Bore plug analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023287784-A1
Application number	US-202118007068-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method can include receiving pressure data with respect to time acquired via a pressure sensor disposed in an uphole region of a bore of a well, where a plug is disposed in the bore to define the uphole region to one side of the plug and a corresponding downhole region to the other side of the plug; using physical properties of liquid in the uphole region and thermal information, computing a temperature induced density variation of the liquid in the uphole region; and, based at least in part on at least a portion of the pressure data and the temperature induced density variation of the liquid, determining a state of the plug and the bore from a plurality of states.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving pressure data with respect to time acquired via a pressure sensor disposed in an uphole region of a bore of a well, wherein a plug is disposed in the bore to define the uphole region to one side of the plug and a corresponding downhole region to the other side of the plug; using physical properties of liquid in the uphole region and thermal information, computing a temperature induced density variation of the liquid in the uphole region; and based at least in part on at least a portion of the pressure data and the temperature induced density variation of the liquid, determining a state of the plug and the bore from a plurality of states.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of states comprise a no leakage state and a leakage state.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining presence of liquid or liquid and gas in the uphole region and, responsive to the presence of liquid or liquid and gas, selecting a relationship for computing the temperature induced density variation of the liquid or of the liquid and gas in the uphole region.

4 . The method of claim 3 , comprising determining presence of liquid communication with atmospheric pressure or gas communication with atmospheric pressure.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a presence of one of: gas in a portion of the uphole region uphole the liquid wherein the gas is in pressure communication with atmosphere; gas in a portion of the uphole region uphole the liquid wherein the gas is not in pressure communication with atmosphere; and the liquid extending to a top of the uphole region without a separate gas region therein wherein the liquid is not in pressure communication with atmosphere.

6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising responsive to the determining, selecting a relationship that relates at least a portion of the pressure data to flow rate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in a leakage state of the plug and the bore, a height parameter of the liquid in the uphole region is a function with respect to time.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a height of the liquid in the uphole region is more than ten times greater than a height of the plug.

9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining that gas exists in a portion of the uphole region that is uphole from the liquid in the uphole region.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising using physical properties of the gas and at least a portion of the thermal information, computing an environmentally induced density variation of the gas in the portion of the uphole region.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing an environmentally induced density variation comprises accounting for pressure effect on the gas in the portion of the uphole region.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising assessing the temperature information for a temperature gradient.

13 . The method of claim 1 , comprising estimating pressure with respect to time for the downhole region proximate to the plug.

14 . The method of claim 1 , comprising estimating a flow rate from the downhole region to the uphole region using a computed relationship and at least a portion of the pressure data.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the computed relationship comprises a slope that relates pressure and flow rate.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the slope is:

C
=

k
p

⁢

a
p

μ
⁢

l
p

.

17 . The method of claim 1 , comprising utilizing a relationship of pressure with respect to time versus a height parameter with respect to time for the liquid in the uphole region.

18 . The method of claim 17 , comprising determining the height parameter with respect to time for the liquid in the uphole region using at least a portion of the pressure data, wherein the relationship is represented as:

P
t

⁢

versus
⁢

dh
dt

+

β

ρ

ℓ
⁢
t

⁢
h
⁢

dh
dt

and wherein the relationship comprises an intercept, represented as:
P b0 − gl p .

19 . A system comprising:
a processor; memory accessible by the processor; processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable to instruct the system to:
receive pressure data with respect to time acquired via a pressure sensor disposed in an uphole region of a bore of a well, wherein a plug is disposed in the bore to define the uphole region to one side of the plug and a corresponding downhole region to the other side of the plug;
using physical properties of liquid in the uphole region and thermal information, compute a temperature induced density variation of the liquid in the uphole region; and
based at least in part on at least a portion of the pressure data and the computed temperature induced density variation of the fluid, determine a state of the plug and the bore from a plurality of states.

20 . One or more computer-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions to instruct a computing system to:
receive pressure data with respect to time acquired via a pressure sensor disposed in an uphole region of a bore of a well, wherein a plug is disposed in the bore to define the uphole region to one side of the plug and a corresponding downhole region to the other side of the plug; using physical properties of liquid in the uphole region and thermal information, compute a temperature induced density variation of the liquid in the uphole region; and based at least in part on at least a portion of the pressure data and the computed temperature induced density variation of the fluid, determine a state of the plug and the bore from a plurality of states.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Ramakrishnan Terizhandur S
• Zhang Hua

Classifications

• E21B33/12 Primary

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B47/12

  Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling · CPC title

• E21B47/06 Primary

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• E21B47/10

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title