Multi-fluid injector core holder

• US 9,051,800 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Matthews, Kenneth Heidt, Bell, Christopher Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): FITZGERALD, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US13/454,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20130276554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 73/38, 731/520.7, 731/521.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/005 Above ground means for handling the core, e.g. for extracting the core from the core barrel
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0806 Details, e.g. sample holders, mounting samples for testing

Abstract

A core holder comprises a plurality of fluid flow lines, a housing, a core sleeve disposed within the housing, an end cap coupled to a first end of the core sleeve and a first end of the housing, and an injector assembly disposed within the housing and coupled to a second end of the core sleeve. The injector assembly comprises a plurality of fluid passages coupled to the plurality of fluid flow lines, and a chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of fluid passages and an interior of the sleeve.

Claims

1. A core holder comprising:

a plurality of fluid flow lines;

a housing;

a core sleeve disposed within the housing;

an end cap coupled to a first end of the core sleeve and a first end of the housing; and

an injector assembly disposed within the housing and coupled to a second end of the core sleeve, wherein the injector assembly comprises;

a plurality of fluid passages coupled to the plurality of fluid flow lines;

a receiver comprising the plurality of fluid passages and a body portion; and

a chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of fluid passages and an interior of the sleeve, wherein the chamber is defined by a surface of the receiver and a surface of the body portion.

2. The core holder of claim 1, further comprising an annular region defined between an inner surface of the housing and an outer surface of the core sleeve, wherein the annular region is configured to accept a pressurized fluid.

3. The core holder of claim 1, wherein the injector assembly further comprises a distributor disposed on an end of the injector assembly within the core sleeve.

4. The core holder of claim 1, wherein the core holder comprises a single axis core holder, a biaxial core holder, or a triaxial core holder.

5. The core holder of claim 1, further comprising a second end cap coupled to a second end of the housing.

6. The core holder of claim 5, wherein a ratio of a first distance between an outer surface of the second end cap and the chamber and a second distance between the chamber and an adjacent surface of a core sample disposed within the core sleeve is in the range of about 1:

20 to about 20;

1.

7. The core holder of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises one or more mixing features.

8. The core holder of claim 7, wherein the one or more mixing features comprise one or more surface features disposed on an inner surface of the chamber, one or more fins disposed within the chamber, a mesh fill within the chamber, a gauze fill within the chamber, one or more mixing members disposed within the chamber, or any combination thereof.

9. The core holder of claim 1, further comprising a check valve disposed in one or more of the plurality of flow passages.

10. The core holder of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the plurality of flow passages comprise a seat, and wherein the check-valve comprises a ball disposed within the one or more of the plurality of flow passages.

11. A core holder comprising:

a housing; and

an injector assembly disposed within the housing and coupled to a core sleeve disposed within the housing, wherein the injector assembly is configured to;

receive a plurality of fluids through a plurality of fluid flow lines;

contact the plurality of fluids to form a combined fluid; and

provide a fluid pathway out of the injector assembly for the combined fluid to pass to the interior of the core sleeve,

wherein the injector assembly comprises a chamber in which the plurality of fluids contact to form the combined fluid.

12. The core holder of claim 11, wherein the injector assembly further comprises:

a body portion;

a receiver configured to receive the plurality of fluid through the plurality of fluid flow lines, wherein the chamber is defined by a surface of the receiver and a surface of the body portion; and

the fluid pathway, wherein the fluid pathway is in fluid communication with the chamber and the interior of the core sleeve.

13. The core holder of claim 11, wherein the injector assembly is further configured to generate a turbulent flow upon contacting the plurality of fluids to improve the mixing and form the combined fluid.

14. The core holder of claim 11, further comprising one or more flow valves coupled to one or more of the plurality of fluid flow lines, wherein the flow valves are configured to impede flow through the one or more of the plurality of fluid flow lines in a first direction and allow flow through the one or more of the plurality of fluid flow lines in a second direction.

15. The core holder of claim 11, wherein the injector assembly is further configured to provide the combined fluid to a core sample disposed within the core sleeve within a controlled time of the plurality of fluids being contacted to form the combined fluid.

16. A method of testing a core sample comprising:

receiving a plurality of fluids within a core holder;

combining the plurality of fluids within a chamber within the core holder to form a combined fluid;

passing the combined fluid from the chamber through a fluid pathway;

contacting the combined fluid with a core sample within the core holder after passing the fluid through the fluid pathway; and

determining one or more properties of the core sample.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more properties of the core sample comprise a permeability, a regained permeability, a porosity, a fluid flow through the core sample, a fluid saturation in the core sample, a gas saturation in the core sample, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of fluids react to form a reaction product in the combined fluid.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting a fluid for use in a subterranean formation based on the one or more properties of the core sample.