Downhole pressure sensing for fluid identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12312943-B2
Application number	US-202016950556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for determining positions of fluids during a cementing process in real-time. Systems and methods are provided for receiving one or more sensing parameters from a distributed acoustic sensing fiber optic line positioned in a wellbore during a cementing process, determining types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the one or more sensing parameters received from the distributed acoustic sensing fiber optic line, determining pressure gradients of the types of fluid based on the one or more sensing parameters received from the distributed acoustic sensing fiber optic line, and compiling flow profiles for the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on at least one of the determining of the types of fluid and the determining of the pressure gradients of the types of fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving one or more optical signals from a distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line positioned and in a wellbore during a cementing process;
determining an acoustic noise attenuation from the one or more optical signals from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line;
determining a slope and a variation of acoustic noise attenuation;
receiving pH data of fluid proximate to the wellbore from one or more sensors;
determining types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the slope and the variation of the acoustic noise attenuation and the pH data;
determining a fluid density of the types of fluid at a position within the wellbore;
determining pressure gradients of the types of fluid based on the one or more optical signals received from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line;
compiling flow profiles for the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the determining of the types of fluid and the determining of the pressure gradients of the types of fluid in real-time; and
after compiling the flow profiles, adjusting the cementing process based on the flow profiles by a manual action or automatic action,
wherein adjusting the cementing process includes adjusting a volume of a fluid delivered to the wellbore based on a loss of fluid determined by the flow profiles and stopping the cementing process when cement is properly positioned,
wherein the pressure gradients are operable to determine one or more loss zones.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure gradients vary over time as the types of fluid move along the wellbore.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line is communicatively coupled to a fiber optic sensing surface interrogator.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving one or more sensing parameters which includes receiving sensor data from at least one of an electro-acoustic transducer and a sensor of the one or more sensors via the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor data from the at least one of the electro-acoustic transducer and the sensor include at least one of pressure data, temperature data, resistivity data, conductivity data, and chemical data.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is a tracer that includes a radio frequency identification and is configured to measure temperature and pressure of the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the cementing process based on a predetermined objective of cementing a specified portion of the wellbore, the adjusting of the cementing process being adjusted by at least one of a manual action, an automatic action, and a recommendation to an operator.

8. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
receive one or more optical signals from a distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line positioned in a wellbore during a cementing process;
determine an acoustic noise attenuation received from the one or more optical signals from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line;
determine a slope and a variation of the acoustic noise attenuation;
receive pH data of fluid proximate to the wellbore from one or more sensors;
determine types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the slope and the variation of the acoustic noise attenuation and the pH data;
determine a fluid density of the types of fluid at a position within the wellbore;
determine pressure gradients of the types of fluid based on the one or more optical signals received from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line at a specific depth;
compile flow profiles for the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the determination of the types of fluid and the determination of the pressure gradients of the types of fluid in real time; and
after compiling the flow profiles, adjust the cementing process based on the flow profiles by a manual action or automatic action,
wherein adjusting the cementing process includes adjusting a volume of a fluid delivered to the wellbore based on a loss of fluid determined by the flow profiles and stopping the cementing process when cement is properly positioned,
wherein the pressure gradients are operable to determine one or more loss zones.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pressure gradients vary over time as the types of fluid move along the wellbore.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line is communicatively coupled to a fiber optic sensing surface interrogator.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the receiving one or more sensing parameters which includes receiving sensor data from at least one of an electro-acoustic transducer and a sensor of the one or more sensors via distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor data from the at least one of the electro-acoustic transducer and the sensor include at least one of pressure data, temperature data, resistivity data, conductivity data, and chemical data.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a tracer that includes a radio frequency identification and is configured to measure temperature and pressure of the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:
instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive one or more optical signals from a distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line positioned in a wellbore during a cementing process;
determine an acoustic noise attenuation received from the one or more optical signals from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line;
determine a slope and a variation of the acoustic noise attenuation;
receive pH data of fluid proximate to the wellbore from one or more sensors;
determine types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the slope and variation of the acoustic noise attenuation and the pH data;
determine a fluid density at a specific depth of the types of fluid at the position;
determine pressure gradients of the types of fluid based on the one or more optical signals received from the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line;
compile flow profiles for the types of fluid proximate to the wellbore based on the determination of the types of fluid and the determination of the pressure gradients of the types of fluid in real time; and
after compiling the flow profiles, adjust the cementing process based on the flow profiles by a manual action or automatic action,
wherein adjusting the cementing process includes adjusting a volume of a fluid delivered to the wellbore based on a loss of fluid determined by the flow profiles and stopping the cementing process when cement is properly positioned,
wherein the pressure gradients are operable to determine one or more loss zones.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the distributed acoustic sensing enabled fiber optic line is communicatively coupled to a fiber optic sensing surface interrogator.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further com

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Singh John Paul Bir
• Jaaskelainen Mikko
• Yerubandi Krishna Babu
• Maida John L

Classifications

• E21B47/135

  using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves · CPC title

• G01K11/32

  using changes in transmittance, scattering or luminescence in optical fibres · CPC title

• G01D5/268

  using optical fibres (G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01L11/025

  using a pressure-sensitive optical fibre · CPC title

• G01H9/004

  using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125) · CPC title