Methods and apparatuses for deriving wellbore fluid sag from thermal conductivity measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016356919-A1
Application number	US-201414893541-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Thermal conductivity measurements of a wellbore fluid may be used to derive the sag of the wellbore fluid (i.e., the inhomogeneity or gradation in particle distribution in the fluid as a result of the particles settling). For example, a method may include measuring a thermal conductivity of a fluid at two or more locations along a height of a vessel containing the fluid that comprises particles dispersed in a base fluid; and calculating a sag of the fluid based on the thermal conductivity at the two or more locations. In some instances, the temperature and pressure of the wellbore fluid may be changed and/or the wellbore fluid may be sheared to investigate their effects on sag.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
measuring a thermal conductivity of a fluid at two or more locations along a height of a vessel containing the fluid that comprises particles dispersed in a base fluid; and calculating a sag of the fluid based on the thermal conductivity at the two or more locations.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
applying shear to the fluid while measuring the thermal conductivity.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing a temperature of the fluid contained in the vessel before measuring the thermal conductivity.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing a pressure in the vessel before measuring the thermal conductivity.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a wellbore fluid and the method further comprises: adjusting an operational parameter of a wellbore operation using the wellbore fluid based on the sag of the wellbore fluid.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the wellbore fluid is a drilling fluid and the particles include a weighting agent.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the wellbore fluid is a drilling fluid and the particles include a lost circulation material.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the wellbore fluid is a proppant slurry and the particles include a proppant.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the operational parameter is a pump-off time.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the operational parameter is a wellbore fluid flow rate downhole.

11 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the operational parameter is a composition of the wellbore fluid.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a drilling fluid and the method further comprises: transporting the drilling fluid from a mud pit at a well site to the vessel.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a sample of a proppant slurry and the method further comprises: mixing a base fluid and a proppant to form the proppant slurry; and extracting the sample from the proppant slurry before pressurizing the proppant slurry for placement downhole.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel and the method further comprising:
wherein the fluid is a drilling fluid; measuring the thermal conductivity of the fluid as a function of time at two or more locations along a height of a second vessel containing the drilling fluid, wherein (1) a condition of the drilling fluid contained in the first and second vessels, a geometry of the first and second vessels, or both are different; calculating a sag rate of the drilling fluid based on the thermal conductivity as a function of time at the two or more locations in the first vessel and the second vessel; and adjusting an operational parameter of a wellbore operation using the wellbore fluid based on the sag rate of the drilling fluid.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the condition of the drilling fluid is a temperature of the drilling fluid, a pressure applied to the drilling fluid, or both.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the condition of the drilling fluid is a shear rate applied to the drilling fluid.

17 . A system comprising:
a drilling platform operably coupled to a drill string extending into a wellbore; a drill bit attached to the distal end of the drill string; a pump operably connected to the drill string for circulating a drilling fluid through the drill string to an annulus defined by the drill string and the wellbore to a fluid processing unit and to a retention pit; and one or more thermal conductivity measurement apparatuses in fluid communication with the retention pit, the one or more thermal conductivity measurement apparatuses comprising: a vessel with two or more thermal conductivity sensors disposed therein and located within the vessel at two or more locations along a height of a vessel.

18 . A system comprising:
a line fluidly connecting a mixing tank and a tubular extending into a wellbore with a pump disposed along the line between the mixing tank and the tubular; one or more thermal conductivity measurement apparatuses in fluid communication with the line between the mixing tank and the pump, the one or more thermal conductivity measurement apparatuses comprising: a vessel with two or more thermal conductivity sensors disposed therein and located within the vessel at two or more locations along a height of a vessel.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Jamison Dale E
• Mcdaniel Cato Russell
• Newman Katerina V
• Ye Xiangnan

Classifications

• E21B21/01

  Arrangements for handling drilling fluids or cuttings outside the borehole, e.g. mud boxes · CPC title

• G01N2011/0093

  thermal properties · CPC title

• G01N11/00

  Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• G01V9/005 Primary

  by thermal methods, e.g. after generation of heat by chemical reactions · CPC title