Fluid holdup monitoring in downhole fluid sampling tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023220771-A1
Application number	US-202217572684-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 13, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Fluid holdups within a downhole sampling tool are identified by comparing high- and low-resolution measurements of fluid samples.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to identify fluid holdups during downhole fluid sampling operations, the method comprising:
obtaining, using a sampling tool positioned within a wellbore, one or more first fluid measurements having a first spatial resolution; obtaining, using the sampling tool, one or more second fluid measurements having a second spatial resolution lower than the first spatial resolution; calculating a first ratio of the first fluid measurements; calculating a second ratio of the second fluid measurements; comparing the first ratio to the second ratio; and based upon the comparison, identifying fluid holdups within the sampling tool.

2 . The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first fluid measurement is an optical measurement, infrared measurement or laser measurement.

3 . The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second fluid measurement is a density measurement or capacitance measurement.

4 . The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second ratios are water ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

5 . The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second ratios are mud ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

6 . The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second ratios are formation fluid ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

7 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising flushing the fluid holdups out of the sampling tool.

8 . A system to identify fluid holdups during downhole fluid sampling operations, the system comprising:
a fluid sampling tool comprising:
a first spatial resolution sensor; and
a second spatial resolution sensor having a spatial resolution lower than the first spatial resolution sensor; and
processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
obtaining, using the first spatial resolution sensor, one or more first fluid measurements;
obtaining, using the second spatial resolution sensor, one or more second fluid measurements;
calculating a first ratio of the first fluid measurements;
calculating a second ratio of the second fluid measurements;
comparing the first ratio to the second ratio; and
based upon the comparison, identifying fluid holdups within the sampling tool.

9 . The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first spatial resolution sensor is an optical, infrared or laser sensor.

10 . The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the second spatial resolution sensor is a density sensor or capacitance sensor.

11 . The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first and second ratios are water ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

12 . The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first and second ratios are mud ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

13 . The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first and second ratios are formation fluid ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

14 . The system as defined in claim 8 , further comprising flushing the fluid holdups out of the sampling tool.

15 . A non-transitory computer program product including instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to a method comprising:
obtaining, using a sampling tool positioned within a wellbore, one or more first fluid measurements having a first spatial resolution; obtaining, using the sampling tool, one or more second fluid measurements having a second spatial resolution lower than the first spatial resolution; calculating a first ratio of the first fluid measurements; calculating a second ratio of the second fluid measurements; comparing the first ratio to the second ratio; and based upon the comparison, identifying fluid holdups within the sampling tool.

16 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 , wherein:
the first fluid measurement is an optical measurement, infrared measurement or laser is measurement; and the second fluid measurement is a density measurement or capacitance measurement.

17 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first and second ratios are water ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

18 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first and second ratios are mud ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

19 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first and second ratios are formation fluid ratios of the first and second fluid measurements.

20 . The computer program product as defined in claim 15 , further comprising flushing the fluid holdups out of the sampling tool.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Chen Zhonghuan
• Dai Bin
• Jones Christopher Michael
• Zhang Wei

Classifications

• E21B49/10 Primary

  using side-wall fluid samplers or testers · CPC title

• E21B49/0875

  determining specific fluid parameters · CPC title

• E21B49/081 Primary

  with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample (E21B49/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N9/32

  by using flow properties of fluids, e.g. flow through tubes or apertures · CPC title

• G01N21/3577

  for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water · CPC title