Apparatus and method for measuring settling of weighting materials in drilling and completion fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174169-B2
Application number	US-202217576182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 14, 2022
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus to test a drilling fluid in a laboratory includes a test cell configured to test the fluid to determine a Sag Factor of the fluid. The test cell may be heated with a heating jacket to a predefined temperature. A plurality of densitometers are configured to continuously measure a density of the fluid circulating in the test cell. A computing device processes the density measurements to determine a Sag Factor of the drilling fluid.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus to test a fluid in a laboratory, comprising:
a test cell configured to test the fluid to determine a Sag Factor of the fluid;
a heating jacket configured to receive the test cell and heat the test cell to a predefined temperature;
a plurality of densitometers configured to continuously measure a density of the fluid disposed in the test cell; and
at least one data line for transmitting the density measurements from the test cell to a computing device in the laboratory,
wherein the computing device is configured to process the density measurements to determine the Sag Factor of the fluid, and
wherein the heating jacket covers at least two faces of an exterior of the test cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of densitometers comprises a first densitometer disposed on a bottom of the test cell, a second densitometer disposed in a middle of the test cell, and a third densitometer disposed on a top of the test cell.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is drilling fluid or completion fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating jacket is preheated to 10° F. above the desired test temperature.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the test cell comprises a closure that seals the fluid in the test cell.

6. A method for determining a Sag Factor of a fluid, comprising:
obtaining a sample of the fluid to be analyzed;
filling a laboratory test cell with the fluid to be analyzed;
closing the laboratory test cell to seal the fluid inside and applying a selected pressure to the laboratory test cell;
heating, via a heating jacket that covers at least two faces of an exterior of the laboratory test cell, the laboratory test cell to a selected temperature;
measuring, via a plurality of densitometers, a density of the fluid inside the laboratory test cell under the selected pressure and temperature;
transmitting the density measurement to a computing device for processing; and
determining the Sag Factor of the fluid in the laboratory test cell.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: determining initial properties of the fluid to be analyzed, wherein the initial properties comprise initial density, pH, and rheological properties.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected temperature and the selected pressure are selected to simulate conditions at a given depth in a wellbore.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: measuring, via the plurality of densitometers, the density of the fluid at a top, a middle, and a bottom of the laboratory test cell.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein filling the fluid in the laboratory test cell comprises leaving a void for expansion of the fluid, wherein a size of the void to leave in the laboratory test cell depends on the selected temperature.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Olivares Antunez Tulio D
• Abahussain Abdullah A
• Pino Rafael M

Classifications

• G01N9/04

  of fluids · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• G01N9/36

  Analysing materials by measuring the density or specific gravity, e.g. determining quantity of moisture (methods of measurement in general G01N9/02 - G01N9/32) · CPC title

• E21B49/08

  Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• C09K8/14

  Clay-containing compositions (containing inorganic compounds C09K8/05) · CPC title