Confining pressure measurement for zonal isolation evaluation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557315-B2
Application number	US-201313953196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2013
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for measuring confining pressure, axial strain and radial strain of zonal isolation materials are described. This information is useful for evaluating these materials and predicting seal performance and potential failures of these materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A confinement device for measuring a swelling pressure and swelling kinetics of a sample comprising:
an external fluid filled container;
an internal container disposed inside the external container wherein the internal container has openings that allow fluid flow from the external fluid filled container into the internal container;
a base member coupling the external and internal container, the base member comprising a heating element;
a sample inside the internal container wherein the sample swells on contact with the fluid;
a piston operative to slide axially inside the internal container; and
a mechanical testing device connected to the piston to determine at least one of a force and a displacement exerted by the sample on the piston as the sample swells, wherein the internal container confines the sample in a radial direction and the piston confines the sample in an axial direction.

2. The confinement device of claim 1 , where the openings enable fluid flow above and below the sample.

3. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the piston is located on top of the sample.

4. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical testing device comprises a load cell configured to measure the force.

5. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical testing device comprises a sensor module configured to measure piston displacement.

6. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is at least one of oil and water.

7. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is used to keep the sample at a fixed temperature.

8. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a solid sample or a liquid sample.

9. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the internal and external containers are at a temperature below a boiling point of the sample.

10. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is placed inside a high pressure chamber.

11. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein a piston head of the piston has a plurality of openings to allow fluid to axially move through the piston head.

12. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the piston is locked in a fixed position inside the internal container.

13. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is at least one of oil and water.

14. The confinement device of claim 1 , further comprising a lower support member located below the sample, a bottom portion of the lower support member comprising a slot.

15. The confinement device of claim 14 , wherein the lower support member comprises at least one o-ring which seals the internal container.

16. The confinement device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fluid filled porous ceramic disk positioned on top of or on a bottom of the sample wherein the fluid from the porous ceramic disk diffuses in an axial direction into the sample.

17. The confinement device of claim 16 , further comprising a gap between the sample and the at least one fluid filled porous ceramic disk.

18. The confinement device of claim 1 , further comprising a gap between the sample and the piston.

19. The confinement device of claim 18 , wherein the sample is able to swell before axial confinement by the piston as a result of the gap.

20. The confinement device of claim 1 , wherein the internal container has a thin wall deformable portion adjacent to the sample.

21. The confinement device of claim 20 , further comprising a strain gauge fitted to the external surface of the thin wall deformable portion of the internal container wherein the strain gauge measures a radial strain of the sample acting on the internal container wall.

22. A method for evaluating a sample of material used for zonal isolation, the method comprising:
using a confinement device comprising an external fluid filled container and an internal container disposed inside the external container wherein the internal container has openings that allow fluid flow from the external fluid filled container into the internal container;
placing a sample of material inside the internal container, wherein the material swells on contact with a fluid;
coupling the external and internal container with a base member comprising a heating module;
placing a piston above the sample of material, the piston operative to slide axially inside the internal container; and
using a mechanical testing device in contact with the piston and determining at least one of a force and a displacement exerted by the sample of material on the piston as the sample of material swells.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising wherein the mechanical testing device comprises a load cell.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising determining a force exerted by the sample of material on the piston using the load cell configured to measure the force over time.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Kats Roman
• Robisson Agathe
• Musso Simone
• Lou Yucun
• Thomas Jeffrey

Classifications

• G01N33/383 Primary

  Concrete or cement · CPC title