Coiled tubing gamma ray detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540889-B2
Application number	US-61786109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2009
Priority date	May 28, 2004
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A downhole tool for use in coiled tubing well operations. The tool includes a gamma ray detector for determining well location information for an associated coiled tubing application. The well location information may relate to well depth and/or the locating and identifying of a particular side branch or lateral leg of the well. Additionally, the gamma ray detector may be utilized to monitor dynamic well conditions in real-time such as the flow of injected fluids or the effectiveness of clean out applications via the coiled tubing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
deploying into a well a coiled tubing assembly with a fiber optic line running therethrough to a flow-through gamma ray detector, the fiber optic line disposed within the fluid flow path of the coiled tubing from a well surface to the gamma ray detector;
detecting substantially static gamma ray formation characteristics of the well with the flow-through gamma ray detector;
comparing the substantially static gamma ray formation characteristics with a stored gamma ray reference log for the well;
determining the location of the coiled tubing assembly within the well;
performing an application at the determined location in the well; and
monitoring and detecting gamma rays related to a dynamic condition of the application with the gamma ray detector while performing the application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises
relaying information regarding the substantially static gamma ray formation characteristics over the fiber optic line to equipment at an oilfield surface adjacent the well; and
employing the equipment to compute the location from the information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined location is one of a depth in the well and a lateral leg of the well.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is selected from the group consisting of a fracturing application, a cementing application, a flow-monitoring application, a scale removal application, a clean-out, matrix acidizing, and perforating.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location is a first location and the application is a first application, the method further comprising re-positioning the assembly at a second location and performing a second application thereat.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first application and the second application are fracturing applications.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamic condition is one of introducing a substance through the coiled tubing assembly during said performing and altering well conditions at the location during said performing.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the introducing comprises delivering a tracer substance with a pre-determined detectability relative to the detector for monitoring.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein performing the application comprising performing a fracturing application and wherein performing a fracturing application comprises directing a slurry with the tracer substance mixed therein to the location.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein altering of well conditions comprises moving debris at the location.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein moving debris comprises scale removal.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying comprises deploying a coiled tubing with a fiber optic line, the fiber optic line having a diameter of about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the diameter of the fiber optic line provides a suitable channel within the coiled tubing for carrying fluid for performing the application.

14. A coiled tubing equipment assembly comprising:
coiled tubing with a fiber optic line running therethrough and configured for deployment in a well;
a flow-through gamma ray tool comprising a gamma ray detector coupled to a downhole end of the fiber optic line and configured to detect gamma rays to provide well location information in real-time over the fiber optic line during deployment and dynamic well condition information in real-time over the fiber optic line while performing a coiled tubing application;
a coiled tubing reel to accommodate said coiled tubing and fiber optic line at an oilfield surface and positioned adjacent the well for deployment of the coiled tubing and fiber optic line, the fiber optic line disposed within the fluid flow path of the coiled tubing from the reel to the gamma ray detector; and
a processing unit for positioning at the oilfield surface adjacent said coiled tubing reel to wirelessly acquire the real-time well location information and the real-time dynamic well condition information therefrom.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the location information relates to one of well depth and positioning relative to a lateral leg of the well.

16. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the dynamic well condition information relates to one of changes of pre-existing well conditions at a well location and changes of materials delivered to the location through the coiled tubing.

17. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a downhole application device coupled to said coiled tubing.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said downhole application device is an isolation tool for a fracturing application.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the isolation tool comprises:
a pair of expandable packer seals; and
a fracturing mechanism disposed at a location between said seals and having a delivery port for introducing a slurry for the fracturing application at the location.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein said detector is disposed between said seals, the slurry is detectable by said detector, and the dynamic well condition is the fracturing application.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein deploying comprises deploying a coiled tubing with a fiber optic line, the fiber optic line having a diameter of about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the diameter of the fiber optic line provides a suitable channel within the coiled tubing for carrying fluid for performing the application.

Assignees

• Revellat Guillaume
• Van Kuijk Robert
• Greenaway Robert
• Adnan Sarmad
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Revellat Guillaume
• Van Kuijk Robert
• Greenaway Robert
• Adnan Sarmad

Classifications

• E21B17/206 Primary

  with conductors, e.g. electrical, optical · CPC title

• E21B47/135

  using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves · CPC title

• G01V5/00

  Prospecting or detecting by the use of ionising radiation, e.g. of natural or induced radioactivity · CPC title

• E21B47/123

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic