Multiple function dual core flooding apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444218-B2
Application number	US-201715452949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Aug 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A dual core flooding apparatus is disclosed. The dual core flooding apparatus includes at least two core holders each configured to contain a core plug. The dual core flooding apparatus includes a fluids delivery system configured to inject one or more fluids into the core holders and core plugs. The dual core flooding apparatus includes an image capture system, a density and viscosity measurement system, and at least two oil/water separators. The dual core flooding apparatus also includes at least two back pressure regulators configured to maintain a pore pressure in the core plugs and an automated confining pressure system configured to maintain a confining pressure in each core holder. The dual core flooding apparatus further includes a data acquisition system, differential pressure measurement systems, and effluent measurement systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual core flooding apparatus for analyzing a plurality of core plugs, the apparatus comprising:
a first core holder and a second core holder, each core holder being operable to contain at least one core plug of the plurality of core plugs, each core holder further comprising:
an inlet port operable to receive at least one fluid into the core holder and into contact with the core plug; and
an outlet port operable for removal of the at least one fluid from the core holder;

a fluids delivery system in fluid communication with the inlet port, the fluids delivery system operable to introduce the at least one fluid into at least one core holder through the inlet port;
a first separator operable to separate hydrocarbon fluid from the at least one fluid, the first separator in fluid communication with the outlet port of the first core holder;
a second separator operable to separate hydrocarbon fluid from the at least one fluid, the second separator in fluid communication with the outlet port of the second core holder;
a pressure confining system operable to maintain a first confining pressure in the first core holder and a second confining pressure in the second core holder;
a first back pressure control system configured to maintain pore pressure within the core plug contained in the first core holder independent of a pore pressure associated with the second core holder, the first separator in fluid communication with the first back pressure control system;
a second back pressure control system configured to maintain pore pressure within the core plug contained in the second core holder independent of the pore pressure associated with the first core holder;
a data acquisition system configured to acquire properties of the at least one fluid exiting from the outlet port of the first core holder or the outlet port of the second core holder; and
a density meter coupled to the outlet port of the first core holder and the output port of the second core holder, wherein the density meter is configured to measure a density of the at least one fluid exiting from the outlet port of the first core holder or the outlet port of the second core holder;
a viscosity meter coupled to the outlet port of the first core holder and the output port of the second core holder, wherein the viscosity meter is configured to measure a viscosity of the at least one fluid exiting from the outlet port of the first core holder or the outlet port of the second core holder; and
an image capture apparatus, the image capture apparatus comprising:
a viewing cell coupled to the fluids delivery system via at least one valve; and
a camera configured to capture images of the at least one fluid before the at least one fluid is received by the first core holder.

2. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , the image capture apparatus comprising a pump operable to maintain a confining pressure in the viewing cell.

3. The dual flooding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluids delivery system comprises:
at least one fluid accumulator; and
at least one pump coupled to the at least one fluid accumulator via at least one valve.

4. The dual flooding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fluid accumulator comprise a first fluid accumulator coupled to the inlet port of the first core holder via a first at least one valve and a second fluid accumulator coupled to the inlet port of the second core holder via a second at least one valve.

5. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluids delivery system comprises:
a plurality of valves arranged to define a first fluid flow path from a first fluid accumulator to the inlet port of the first core holder and a second fluid flow path from a second fluid accumulator to the inlet port of the second core holder when a first group of the plurality of valves are open and a second group of the plurality of valves are closed.

6. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of valves are further arranged to define a third fluid flow path from the first fluid accumulator to the inlet port of the first core holder and a fourth fluid flow path from the first fluid accumulator to the inlet port of the second core holder when a third group of the plurality of valves are open and a fourth group of the plurality of valves are closed.

7. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a first differential pressure measurement apparatus configured to measure differential pressure across the first core holder and provide a first differential pressure measurement to the data acquisition system; and
a second differential pressure measurement apparatus configured to measure differential pressure across the second core holder and provide a second differential pressure measurement to the data acquisition system.

8. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a first effluent measurement system coupled to the first back pressure regulation system, the first effluent measurement system comprising a first fraction collector configured to measure an amount of liquid effluent produced from the first back pressure system; and
a second effluent measurement system coupled to the second back pressure regulation system, the second effluent measurement system comprising a second fraction collector configured to measure an amount of liquid effluent produced from the second back pressure system.

9. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid comprises live crude oil, dead crude oil, or seawater.

10. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the properties comprise at least one of a density, a viscosity, an amount of hydrocarbon fluid, and an amount of water.

11. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to acquire a first differential pressure across the first core holder and a second differential pressure across the second core holder.

12. A dual core flooding apparatus for analyzing a plurality of core plugs, the apparatus comprising: a first core holder comprising a first core plug, the first core holder rotationally mounted on a fixture and configured to rotate between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation; a second core holder comprising a second core plug, the second core holder rotationally mounted on the fixture and configured to rotate between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation; a fluids delivery system configured to introduce a first fluid into the first core plug and introduce a second fluid into the second core plug; a first back pressure regulation system in fluid communication with the first core holder and operable to maintain a first pore pressure of the first core plug; a second back pressure regulation system in fluid communication with the second core holder and operable to maintain a second pore pressure of the second core plug, the second pore pressure maintained independently of the first pore pressure; a pressure confining system in fluid communication with the first core holder and the second core holder and operable to maintain a first confining pressure in the first core holder and a second confining pressure in the second core holder; an image capture system positioned between the fluids delivery system and the first core holder, wherein the image capture system comprises a camera configured to capture images of the first fluid before introduction of the first fluid into the first core holder.

13. The dual core flooding apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a data acquisition system configured to obtain properties of the first fluid aft

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Otaibi Fawaz
• Zhou Xianmin
• Eidan Ahmed A
• Kokal Sunil
• Alhashboul Almohannad A

Classifications

• G01N15/0826

  and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change · CPC title

• G01N15/082

  Investigating permeability by forcing a fluid through a sample · CPC title

• E21B25/00

  Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels or core extractors (core bits E21B10/02) · CPC title

• E21B49/02

  by mechanically taking samples of the soil · CPC title

• G01N11/04

  through a restricted passage, e.g. tube, aperture · CPC title