Pressure sensor arrangement using an optical fiber and methodologies for performing an analysis of a subterranean formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10246989-B2
Application number	US-201715675505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Apr 22, 2009
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A sensor arrangement using an optical fiber and methodologies for performing an analysis of a subterranean formation, such as a subterranean formation containing a hydrocarbon based fluid. The sensor arrangement may be used to measure one or more physical parameters, such as temperature and/or pressure, at a multiplicity of locations in the subterranean reservoir. The sensor arrangement may comprise a sensor array comprising an elongated outer casing for insertion in the subterranean formation and into a fluid in the subterranean formation. The sensor array may comprise an optical fiber defining an optical path that links one or more temperature sensors and one or more pressure sensors and transports measurement data generated by the temperature and pressure sensors. A data processing system may be connected to the sensor array to receive measurements from the sensor array and to compute one or more values of a property of an extraction installation operating on the subterranean formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor cable for measuring pressure in a subterranean formation, the sensor cable, having a pressure sensing segment, comprising:
(a) an elongated outer casing extending along a longitudinal axis,
(b) the elongated outer casing having an outer side face for exposure to fluid in the subterranean formation and an opposite inner side face defining a boundary of an internal cavity extending along the longitudinal axis;
(c) a fluid port on the outer casing; and
(d) a pressure sensor, including:
(i) a partition structure in the cavity defining an internal pressure chamber, the internal pressure chamber being in a fluid communication with the fluid port such that fluid in the subterranean formation can ingress the pressure chamber,
(ii) the partition structure being configured such that a portion of the internal cavity is isolated from the pressure chamber to prevent ingress of fluid in the portion of the internal cavity isolated from the pressure chamber,
(iii) the portion of the internal cavity isolated from the pressure chamber extending between the inner face of the outer casing and the pressure chamber; and
(iv) an optical waveguide extending along the longitudinal axis in the internal cavity, the optical waveguide being responsive to a pressure differential established across the partition structure to encode an optical signal with information conveying the pressure differential.

2. The sensor cable of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor includes a resilient component deforming in response to the pressure differential established across the partition structure.

3. The sensor cable of claim 2 , wherein the resilient component is mechanically coupled to the optical waveguide such as to apply force to the optical waveguide tending to distort the optical waveguide.

4. The sensor cable of claim 3 , wherein the resilient component forms part of the partition structure.

5. The sensor cable of claim 4 , wherein the resilient component includes a bellows structure.

6. The sensor cable of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensing segment is a first pressure sensing segment, the sensor cable also including:
(a) a second pressure sensing segment; and
(b) an interconnection portion extending between the first pressure sensing segment and the second pressure sensing segment.

7. The sensor cable of claim 6 , wherein one of the first pressure sensing segment and the interconnection portion including a projection, the other of the first pressure sensing segment and the interconnection portion including a recess, the projection being received in the recess.

8. The sensor cable of claim 7 , wherein the first pressure sensing segment includes a temperature sensor.

9. The sensor cable of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide includes a grating.

10. The sensor cable of claim 9 , wherein the grating is a Bragg grating.

11. The sensor cable of claim 1 , configured such that the sensor cable can be wound on a reel without damaging the pressure-sensing segment, the reel without the sensor cable wound thereon having a diameter of less than 1.2 meters.

12. The sensor cable of claim 11 , wherein the reel without the sensor cable wound thereon has a diameter of less than 1.1 meters.

13. The sensor cable of claim 11 , wherein the reel without the sensor cable wound thereon has a diameter of less than 0.9 meters.

14. The sensor cable of claim 11 , wherein the sensor cable has a length of at least 100 meters.

15. A sensor cable extending along a longitudinal axis for measuring pressure in a subterranean formation at a plurality of spaced apart locations along the longitudinal axis, the sensor cable including:
(a) an elongated casing having a first end portion, a second opposite end portion and a side wall extending along the longitudinal axis between the first and the second end portions;
(b) a first fluid port on the side wall for admitting fluid at a first location in the subterranean formation at which pressure of the fluid is to be measured;
(c) a first pressure sensor in the elongated casing associated with the first fluid port for generating a signal conveying information on fluid pressure at the first location;
(d) a second fluid port on the side wall in a spaced apart relationship with the first fluid port along the longitudinal axis for admitting fluid at a second location in the subterranean formation at which pressure of the fluid is to be measured;
(e) a second pressure sensor in the elongated casing associated with the second fluid port for generating a signal conveying information on the fluid pressure at the second location; and
(f) an optical waveguide in the elongated casing for conveying the signal generated by at least one of the first and second pressure sensors,
(g) the sensor cable having a length of at least 100 meters and being helically wound on a reel, the sensor cable being configured such that bending the sensor cable to helically wind it on the reel would not impair pressure sensing at the first and second locations once the sensor cable is unwound from the reel and inserted in the subterranean formation.

16. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the reel has a diameter of less than 1.2 meters measured without the sensor cable on the reel.

17. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the reel has a diameter of less than 1.1 meters.

18. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the reel has a diameter of less than 0.9 meters.

19. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the reel has a diameter of less than 0.8 meters.

20. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the sensor cable has a length of at least 1 kilometer.

21. The sensor cable of claim 15 , wherein the sensor cable has a length of at least 500 meters.

Assignees

• Weatherford Canada Ltd
• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Vincelette Andre R
• Kiddy Jason S
• Niemczuk John B
• Baldwin Christopher S
• Lefebvre Paul

Classifications

• E21B47/06 Primary

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B43/2408

  SAGD in combination with other methods · CPC title

• E21B47/135

  using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves · CPC title

• E21B43/2406

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title

• G01L1/243

  using means for applying force perpendicular to the fibre axis · CPC title