System and method for the detection and transmission of downhole fluid status

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10502020-B2
Application number	US-201616061584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for signaling the detection of a fluid change in a wellbore can be used during wellbore operations, such as cementing a casing in the wellbore. The systems and methods involve using burst discs to provide a pressure pulse that can be detected uphole and there by provide a signal related to when a fluid change has reached a predetermined position in the wellbore. The burst discs can be activated to prevent fluid flow in a portion of the wellbore by a sensor that detects a property that is different between two fluids. Once activated, the pressure of the fluid on the burst discs subsequently ruptures the burst disc and creates the pressure pulse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of signaling the detection of a fluid change in a wellbore operation comprising:
introducing a first fluid into a wellbore under pressure so that there is a flow of the first fluid in the wellbore;
introducing a second fluid into a wellbore under pressure after the first fluid has been introduced so that there is a flow of the second fluid in the wellbore at a first pressure;
detecting at least one property that is different between the first fluid and the second fluid at a point located in the wellbore such that a change in the property is detected when second fluid flows past the point after first fluid has flowed past the point;
activating a burst disc when the change in the property is detected, wherein the burst disc stops the flow of the second fluid until a second pressure is reached, which is higher than the first pressure;
increasing the pressure on one side of the burst disc until the second pressure is reached, wherein the burst disc is ruptured at the second pressure so as to create a pressure pulse in at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid; and
detecting the pressure pulse uphole from the burst disc.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein there is a plurality of burst discs in a series, wherein each burst disc has an associated sensor with each sensor being the point at which the property is detected such that a series of pressure pulses is created by activating and rupturing of one burst disc after another.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the burst disc is configured to rupture at a third pressure higher than said second pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the property is selected from the group consisting of pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, electrical resistivity, dielectric constant, magnetic permeability, radioactivity, density, viscosity, optical properties, a chemical reaction or a tracer based trigger.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wellbore has a wellbore wall and an annulus is defined between the wellbore wall and a casing in the wellbore;
the step of introducing the first fluid comprises introducing the first fluid into the annulus; and
the step of introducing the second fluid comprises introducing the second fluid into the annulus under the first pressure such that the second fluid pushes the first fluid downhole in the annulus so that the first fluid reaches a downhole end of the casing: and the method further comprises:
introducing the first fluid into a central bore of the casing so that it flows uphole in the casing under pressure from the second fluid.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the burst disc is located within the central bore and, when activated, the burst disc stops the flow uphole in the casing until the second pressure is reached.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
transmitting the pressure pulse though at least one of a fluid column within the central bore or the casing to a pipe's uphole end.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pressure pulse is transmitted through the fluid column and detected at the pipe's uphole end to produce a first signal, the pressure pulse is transmitted through the casing and detected at the pipe's uphole end to produce a second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are correlated so as to determine if the burst disc has ruptured.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second fluid is a cement composition and the step of detecting is performed such that the burst disc is activated when the cement composition enters the central bore through the downhole end of the casing.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising mixing the components of the cement composition using mixing equipment.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second fluid is a spacer fluid and wherein the method further comprises:
introducing a cement composition into the annulus under pressure after the second fluid has been introduced so that there is a flow of cement composition in the annulus.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein property is selected from the group consisting of pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, electrical resistivity, dielectric constant, magnetic permeability, radioactivity, density, viscosity, optical properties, a chemical reaction or a tracer based trigger.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein there is a plurality of burst discs in series, wherein each burst disc has an associated sensor with each sensor being the point at which the property is detected such that a series of pressure pulses is created by activating and rupturing of one burst disc after another.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each burst disc is configured to rupture at a different pressure.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are introduced into the wellbore using one or more pumps.

16. A system for signaling the detection of a fluid change in a reverse cementing operation, the system comprising:
a plurality of burst discs located in a series in a central bore of a casing in a wellbore, each burst disc of the plurality of burst discs having a first position allowing fluid flow through the central bore and a second position preventing fluid flow through the central bore; wherein, when the burst disc is in the second position, the burst disc ruptures due to pressure from a fluid downhole from the burst disc when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure and the rupturing creates a pressure pulse such that a series of pressure pulses is created by activating and rupturing one burst disc after another;
a plurality of sensors associated with the plurality of burst discs, such that each burst disc has one sensor of the plurality of sensors associated with the burst disc, and wherein the sensor that detects at least one property that is different between a first fluid and a cement, wherein the cement is introduced into an annulus formed between the casing and wellbore and flows downhole thereby displacing the first fluid to flow uphole through the central bore, and wherein the sensor detects a change in the property when the cement flows past the sensor;
a receiver located at a pipe's uphole end and configured to detect the pressure pulse.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the receiver detects the pressure pulse transmitted through a fluid column within the central bore.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the receiver detects the pressure pulse transmitted through the fluid column and as it is transmitted through the casing.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein each burst disc is configured to rupture at a different predetermined pressure.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Gao Li
• Cuello Jimenez Walmy
• Singh John P
• Ravi Kris
• Tran Thanh T

Classifications

• C09K8/46

  containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement · CPC title

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• C04B28/02

  containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates · CPC title

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B47/12 Primary

  Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling · CPC title