Wellbore surveillance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030500-B2
Application number	US-201113701243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2011
Priority date	May 31, 2010
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A wellbore surveillance system obtains fluid reservoir information data, such as the position and amount of gas, oil and/or water, while draining hydrocarbons from an oil or gas field via a casing in a wellbore in a formation. The casing has a vertical part near a top of the casing and an inner face, the system comprising a first sensor for measuring a content of gas, oil and/or water in the formation, and a second sensor for measuring a content of gas, oil and/or water in the formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wellbore surveillance system for obtaining fluid reservoir information data while draining hydrocarbons from an oil or gas field below ground level, comprising:
a first casing in a first wellbore, the casing having a vertical part near a top of the casing and an inner face;
a second casing in a second wellbore, the second casing being arranged at a distance from the first casing with a formation located therebetween;
a first sensor configured to measure a content of gas, oil, and/or water in and/or around the formation;
a second sensor configured to measure a content of gas, oil, and/or water in and/or around the formation;
a third sensor configured to measure a content of gas, oil, and/or water in and/or around the formation;
a fourth sensor configured to measure a content of gas, oil, and/or water in and/or around the formation;
wherein:
the first and the second sensors are arranged at least partly in a casing wall of the first casing, and the second sensor is arranged at a distance from the first sensor longitudinally within the first casing;
the third and the fourth sensor are arranged at least partly in a casing wall of the second casing and the fourth sensor is arranged at a distance from the third sensor longitudinally within the second casing;
the first sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the second sensor;
the third sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the fourth sensor;
each of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors comprise at least one transmitter configured to transmit acoustic signals into the formation and at least one receiver configured to receive acoustic signals passed thought the formation;
the first sensor is configured to transmit a first acoustic signal into the formation in a direction of the second casing to be received by the third sensor after the first acoustic signal has passed through the formation; and
the third sensor is configured to detect an acoustic signal corresponding the first acoustic signal after the first acoustic signal has passed through the formation and reached the third sensor, transform the detected acoustic signal into digital data, and wirelessly transmit the digital data corresponding to the detected acoustic signal to the fourth sensor.

2. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensors are arranged in an opening in the inner face of the wall of the first or second casing or a through-hole in the wall of the first or second casing.

3. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensors are arranged in the wall of the first or second casing forming part of an outer face of the first or second casing and in contiguity with the well fluid and/or the formation.

4. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensors extend from the inner face of the first or second casing and into the formation surrounding the first or second casing.

5. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is an acoustic transmitter.

6. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 5 , wherein the acoustic transmitter comprises a hammer or a weight.

7. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 5 , wherein the acoustic transmitter comprises a motor for pulling the weight in one direction and releasing the weight which, by means of a spring means, is forced in a second direction opposite the first direction towards the formation to abut the formation.

8. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises an acoustic receiver.

9. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 8 , wherein the acoustic receiver is an accelerometer.

10. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 8 , wherein the receiver comprises a motor for pulling the acoustic receiver in one direction and subsequently forcing the acoustic receiver, by means of a spring means, in a second direction opposite the first direction towards the formation to abut the formation.

11. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises a first and a second electrode for providing a current flowing from the first electrode to the second electrode to conduct a resistivity measurement or a conductivity measurement of the formation in order to determine the content of gas, oil and/or water in the formation.

12. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 11 , wherein the first sensor comprises a processor for transforming the signal or the resistivity or conductivity measurement into data and/or for storing and/or transferring the data, or for storing a representation of the data.

13. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the third sensor comprises a microchip for transforming the detected acoustic signal into the digital data and/or for storing and/or transferring the digital data, or for storing a representation of the digital data.

14. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors comprise a transferring device configured to transfer data captured by the respective sensor, and the system further comprising at least one tool comprising a communication device for receiving data from at least one of the transferring devices when the at least one tool is in the first or second casing.

15. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 14 , wherein the tool or the communication device comprises a powering device for powering the sensor.

16. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 15 , wherein the powering device and the sensor comprise an inductive coupling for transferring power from the tool to the sensor through induction.

17. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 16 , wherein the inductive coupling is used for transferring data from at least one of the sensors to the tool.

18. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one tool comprising an acoustic transmitter having a weight connected with a rotatable shaft rotated by a motor in the tool.

19. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 18 , wherein the tool further comprises an anchor section for anchoring the tool within the first or second casing.

20. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 19 , wherein the anchor section comprises at least a first anchor extending in a first radial direction of the tool and a second anchor extending in a second direction opposite the first direction, the extension of the anchors from an outer face of a tool housing varying so that the tool is anchored in an eccentric relationship to the first or second casing.

21. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , wherein the first acoustic signal is received by the third sensors and the fourth sensor after the first acoustic signal has passed through the formation.

22. A wellbore surveillance system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality communication devices arranged at a predetermined mutual distance along the second casing to the top of the casing, the distance being determined by the distance over which two communication devices of the plurality of communication devices are capable of communicating wirelessly with each other, wherein at least one of the communication devices of the plurality of communication devices is configured to wirelessly receive digital data from the third or fourth sensor, and wirel

Assignees

• Hallundbaek Jorgen
• Welltec As

Inventors

• Hallundbaek Jorgen

Classifications

• G01V1/50

  Analysing data · CPC title

• E21B47/10

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title

• E21B47/0003

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/01 Primary

  Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like · CPC title

• E21B47/003

  Determining well or borehole volumes · CPC title