Systems and methods for volume fraction analysis of production fluids utilizing a vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12259093-B2
Application number	US-202318481518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2023
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

System and methods for analyzing a multiphase production fluid include a fluidic supply and analysis unit configured to transition the fluidic separation chamber to a static state after a complete gaseous phase column and a complete oil phase column are formed within the fluidic separation chamber; communicate with the fluidic separation detector to measure the absolute or relative sizes of the complete gaseous phase column and the complete oil phase column; and calculate an oil/gas volume fraction as a function of the measured sizes of the gaseous phase and oil phase columns in the fluidic separation chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for analyzing a multiphase production fluid, the system comprising fluidic piping, a production fluid supply valve configured to supply multiphase production fluid, an inert gas supply valve configured to supply an inert gas, the inert gas being separate from and comprising a lower density than a gaseous phase of the multiphase production fluid, a vertically orientated fluidic separation chamber, an inert gas exhaust valve, a separation chamber pressure sensor, a fluidic separation detector, and a fluidic supply and analysis unit, in which:
the fluidic separation detector comprises a plurality of active sensors, a plurality of passive sensors, or a plurality of active sensors and a plurality of passive sensors;
the fluidic piping is configured to supply multiphase production fluid from the production fluid supply valve and the inert gas from the inert gas supply valve to the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber;
the inert gas exhaust valve is configured to exhaust inert gas from the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber;
the separation chamber pressure sensor is configured to provide an indication of gas pressure in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber; and
the fluidic supply and analysis unit is in communication with the production fluid supply valve, the inert gas supply valve, the inert gas exhaust valve, the separation chamber pressure sensor, and the fluidic separation detector, and is configured to
supply the inert gas to the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber,
communicate with the production fluid supply valve to supply the multiphase production fluid to the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber after supplying the inert gas,
communicate with the separation chamber pressure sensor to stabilize the gas pressure within the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber by exhausting the inert gas through the inert gas exhaust valve as the multiphase production fluid is supplied,
communicate with the fluidic separation detector to monitor a growth rate Q C of a gaseous phase column of the multiphase production fluid in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber through the fluidic separation detector,
convert the growth rate Q C of the gaseous phase column to a production fluid gas flow rate Q G ,
transition the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber to a static state after a completely separated gaseous phase column and a completely separated oil phase column are formed within the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber,
communicate with the fluidic separation detector to measure the absolute or relative sizes of the completely separated gaseous phase column and the completely separated oil phase column through the fluidic separation detector, and
calculate an oil/gas volume fraction V O /V G as a function of the measured sizes of the gaseous phase and oil phase columns in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of active sensors comprise microwave transceivers, acoustic transceivers, an illuminating vision system, or combinations thereof; and
the plurality of passive sensors comprise a combination temperature sensor-gas sensor array, a non-illuminating vision system, or both.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is configured to calculate the oil/gas volume fraction after a growth rate of the gaseous phase column, the oil phase column, or both, drops below a growth rate threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is configured to calculate the oil/gas volume fraction after a threshold separation time has elapsed.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is configured to calculate the oil/gas volume fraction after the oil phase column and the gaseous phase column have reached between about 50% and about 80% of their fully separated sizes.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the oil/gas volume fraction represents absolute or proportional volumes of oil and gas in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the oil/gas volume fraction represents respective oil and gas volumes relative to each other, or relative to a total volume of the multiphase production fluid in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is further configured to calculate a production fluid oil flow rate Q O as a function of at least the production fluid gas flow rate Q G and the volume fraction V O /V G .

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the production fluid oil flow rate Q O is calculated as follows:
Q O =Q G ( V O /V G ).

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is further configured to transition the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber to a static state by stopping the supply of the multiphase production fluid via the production fluid supply valve.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system further comprises a baseline liquid supply valve configured to supply a baseline liquid comprising water;
the fluidic piping is configured to supply the baseline liquid from the baseline liquid supply valve to the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber;
the fluidic supply and analysis unit is additionally in communication with the baseline liquid supply valve and is further configured to transition the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber to the static state by replacing the supply of the multiphase production fluid with the baseline liquid and subsequently stopping the supply of the baseline liquid.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is further configured to:
transition the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber to the static state after the completely separated gaseous phase column, the completely separated oil phase column, and a completely separated water phase column are formed within the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber;
communicate with the fluidic separation detector to measure the absolute or relative sizes of the completely separated gaseous phase column, the completely separated oil phase column, and the completely separated water phase column; and
calculate an oil/gas/water volume fraction V O /V G /V H2O as a function of the measured sizes of the gaseous phase, oil phase, and water phase columns in the vertically oriented fluidic separation chamber.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the fluidic supply and analysis unit is configured to calculate a production fluid oil flow rate Q O and a production fluid water flow rate Q H2O as a function of at least the production fluid gas flow rate Q G and the volume fraction V O /V G /V H2O .

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the completely separated oil phase column comprises an oil/water emulsion; and
the fluidic supply and analysis unit is further configured to calculate the oil/gas volume fraction as a function of an emulsification factor representing a volumetric proportion of the oil/water emulsion that is attributable to oil.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the growth rate Q C comprises a change in height Δh of the gaseous phase column over a time Δt; and
converting the growth rate Q C of the gaseous phase column to a production fluid gas flow rate Q G further comprises
converting the change in height Δh to a change in gaseous volume ΔH by multiplying Δh by a cross-sectional area of the vertically oriented flui

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alvarez Jose Oliverio

Classifications

• G01N33/2841

  Gas in oils, e.g. hydrogen in insulating oils · CPC title

• F17D5/00

  Protection or supervision of installations (arrangements for protecting foundations E02D31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L57/00, against corrosion and scale F16L58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00) · CPC title

• F17D3/05

  the different products not being separated (separation of contaminants by distillation B01D3/00) · CPC title

• G01F1/74

  Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid · CPC title

• E21B43/34

  Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well · CPC title