Well liner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153246-A1
Application number	US-201414901505-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tracer-liner portion includes an inner tube and an outer tube, each including at least one wall having an internal surface and an external surface, the walls of the inner tube and the outer tube being impermeable to fluid flow, the outer tube having an internal diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube, the inner tube being arranged coaxially within the outer tube such that at least a portion of the external surface of the inner tube is covered by the outer tube; the internal diameter of the outer tube exceeds the outer diameter of the inner tube by an amount sufficient to form a space between the external surface of the inner tube and the internal surface of the outer tube, and a tracer material containing a tracer compound is present in the space.

First claim

1 . A tracer-liner portion comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, each comprising at least one wall having an internal surface and an external surface, the walls of the inner tube and the outer tube being impermeable to fluid flow, said outer tube having an internal diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of said inner tube, said inner tube being arranged coaxially within said outer tube such that at least a portion of the external surface of said inner tube is covered by said outer tube; the internal diameter of the outer tube exceeds the outer diameter of the inner tube by an amount sufficient to form a space between the external surface of the inner tube and the internal surface of the outer tube, and a tracer material containing a tracer compound is present in said space.

2 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one spacer between the external surface of the wall of the inner tube and the outer tube.

3 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , wherein said tracer material does not fill said space.

4 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , wherein said tracer material comprises a tracer compound and a solid matrix material.

5 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 4 wherein said matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, paint, a wax or a bituminous material.

6 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 5 , wherein said tracer material comprises a tracer compound dispersed in a solid polymeric matrix in the form of a block or sheet.

7 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 6 , wherein said block or sheet has a textured surface.

8 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 6 wherein the surface of said solid polymeric matrix incorporates at least one topographical feature selected from ribs, channels and protrusions.

9 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , wherein said tracer compound is selected to partition into an organic phase.

10 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , wherein said tracer compound is selected to partition into an aqueous phase.

11 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 , wherein more than one tracer compound is present in the tracer-liner portion.

12 . A well liner comprising a plurality of liner portions, each joined at at least one end to an adjacent liner portion, wherein at least one of said liner portions comprises a tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 .

13 . A method of forming a well-liner comprising the step of joining together a plurality of liner portions at the ends thereof to form a well-liner, wherein at least one of said liner portions comprises a tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 .

14 . A method of tracing flow from a subterranean well comprising a well bore penetrating a fluid-bearing rock formation, comprising the steps of:
a. inserting a well-liner into said well, said well-liner comprising a plurality of liner portions, each joined at at least one end to an adjacent liner portion, wherein at least one of said liner portions comprises a tracer-liner portion according to claim 1 the outer wall of said well liner and the inner surface of said well-bore defining a gap, b. filling said gap with a settable fluid material and thereafter allowing said fluid material to set to form a solid material; c. forming perforations in the inner and outer tubes and the solid material so that fluid flowing within or over the liner may contact the tracer material located between the inner and outer tubes; d. collecting a sample of fluid at a location downstream of said perforations; e. analysing said sample to determine whether said tracer compound is present; and f. inferring from the presence or absence of said tracer compound in the sample whether fluid has contacted the tracer in the region of said perforations.

15 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein said perforations are formed by inserting a perforation tool carrying explosive charges into the inner tube of the liner portion and detonating the explosive charges.

16 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 2 , wherein said tracer material does not fill said space.

17 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 2 , wherein said tracer material comprises a tracer compound and a solid matrix material.

18 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 3 , wherein said tracer material comprises a tracer compound and a solid matrix material.

19 . A tracer-liner portion according to claim 7 wherein the surface of said solid polymeric matrix incorporates at least one topographical feature selected from ribs, channels and protrusions.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Plc

Inventors

• Brown Stuart
• Hewitt Paul

Classifications

• E21B43/10

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B43/116

  Gun or shaped-charge perforators · CPC title

• E21B17/00 Primary

  Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; {Cables;} Casings; Tubings · CPC title

• E21B47/1015

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/11 Primary

  using tracers; using radioactivity · CPC title