 166/250.17
• US Class Current: 166/264
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1243 with inflatable sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/081 with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample E21B49/10 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus having a body including a plurality of packers and a plurality of ports between the packers. The packers and ports are spaced along a longitudinal axis of the body. The apparatus also includes a control module to obtain a density of a formation fluid and, based on the density, determine a direction to pump fluid from an interval defined by the packers.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a downhole tool having a body including a plurality of packers and a plurality of ports between the ones of the plurality packers, the plurality of packers and the plurality of ports spaced along a longitudinal axis of the body;

a controller to obtain a density of a formation fluid and, based on the density, determine a direction to pump the formation fluid relative to a borehole interval defined by ones of the plurality of packers;

a first pump located uphole relative to the plurality of packers;

a second pump located downhole relative to the plurality of packers; and

a flowline simultaneously fluidly coupled to at least two of the plurality of ports that are each positioned in the borehole interval, wherein;

the first and second pumps are selectively fluidly coupled to the flowline;

the controller is operable to operate the first pump to pump the formation fluid through the flowline in an uphole direction when the obtained density of the formation fluid is greater than a density of a wellbore fluid in the borehole interval; and

the controller is operable to operate the second pump to pump the formation fluid through the flowline in a downhole direction when the obtained density of the formation fluid is less than the density of the wellbore fluid in the borehole interval.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is to obtain the density of the formation fluid by causing the downhole tool to sample fluid in the borehole interval.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of packers comprises four packers spaced along the longitudinal axis of the downhole tool, wherein the four packers are to define two guard intervals and a sample interval between the guard intervals, and wherein a first one of the plurality of ports is positioned in one of the guard intervals, a second one of the plurality of ports is positioned in the other guard interval, and a third one of the plurality of ports is positioned in the sample interval.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the flowline fluidly connects the two ports positioned in the guard intervals, and wherein the flowline has no valves between the two ports.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of packers comprises first, second, third and fourth packers spaced along the body of the tool so that the first and second packers are to define a first guard interval, the third and fourth packers are to define a second guard interval, and the second and third packers are to define a sample interval between the first and second guard intervals;

the plurality of ports comprises first, second and third ports, wherein the first port is positioned in the first guard interval, the second port is positioned in the sample interval, and the third port is positioned in the second guard interval; and

the flowline fluidly couples the first and third ports.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first pump is to be selectively fluidly coupled to the flowline via a first valve positioned above the plurality of packers and the second pump is to be selectively fluidly coupled to the flowline via a second valve positioned below the plurality of packers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first pump pumps the fluid out of the downhole tool into the borehole at a location above the plurality of packers; and

the second pump pumps the fluid out of the downhole tool into the borehole at a location below the plurality of packers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller does not operate either the first pump or the second pump to pump the formation fluid in the uphole direction when the obtained density of the formation fluid is less than the density of the wellbore fluid in the borehole interval, and does not operate either the first pump or the second pump to pump the formation fluid in the downhole direction when the obtained density of the formation fluid is greater than the density of the wellbore fluid in the borehole interval.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the controller is operable to obtain the density of the formation fluid by causing the downhole tool to sample fluid in the borehole interval;

the plurality of packers define two guard intervals and a sample interval between the guard intervals;

a first one of the plurality of ports is positioned in a first one of the guard intervals;

a second one of the plurality of ports is positioned in a second one of the guard intervals;

a third one of the plurality of ports is positioned in the sample interval;

the flowline fluidly connects the two ports positioned in the guard intervals;

the flowline has no valves between the two ports positioned in the guard intervals;

the first pump is selectively fluidly coupled to the flowline via a first valve positioned above the packers; and

the second pump is selectively fluidly coupled to the flowline via a second valve positioned below the packers.

10. A method, comprising:

positioning a downhole tool in a borehole adjacent a formation, wherein the downhole tool comprises;

a plurality of packers spaced along a body of the tool; and

a plurality of ports positioned between ones of the plurality of packers;

then sealing a first interval of the borehole using two of the plurality of packers;

then determining, based on a density of a formation fluid, a direction to pump fluid from the first interval through a flowline fluidly coupling two of the plurality of ports that are in fluid communication with the first interval;

then pumping fluid from the first interval through the flowline in the determined direction;

then determining a condition of the fluid in the first interval;

then, based on the condition of the fluid, sealing a second interval of the borehole within the first interval using another two of the plurality of packers located within the first interval; and

then pumping fluid from the second interval to collect a fluid sample from the formation.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the direction to pump fluid from the first interval based on the density of the formation fluid comprises comparing the density of the formation fluid to a density of a wellbore fluid and determining to pump the fluid through the flowline in an uphole direction when the density of the formation fluid is greater than the density of the wellbore fluid.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein pumping the fluid from the first interval in the determined direction comprises activating a first pump positioned uphole relative to the plurality of packers or activating a second pump positioned downhole relative to the plurality of packers.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein pumping the fluid from the first interval in the determined direction comprises pumping the fluid via at least two of the plurality of ports in the first interval at the same time, the at least two ports associated with respective guard intervals within the first interval.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising measuring a property of a fluid in the first interval and changing the direction to pump the fluid based on the measured property.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a downhole tool having a body including a plurality of packers and a plurality of ports between ones of the plurality of packers, the plurality of packers and the plurality of ports spaced along a longitudinal axis of the body;

a first pump disposed in the downhole tool;

a second pump disposed in the downhole tool; and

a control module operable to;

establish a first sealed borehole interval via operation of at least two of the plurality of packers, wherein at least three of the plurality of ports are positioned within the first sealed borehole interval;

then distinguish first and second different fluids in the sealed borehole interval by obtaining first and second densities respective of the first and second fluids;

then cause the first pump to pump the first fluid from the first sealed borehole interval in an uphole direction; and

then cause the second pump to pump the second fluid from the first sealed borehole interval in a downhole direction while the first pump pumps the first fluid;

then establish a second sealed borehole interval within the first sealed borehole interval via operation of at least two other packers of the plurality of packers, wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is positioned between the at least two other packers;

then collecting a sample of a formation fluid from the second sealed borehole interval.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first pump is disposed in the downhole tool uphole from the plurality of packers and the second pump is disposed in the downhole tool downhole from the plurality of packers.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the plurality of packers comprise four packers.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first pump pumps the fluid out of the downhole tool into the borehole at a location above the plurality of packers, wherein the second pump pumps the fluid out of the downhole tool into the borehole at a location below the plurality of packers.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first pump pumps the first fluid in the uphole direction when the density of the first fluid is less than the density of the second fluid, wherein the second pump pumps the second fluid in the downhole direction when the density of the second fluid is greater than the density of the first fluid.