Evaluating solid particle separation in wellbore fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017307526-A1
Application number	US-201415517679-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Turbidity measurement systems and methods of using the same are described. A turbidity measurement system comprise a vessel configured to hold a wellbore fluid, wherein a permeable obstruction to flow is positioned in the vessel; a light source positioned to direct light at the vessel; a light detector positioned to measure light intensity of light emitted by the light source and passing through the vessel; and a backscatter detector positioned to measure the light intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A turbidity measurement system comprising:
a vessel configured to hold a wellbore fluid, wherein a permeable obstruction to flow is positioned in the vessel; a light source positioned to direct light at the vessel; a light detector positioned to measure light intensity of light emitted by the light source and passing through the vessel; and a backscatter detector positioned to measure the light intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source.

2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source, light detector, and backscatter detector are configured to scan the entirety of the length and/or width of the vessel.

3 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source, light detector, and backscatter detector are not connected together as a single unit.

4 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises an injection port and a filtrate port.

5 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the permeable obstruction comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a filter, a porous media, or a fractured media.

6 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the permeable obstruction is a cross section of a subterranean formation.

7 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the permeable obstruction comprises a fractured media, wherein the fractured media is made from a transparent material.

8 . A system according to claim 7 , wherein the transparent material comprises a glass or a plastic.

9 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the turbidity measurement system is communicatively coupled to an external computer system.

10 . A method for measuring the turbidity of a wellbore fluid comprising:
injecting a volume of wellbore fluid into the interior of a vessel, wherein a permeable obstruction to flow is positioned in the vessel; and measuring the turbidity of the wellbore fluid with a turbidity measurement apparatus, wherein the turbidity measurement apparatus comprises a light source, a light detector, and a backscatter detector.

11 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the turbidity measurement apparatus scans the entirety of the length and/or width of the vessel.

12 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the light source, light detector, and backscatter detector are not connected together as a single unit.

13 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the permeable obstruction is a cross section of a subterranean formation.

14 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid is a drilling fluid.

15 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid comprises lost circulation materials.

16 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid comprises a proppant.

17 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid comprises suspended solids that form a filter cake on a face of the permeable obstruction.

18 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the permeable obstruction comprises a fractured media.

19 . A method according to claim 18 , wherein the wellbore fluid comprises suspended solids that form a pack in the fractured media.

20 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the turbidity measurement system is communicatively coupled to an external computer system.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Shen Rui
• Harvey Timothy N
• Jamison Dale E
• Mcdaniel Cato Russell

Classifications

• E21B49/08 Primary

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

• G01N2015/084

  Testing filters · CPC title

• E21B49/0875

  determining specific fluid parameters · CPC title

• G01V8/12

  using one transmitter and one receiver · CPC title

• G01N15/06

  Investigating concentration of particle suspensions (by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10) · CPC title