Testing petro-physical properties using a tri-axial pressure centrifuge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11353385-B2
Application number	US-201916393016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2019
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A system for testing properties of a sample, the system including a test cell. The test cell includes a cell casing having a first end piece, a second end piece, and at least one wall extending between the first end piece and the second end piece. The cell casing defines a pressure boundary enclosing an interior region of the cell. The test cell further includes a sample chamber, a first reservoir, and a second reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary. The sample chamber defines an interior region. The first reservoir fluidly connects to the interior region of the sample chamber. The second reservoir fluidly connects to the interior region of the sample chamber. The test cell also has a piston assembly having a piston fluid chamber and a piston with a stem extending into the piston fluid chamber. The piston partially defines the sample chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for testing properties of a sample, the system comprising:
a test cell comprising:
a cell casing comprising a first end piece, a second end piece, and at least one wall extending between the first end piece and the second end piece the cell casing defining a pressure boundary enclosing an interior region of the cell;
a sample chamber disposed within the pressure boundary, the sample chamber defining an interior region;
a first reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary, the first reservoir fluidly connected to the interior region of the sample chamber;
a second reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary, the second reservoir fluidly connected to the interior region of the sample chamber; and
a piston assembly comprising a piston fluid chamber and a piston with a stem extending into the piston fluid chamber, the piston partially defining the sample chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a jacket surrounding the sample chamber, wherein the jacket is made of an electrically insulating material.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising an electrical probe disposed between the jacket and the sample chamber or integrated in sample chamber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one wall of the first reservoir and at least one wall of the second reservoir have neutral wettability.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir are made of material with low X-ray interference.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the piston is made of a material with low X-ray interference.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure boundary is a first pressure boundary, wherein the first reservoir defines a second pressure boundary, and wherein the second reservoir defines third pressure boundary.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one transducer operable to have a receiving state and a transmitting state.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one transducer is an acoustic sensor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the piston is movable, in the interior region defined the sample chamber, in a first direction and a second direction.

11. A system for testing properties of a sample, the system comprising:
a test cell comprising:
a cell casing defining a pressure boundary enclosing an interior region of the cell;
a sample chamber disposed within the pressure boundary, the sample chamber defining an interior region;
a first reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary, the first reservoir fluidly connected to the interior region of the sample chamber;
a second reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary, the second reservoir fluidly connected to the interior region of the sample chamber; and
a piston assembly comprising a piston fluid chamber and a piston with a stem extending into the piston fluid chamber, the piston partially defining the sample chamber.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the cell casing comprises:
a first end piece,
a second end piece, and
at least one wall extending between the first end piece and the second end piece.

13. A method comprising:
installing a sample in a cell casing,
installing the cell casing in a tri-axial centrifuge,
applying an axial stress to the cell casing and sample, such that the cell casing and the sample receive an axial pressure,
applying a second pressure to the sample from a first reservoir in a pressure boundary, wherein the second pressure is less than the axial pressure and greater than an environmental pressure, and
applying a third pressure to the sample from a second reservoir in the pressure boundary.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying a second pressure comprises using fluid to apply an overburden pressure to an exterior surface of the sample.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the third pressure by the second reservoir comprises applying a pore pressure that is less than overburden pressure to the sample.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising modifying at least one of the axial pressure, the second pressure, a test temperature, or a fluid, wherein the fluid applies the second pressure to the sample.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising measuring acoustic properties of the sample using at least one transducer.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising measuring electrical properties of the sample using an electrical probe.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising imaging the sample and cell casing using an x-ray.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising performing at least one of a flow test, a capillary pressure test, an electrical properties test, or an acoustic velocity test, on the sample.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the flow test is a multispeed flow test.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the flow test is a single-speed flow test.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the capillary pressure test is a multispeed capillary test.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the capillary pressure test is a single- speed capillary test.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Hakimuddin Mustafa

Classifications

• G01N2035/00495

  Centrifuges · CPC title

• E21B49/088

  combined with sampling · CPC title

• G01N33/24

  Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N15/0806 Primary

  Details, e.g. sample holders, mounting samples for testing · CPC title

• G01N3/12 Primary

  Pressure testing · CPC title