Monitoring fluid characteristics downhole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536117-B2
Application number	US-201816491980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2018
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

Fluid characteristics of a well fluid can be monitored. For example, a computing device can receive sensor signals from an acoustic sensor positioned on a well tool. The sensor signals can indicate characteristics of acoustic emissions generated by a well fluid impacting the well tool. The computing device can determine an acoustic signature for the well fluid using the characteristics of the acoustic emissions. The computing device can determine a difference between the acoustic signature a baseline acoustic-signature for the well fluid. The computing device can determine one or more fluid characteristics of the well fluid using the difference between the acoustic signature and the baseline acoustic-signature. The computing device can transmit a notification indicating the one or more fluid characteristics.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an acoustic sensor configured to detect characteristics of acoustic emissions generated by a well fluid impacting a well tool and transmit sensor signals associated with the acoustic emissions;
a motion sensor configured to detect characteristics of motion resulting from the well fluid impacting the well tool and transmit a plurality of sensor signals associated with the motion;
a processing device in communication with the acoustic sensor; and
a memory device including instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
receive the sensor signals from the acoustic sensor,
generate an acoustic signature for the well fluid using the characteristics of the acoustic emissions;
determine a difference between the acoustic signature and a baseline acoustic-signature for the well fluid, the baseline acoustic-signature indicating other characteristics of other acoustic emissions generated by the well fluid;
determine a first concentration of sand in the well fluid using the difference between the acoustic signature and the baseline acoustic-signature;
receive the plurality of sensor signals from the motion sensor;
generate a motion signature for the well fluid using the characteristics of the motion;
determine a difference between the motion signature and a baseline motion-signature associated with the well fluid;
determine a second concentration of sand in the well fluid using the difference between the motion signature and the baseline motion-signature;
determine that the first concentration of sand is accurate in response to the first concentration of sand being within a predefined tolerance range of the second concentration of sand; and
transmit a notification associated with the first concentration of sand in the well fluid in response to the first concentration of sand exceeding a predefined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is a three-axis accelerometer positioned on the well tool, and wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to distinguish between (i) first motion from a production fluid that is flowing in a direction parallel to the well tool, and (ii) second motion from the well fluid flowing perpendicularly to the well tool, by analyzing the plurality of sensor signals from the three-axis accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
generate the motion signature for the well fluid using amplitudes of the second motion;
determine a difference between the motion signature and the baseline motion-signature associated with the well fluid; and
determine the second concentration of sand in the well fluid using the difference between the motion signature and the baseline motion-signature.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
determine a flow rate of the well fluid using a flow-rate sensor;
determine that the flow rate of the well fluid exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
transmit an alert indicating a potential problem in response to determining that the flow rate of the well fluid exceeds the predetermined threshold.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the flow-rate sensor is the acoustic sensor or the motion sensor.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
determine a viscosity of the well fluid by:
receiving a sensor signal from a resistivity sensor, the sensor signal indicating a resistivity of the well fluid;
determining a ratio of a first component of the well fluid to a second component of the well fluid based on the resistivity of the well fluid; and
determining the viscosity of the well fluid based on the ratio of the first component to the second component; and

determine the first concentration of sand in the well fluid using the flow rate and the viscosity of the well fluid.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system that includes (i) a fiber optic cable positionable in a wellbore and (ii) an interrogator coupled to the fiber optic cable for transmitting optical signals over the fiber optic cable, the DAS system being for detecting a particular zone among a plurality of zones in the wellbore that includes the well fluid;
wherein the acoustic sensor is positioned on the well tool and within the particular zone for detecting the acoustic emissions from the well fluid in the particular zone.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processing device, sensor signals from an acoustic sensor positioned on a well tool in a wellbore, the sensor signals indicating characteristics of acoustic emissions generated by a well fluid impacting the well tool;
generating, by the processing device, an acoustic signature for the well fluid using the characteristics of the acoustic emissions;
determining, by the processing device, a difference between the acoustic signature and a baseline acoustic-signature for the well fluid, the baseline acoustic-signature indicating other characteristics of other acoustic emissions generated by the well fluid;
determining, by the processing device, a first concentration of sand in the well fluid using the difference between the acoustic signature and the baseline acoustic-signature;
receiving, by the processing device, a plurality of sensor signals from a motion sensor, the sensor signals indicating amplitudes of vibrations resulting from the well fluid impacting the well tool in a direction perpendicular to the well tool;
distinguishing, by the processing device, the vibrations from other vibrations resulting from a production fluid flowing in a direction parallel to the well tool by analyzing the plurality of sensor signals;
generating, by the processing device, a motion signature for the well fluid using amplitudes of the vibrations resulting from the well fluid impacting the well tool in the direction perpendicular to the well tool;
determining, by the processing device, a difference between the motion signature and a baseline motion-signature associated with the well fluid; and
determining, by the processing device, a second concentration of sand in the well fluid based on the difference between the motion signature and the baseline motion-signature;
determining, by the processing device, that the first concentration of sand is accurate in response to the first concentration of sand being within a predefined tolerance range of the second concentration of sand; and
transmitting, by the processing device, a notification associated with the first concentration of sand in the well fluid in response to the first concentration of sand exceeding a predefined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from a flow-rate sensor, the sensor signal indicating a flow rate of the well fluid;
determining that the flow rate of the well fluid exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
transmitting an alert indicating a potential problem in response to determining that the flow rate of the well fluid exceeds the predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the flow-rate sensor is the acoustic sensor or the motion sensor.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from a resistivity sensor, the sensor signal

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Granville John Philip
• Samson Etienne

Classifications

• E21B47/18

  through the well fluid {, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry} · CPC title

• E21B43/12

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B43/025 Primary

  Consolidation of loose sand or the like round the wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof · CPC title

• E21B47/107 Primary

  using acoustic means · CPC title