Flow Meter Well Tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010451-A1
Application number	US-201414330785-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flow meter well tool includes a volumetric well flow meter to be positioned in a wellbore. The volumetric well flow meter includes a hollow cylindrical tubing to be positioned in the wellbore. The tubing splits well fluid through the wellbore into an internal fluid through the volumetric well flow meter and an external fluid through an annulus between the wellbore and the volumetric well flow meter. The hollow cylindrical tubing includes an internal portion, where an internal cross-sectional area of the internal portion is less than an internal cross-sectional area of the hollow cylindrical tubing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flow meter well tool comprising:
a volumetric well flow meter to be positioned in a wellbore, the volumetric well flow meter comprising:
a hollow cylindrical tubing to be positioned in the wellbore, the tubing to split well fluid through the wellbore into an internal fluid through the volumetric well flow meter and an external fluid through an annulus between the wellbore and the volumetric well flow meter, the hollow cylindrical tubing comprising an internal portion, wherein an internal cross-sectional area of the internal portion is less than an internal cross-sectional area of the hollow cylindrical tubing.

2 . The flow meter well tool of claim 1 , further comprising a discharge grill component attached to an outlet end of the volumetric well flow meter, the discharge grill component to commingle the internal fluid and the external fluid that flow past the outlet end of the volumetric well flow meter.

3 . The flow meter well tool of claim 2 , wherein the discharge grill component comprises a tubing attached to the hollow cylindrical tubing at the outlet end of the volumetric flow meter, the tubing comprising openings through which the internal fluid flows to commingle with the external fluid.

4 . The flow meter well tool of claim 3 , where an open area of the openings is greater than or equal to the internal cross-sectional area of the hollow cylindrical tubing of the volumetric flow meter.

5 . The flow meter well tool of claim 3 , wherein the discharge grill component further comprises a bull nose in the tubing.

6 . The flow meter well tool of claim 2 , further comprising a measurement correction component attached to the discharge grill component, the measurement correction component to correct flow measurement errors introduced by tolerances of an inner diameter of the wellbore.

7 . The flow meter well tool of claim 6 , wherein an outer diameter of the volumetric well flow meter, an outer diameter of the discharge grill component, and an outer diameter of the measurement correction component are substantially equal to each other.

8 . The flow meter well tool of claim 6 , wherein a longitudinal length of the volumetric well flow meter is substantially the same as a longitudinal length of the measurement correction component.

9 . The flow meter well tool of claim 1 , further comprising a flow conditioner at an inlet end of the volumetric well flow meter to homogenize the well fluid.

10 . The flow meter well tool of claim 9 , wherein the flow conditioner comprises a conditioner tubing with a plurality of fins arranged to homogenize the well fluid, the conditioner tubing coupled to the hollow cylindrical tubing at the inlet end of the volumetric well flow meter.

11 . The flow meter well tool of claim 1 , wherein the volumetric well flow meter is positioned before an intake of a downhole pumping unit in the wellbore.

12 . A well flow meter system, comprising:
a volumetric well flow meter positioned in a wellbore, the flow meter comprising a hollow cylindrical tubing to split well fluid through the wellbore into an internal fluid through the volumetric flow meter and an external fluid through an annulus between the wellbore and the volumetric well flow meter; an internal sensor of the hollow cylindrical tubing to measure a pressure differential of the internal fluid; an external sensor of the hollow cylindrical tubing to measure a pressure differential of the external fluid; and processing circuitry connected to the internal sensor and the external sensor, the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
receiving pressure signals from the internal sensor and the external sensor;
determining pressure differentials across the internal fluid through the volumetric flow meter and across the external fluid through the annulus; and
determining fluid characteristics of the well fluid based on the determined pressure differentials.

13 . The well flow meter system of claim 12 , wherein the hollow cylindrical tubing comprises an internal portion, the internal portion having a cross-sectional area less than an internal cross-sectional area of the hollow cylindrical tubing.

14 . The well flow meter system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a discharge grill component attached to an outlet end of the volumetric well flow meter, the discharge grill component to commingle the internal fluid and the external fluid that flow past the outlet end of the volumetric well flow meter; and a measurement correction component comprising:
a tubing section; and
a correction sensor to measure a pressure differential of the commingled internal and external fluid between the measurement correction component and the wellbore.

15 . The well flow meter system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a transmitter electronically coupled to the internal sensor, the external sensor, and the correction sensor; and a receiver to receive differential pressure data from the internal sensor, the external sensor, and the correction sensor, the differential pressure data transmitted from a transmitter coupled to the internal sensor, the external sensor, and the correction sensor.

16 . The well flow meter system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a pressure differential across the commingled internal fluid and external fluid flowing outside the correction sensor; and
wherein the fluid characteristics comprise a volumetric flow rate of the commingled fluid, a volumetric flow rate of the internal fluid, a volumetric flow rate of the external fluid, a fluid density, and a fluid flow path resistance.

17 . The well flow meter system of claim 16 , wherein determining the fluid characteristics of the well fluid comprises solving the following equations:

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Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Melo Rafael Adolfo Lastra

Classifications

• G01F1/44

  Venturi tubes · CPC title

• E21B47/10 Primary

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title

• E21B43/128

  Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives · CPC title

• E21B49/08 Primary

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

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title