Systems And Methods For Analyzing The Characteristics And Compositions Of Cement Additives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017190946-A1
Application number	US-201415313283-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Optical analysis systems and methods may be used for analyzing the characteristics, including compositions, of cement additives, which may be used in formulating a cement slurry. For example, a cement additive may be optically interacting with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the cement additive. An output signal may then be generated corresponding to the characteristic of the cement additive detected by the ICE, which may be received and processed with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the cement additive. The value of the characteristic of the cement additive may then be used to determine an amount of the cement additive for use in producing a cement slurry.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
optically interacting a cement additive with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the cement additive; generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the cement additive detected by the ICE; receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the cement additive; and determining an amount of the cement additive for use in producing a cement slurry based on the value of the characteristic of the cement additive.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of interest is a concentration of an active component of the cement additive.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of interest is a concentration of a degradation product of the cement additive.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of interest is a concentration of a contaminant of the cement additive.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement additive is in the form of a liquid concentrate with an active component of the cement additive dispersed in a fluid and the characteristic of interest is a concentration of the active component in the fluid.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement additive includes two or more active components, and wherein the characteristic of interest is a relative concentration of the two or more active components in the cement additive.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein optically interacting the cement additive with the ICE is performed at a well site.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the cement additive is a first characteristic of the cement additive, the method further comprising:
optically interacting the cement additive with a second ICE configured to detect a second characteristic of the cement additive that is different than the first characteristic of the cement additive; generating a second output signal corresponding to the second characteristic of the cement additive detected by the second ICE; and receiving and processing the second output signal with the signal processor to yield a value for the second characteristic of the cement additive, wherein determining the amount of the cement additive for use in producing the cement slurry is based on the values for the first and second characteristics of the cement additive.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cement additive is produced water, seawater, or saltwater, and wherein the first characteristic is magnesium salt concentration and the second characteristic is pH.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cement additive is produced water, seawater, or saltwater, and wherein the first characteristic is magnesium salt concentration and the second characteristic is total salt concentration.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
preparing the cement slurry; and introducing the cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation.

12 . A method comprising:
optically interacting a first cement additive with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the first cement additive; generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the first cement additive detected by the ICE; receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the first cement additive; and determining a concentration of a second cement additive for use in producing a cement slurry based on the value of the characteristic of the first cement additive.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the characteristic of interest is magnesium salt concentration and the first cement additive is produced water, seawater, or saltwater, and wherein the second cement additive is another water source.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the characteristic of interest is clay concentration and the second cement additive is a gelling agent.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the characteristic of interest is organic matter and the second cement additive is a set accelerator.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first cement additive is water and the characteristic of interest is salt concentration, and the method further comprising calculating an estimated salt concentration in the cement slurry based at least in part on the salt concentration in the water.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the estimated salt concentration in the cement slurry is greater than 8% and the second cement additive is a set accelerator.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the estimated salt concentration in the cement slurry is less than 8% and the second cement additive is a set retarder.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
preparing the cement slurry; and introducing the cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation.

20 . A method comprising:
at a well site, optically interacting a cement additive with at least one integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the cement additive, wherein the characteristic of interest is selected from the group consisting of: a concentration of an active component of the cement additive, a concentration of a degradation product of the cement additive, a concentration of a contaminant of the cement additive, and a relative concentration of a first active component of the cement additive to a second active component of the cement additive; generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the cement additive detected by the at least one ICE; receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the cement additive; determining an amount of the cement additive for use in producing a cement slurry based on the value of the characteristic of the cement additive; preparing the cement slurry; and introducing the cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Pearl Jr William C
• Pearl Megan Renee

Classifications

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• G01N21/31

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C04B40/0096

  Provisions for indicating condition of the compositions or the final products, e.g. degree of homogeneous mixing, degree of wear · CPC title

• G01J3/00

  Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours · CPC title

• G01J3/36

  Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors · CPC title