Activation devices operable based on oil-water content in formation fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683427-B2
Application number	US-201414231973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure provides an apparatus for use in a wellbore that includes a first device that provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid and a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid and a second device that utilizes the first and second pressure differentials to operate a third device that performs an operation in the wellbore.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use in a wellbore, comprising:
a pressure drop device including:
a first inflow control device that selectively provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid; and
a second inflow control device that selectively provides a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid, wherein the second inflow control device is in fluid communication with the first inflow control device; and
a controller that determines at least one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential at the first inflow control flow device and the second inflow control flow device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first constituent is water and the second constituent is oil.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first inflow control device receives the fluid at an inlet and discharges the received fluid at a first outlet; and
the second inflow control flow device receives the fluid discharged by the first inflow control flow device and discharges the fluid received from the first inflow control flow device to a second outlet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential is sensitive to viscosity of the fluid and the other of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential is sensitive to density of the fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a work device responsive to the pressure differential or pressures from the pressure drop device generates a force.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the work device is coupled to the pressure drop device to provide a motion to a member in response to the first differential pressure and the second differential pressure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the work device is a hydraulic device that is operated by a first pressure of the first pressure differential at an input to a first inflow control flow device, a second pressure of the first pressure differential at an output of the first inflow control flow device and a third pressure of the second pressure differential at an output of the second inflow control flow device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates a device in response to at least one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential in the wellbore.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is placed at a location selected from a group consisting of: in the wellbore; at a surface location; and partially in the wellbore and partially at a surface location.

10. A string for use in a wellbore, comprising:
a string including a first device configured to perform an operation in the wellbore and a second device configured to operate the first device, the second device comprising:
a pressure generating device including:
a first inflow control device that selectively provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid; and
a second inflow control device that selectively provides a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid, wherein the second inflow control device is in fluid communication with the first inflow control device;

a work device that controls the operation of the first device in response to the at least one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential provided by the pressure generating device; and
a controller that determines at least one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential at the first inflow control flow device and the second inflow control flow device.

11. The string of claim 10 , wherein the pressure generating device provides at least three pressures and wherein the work device utilizes the at least three pressures to generate a force to operate the first device.

12. The string of claim 10 , wherein:
the first inflow control flow device that receives the fluid at a first pressure and discharges the received fluid at a second pressure; and
the second inflow control flow device that receives the fluid at the second pressure and discharged the received fluid at a third pressure, wherein
the first pressure is greater than the second pressure and the second pressure is greater than the third pressure.

13. The string of claim 12 , wherein the at first inflow control flow device output is sensitive to viscosity of the fluid and second inflow control flow device output is sensitive to density of the fluid.

14. A method of performing an operation in a wellbore, comprising:
conveying a string in the wellbore that includes a first device configured to perform an operation in the wellbore and a second device that provides a plurality of pressures when formation fluid flows through the second device;
flowing the formation fluid through the second device, wherein the second device includes:
a first inflow control device that selectively provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid; and
a second inflow control device that selectively provides a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid, wherein the second inflow control device is in fluid communication with the first inflow control device; and

controlling the first device using the plurality of pressures, wherein a controller determines at least one of the first pressure differential and the second pressure differential at the first inflow control flow device and the second inflow control flow device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first property is viscosity and a second property is density.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the first inflow control flow device that receives the formation fluid at a first pressure and discharges the received fluid at a second pressure; and
the second inflow control flow device that receives the fluid at the second pressure and discharges the received at a third pressure; and
wherein the first pressure is greater than the second pressure and the second pressure is greater than the third pressure.

Assignees

• Russell Ronnie D
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Russell Ronnie D

Classifications

• E21B34/14 Primary

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · 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

• E21B21/10

  Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems · CPC title

• E21B34/10 Primary

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title