APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR WELLBORE CHARACTERIZATION

• US 20110284288A1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Gunnels, James, Tangedahl, Michael J., Sawyer, Scott, Balli, Donovan, Suter, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,228,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/24
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/005 Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/794 With means for separating solid material from the fluid

Abstract

An apparatus and a process for wellbore characterization are disclosed, including: separating, in a separation vessel, drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore; transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process; and measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated produced gas during transport using one or more sensors. Properties of the gas separated from the mud may be used to determine characteristics of a wellbore.

Claims

1. A process for wellbore characterization, the process comprising:

separating, in a separation vessel, drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore;

transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process;

measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated produced gas during transport using one or more sensors.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an ultrasonic sensor device, a thermocouple, and a pressure transducer.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising determining at least one of a standard volumetric flow rate and an average molecular weight of the separated produced gas based on the measuring.

4. The process of claim 3, further comprising determining a cumulative amount of the separated produced gas transported over a time period based on at least one of the determined standard volumetric flow rate and the determined average molecular weight.

5. The process of claim 3, further comprising determining properties of the wellbore based on the measuring.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data from the measuring of the separated produced gas in a first computer device;

transmitting the data from the first computer device in a first computer output format;

translating the data in the first computer output format to a second computer output format using a translation device;

transmitting the translated data to a second computer device.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the first computer output format is an IDM protocol.

8. The process of claim 6, further comprising:

measuring at least one wellbore property using at least one sensor located within the wellbore, transmitting the wellbore measurements to the second computer; and

determining characteristics of the wellbore using each of the wellbore data and the translated data.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the second computer output format is at least one of an IDM protocol, a WITS data transfer standard and a WITSML data transfer standard.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising controlling the drilling based on the determined characteristics.

11. A system for characterizing properties of a wellbore, the system comprising:

a separation vessel for separating drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore;

a fluid conduit for transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process;

one or more sensors for measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated gas during transport in the fluid conduit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an ultrasonic sensor device, a thermocouple, and a pressure transducer.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a first computer device for storing data collected by the sensor;

communication paths for transmitting data from the first computer device in a first computer output format;

a translation device for translating the data in the first computer output format to a second computer output format;

communication paths for transmitting the translated data to a second computer device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first computer output format is an IDM protocol.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one sensor for measuring at least one wellbore property;

communication paths for transmitting the measured wellbore properties to the second computer device; and

a data analysis system for analyzing the at least one wellbore property and the translated data to determine characteristics of the wellbore.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second output format is in at least one of a WITS data transfer standard and a WITSML data transfer standard.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a control system for controlling the drilling based on the determined characteristics.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data analysis system is configured to determine a cumulative amount of the separated produced gas transported through the fluid conduit over a given time period based on the measurements from the one or more sensors.

19. A process for measuring carbon emissions during the drilling of a wellbore, the process comprising:

separating, in a separation vessel, drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore;

transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process;

measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated produced gas during transport using a sensor;

determining at least one of a standard volumetric flow rate and an average molecular weight of the separated produced gas based on the measuring.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an ultrasonic sensor device, a thermocouple, and a pressure transducer.

21. The process of claim 19, further comprising determining a cumulative amount of the separated produced gas transported over a time period based on at least one of the determined standard volumetric flow rate and the determined average molecular weight.

22. A system for measuring carbon emissions during the drilling of a wellbore, the process comprising:

a separation vessel for separating drilling mud from gas produced during drilling of a wellbore;

a fluid conduit for transporting the separated produced gas from the separation vessel to a downstream process;

one or more sensors for measuring at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mass flow rate, and a volumetric flow rate of the separated gas during transport in the fluid conduit; and

a computer device for at least one of transmitting, storing, and analyzing the measurements from the one or more sensors.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer device is configured to determine a cumulative amount of the separated produced gas transported through the fluid conduit over a time period based on the measurements from the one or more sensors.