Simulating downhole flow through a perforation

• US 9,279,904 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Brooks, James E., Haggerty, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzgerald, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frank, Rodney T
• Application Number:
  US13/958,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 948 Days
• Field of Search: 731/520.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/11 Perforators; Permeators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/02 by mechanically taking samples of the soil
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B

Abstract

A system for testing a core sample comprises a non-permeable sleeve configured to be placed over a core sample, a first pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a first axis normal to an axis of the core sample, a second pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a second axis normal to the axis of the core sample and normal to the first axis, a wellbore pressure reservoir to provide simulated wellbore pressure, and a formation pressure reservoir to provide simulated formation fluid pressure.

Claims

1. A system for testing a core sample, comprising:

a non-permeable sleeve configured to be placed over a core sample;

a first pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a first axis normal to an axis of the core sample;

a second pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a second axis normal to the axis of the core sample and normal to the first axis;

a wellbore pressure reservoir to provide simulated wellbore pressure; and

a formation pressure reservoir to provide simulated formation fluid pressure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are hydraulic actuators.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are electrical actuators.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the force applied by the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are separately controlled.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the force applied to the core sample by the first pair of opposing actuators is based on a vertical overburden pressure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the force applied to the core sample by the second pair of opposing actuators is based on a horizontal overburden pressure.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising the core sample disposed within the non-permeable sleeve.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the core sample has the shape of an elliptic cylinder.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-permeable sleeve has a mechanical compliance that varies about a cross-section of the non-permeable sleeve.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mechanical compliance varies radially and is constant axially.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-permeable sleeve comprises an elastomeric material.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-permeable sleeve comprises:

an outer membrane, an inner membrane, and a plurality of deformable beads disposed between the outer membrane and the inner membrane.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of curved plates disposed between the first pair of opposing actuators and the non-permeable sleeve, wherein the first pair of opposing actuator are configured to apply force to the non-permeable sleeve through the first plurality of curved plates.

14. A system for testing a core sample, comprising:

a non-permeable sleeve placed over the core sample;

a permeable sleeve adhered to the core sample, wherein the non-permeable sleeve is positioned over both the permeable sleeve and the core sample, wherein a flow impedance of each of a plurality of portions of the permeable sleeve is based on an impedance map;

a first pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a first axis normal to the axis of the core sample;

a second pair of opposing actuators to apply opposing force to the non-permeable sleeve in a second axis normal to the axis of the core sample and normal to the first axis;

a wellbore pressure reservoir to provide simulated wellbore pressure; and

a formation pressure reservoir to provide simulated formation fluid pressure.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are hydraulic actuators.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are electrical actuators.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the force applied by the first pair of opposing actuators and the second pair of opposing actuators are separately controlled, wherein the force applied to the core sample by the first pair of opposing actuators is based on a vertical overburden pressure, and wherein the force applied to the core sample by the second pair of opposing actuators is based on a horizontal overburden pressure.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a core sample, wherein the core sample has the shape of an elliptic cylinder.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the impedance map is determined based on at least one of a formation parameter, a perforation parameter, a wellbore parameter, and a core sample parameter.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the permeable sleeve is comprised of one of filter material, filter cake, and ceramic.