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Methods for evaluating inflow and outflow in a subterranean wellbore

  • US 9,394,783 B2
  • Filed: 08/14/2012
  • Issued: 07/19/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for computing a density of an inflow constituent in a subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:

  • (a) rotating a drill bit in a subterranean wellbore, the drill bit being deployed in a drill string including first and second axially spaced along string pressure sensors, said rotating operative to drill the wellbore and produce formation cuttings which are transported to a surface location via drilling fluid in a wellbore annulus;

    (b) using the first and second spaced along string pressure sensors to make first and second subsurface annular pressure measurements at corresponding first and second measured depths in the wellbore;

    (c) transmitting the first and second pressure measurements to a processor;

    (d) causing the processor to process the first and second annular pressure measurements to compute an annular interval density between the first and second measured depths in the wellbore; and

    (e) causing the processor to process the annular interval density, a volume fraction of drilling fluid in the annular region, a density of the drilling fluid in an annular region of the wellbore, a volume fraction of the cuttings in the annular region, a density of the cuttings in the annular region, and a differential flow rate to compute the density of the inflow constituent.

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