Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B49/00—Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
  • E21B49/08—Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
  • E21B49/10—Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells using side-wall fluid samplers or testers

Definitions

• the invention relates to a logging system for use in a borehole formed in an earth formation.
• each further section of a wellbore is drilled after the previously drilled wellbore sections are cased with wellbore casing.
• a logging tool is lowered by wireline through the previously installed casing and into the newly drilled section so as to conduct a measurement of a downhole parameter.
• An example of such logging tool is a formation pressure test/sampling tool for measuring the pressure or composition of fluid present in the earth formation.
• Such tool is provided with a conduit which is pushed into the borehole wall a short distance so as to create fluid communication between the earth formation fluid and a fluid chamber of the tool.
• a drawback of such wireline logging method is the required additional drilling rig time during lowering and operating the logging tool.
• a further drawback is that there is a danger that the logging tool gets blocked in the open wellbore section.
• a logging system for use in a borehole formed in an earth formation, comprising a tubular element to be installed in the borehole, and a logging member including a conduit having an inlet opening and being movable in radial direction of the tubular element between a retracted position in which the logging member is substantially arranged within the tubular element and an extended position in which the logging member extends beyond the tubular element so that said inlet opening is in fluid communication with the earth formation when the tubular element is installed in the borehole, the logging system further comprising an activating device for moving the logging member between the retracted position and the extended position thereof.
• a further advantage of the logging system according to the invention is that by moving the logging member to its retracted position the tubular element can be lowered into the borehole without being hampered by the logging system and without the risk of damage to the logging member. Further, by moving the logging member to its extended position after the tubular element is installed in the borehole, a characteristic of the earth formation fluid (e.g. pressure or composition) can be determined in a logging run.
• a characteristic of the earth formation fluid e.g. pressure or composition
• the activating device is removably arranged within the tubular element.
• the activating device can be removed from the tubular element and retrieved to surface so that the interior of the tubular element is free from obstacles in order to allow passage of wellbore tools or selected fluids through the tubular element.
• the tubular element is one of a wellbore casing, a wellbore liner and a drill string.
• Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the logging system of the invention in a first mode of operation thereof; and Fig. 2 schematically shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a second mode of operation thereof.
• a wellbore casing 1 arranged in a borehole 2 formed in an earth formation 4, which casing 1 has not yet been cemented in the borehole 2 but is suspended from a drilling rig (not show) at surface.
• the casing 1 includes an upper casing section 6, an intermediate casing section 8 connected to the upper casing section 1 by connector 9, and a lower casing section 10 connected to the intermediate casing section by connector 11.
• the intermediate casing section 8 is provided with an opening 12 in which a primary pad 14 and a telescoping member 16 are arranged.
• the pad 14 is of cylindrical shape and has an outer surface 14a facing the borehole wall and an inner surface 14b facing the interior of the casing section 8. At least an end part of the primary pad at the side of the outer surface 14a is made of elastomeric material.
• the telescoping member 16 connects the primary pad 14 to the casing section 8, and is arranged to perform a telescoping movement in radial direction (of the casing 1) so as to move the primary pad 14 between a retracted position wherein the primary pad 14 is located substantially within the outer radius of the casing section 8 and an extended position wherein the primary pad 14 extends beyond the outer radius of casing section 8 and the outer surface 14a contacts the wall of the borehole 2. Furthermore, the telescoping member 16 seals the primary pad 14 relative to the casing section 18.
• the primary pad 14 is provided with a bore 18 extending in radial direction of the casing section 8, in which a conduit 22 is arranged in a manner allowing the conduit 22 to slide through the bore 18 a selected stroke.
• the conduit 22 has at its inner end a shoulder 24 which, when in contact with the inner surface 14a, prevents further outward sliding of the conduit 22.
• the conduit 22 is internally provided with a ball valve 26 including a ball 28 biased against a valve seat 30 by a spring 32. The ball valve 26 prevents flow of fluid from the exterior of the casing section 8 to the interior thereof when the ball 28 is biased against the valve seat 30.
• the primary pad 14 is biased to its retracted position by a leaf spring 29 extending along the outer surface of the casing section 8 and being connected at opposite ends thereof to the casing section 8.
• the leaf spring 8 is provided with an opening (not shown) for passage of the conduit 22 therethrough as the conduit 22 slides outwardly through the bore 18.
• An activating device 34 is removably arranged within the casing section 8 and latched to the casing wall by a latching assembly (not shown) .
• the activating device 34 includes a secondary pad 36 of cylindrical shape and made of elastomeric material, which secondary pad 36 is arranged concentrically relative to the primary pad 14 and a jack 38 arranged to bias the secondary pad 36 against the primary pad 14 so as to move the primary pad 14 between the retracted position thereof and the extended position thereof.
• the activating device 34 furthermore includes a support member 40 for supporting the jack 38 against the inner surface of the casing section 8, an electric motor 42 for operating the jack 38, a fluid chamber 44 provided with a fluid pressure gauge (not shown) , an electronic control/memory unit (not shown) for controlling the electric motor 42 and the pressure gauge and for storing pressure readings of the pressure gauge, and a battery (not shown) for powering the control/memory unit and the electric motor 42.
• the secondary pad 36 is provided with a tube 46 extending concentrically through the secondary pad 36 and arranged to bias the ball 28 away from the valve seat 30 and to provide fluid communication between the conduit 22 and the fluid chamber 44 when the secondary pad is biased against the primary pad 14.
• the primary pad 14, the secondary pad 36, and the conduit 22 are dimensioned such that, upon movement of the secondary pad 36 against the primary pad 14, the secondary pad 36 pushes against the conduit 22 which thereby slides in radially outward direction through the bore 18 and the opening of the leaf spring 29 until the shoulder 24 contacts the inner surface 14b of the primary pad 14.
• Fig. 1 shows the primary pad 14 in the retracted position
• Fig. 2 shows the primary pad in the extended position.
• the activating device 34 is latched into the casing section 8 by means of the latching assembly, and the casing sections 6 and 10 are connected to casing section 8 by the respective connectors 9, 11.
• the casing 1, with the primary pad 14 in the retracted position is lowered into the borehole 2. Lowering is stopped when the primary pad 14 arrives at a selected depth in the borehole where it is desired to conduct a pressure measurement of earth formation fluid such as oil or water.
• a wireless control system (not shown) at surface is then operated so as to induce the control/memory unit to operate the electric motor 42 so that the motor 42 induces the jack 38 to bias the secondary pad 36 against the primary pad 14.
• the primary pad 14 thereby moves from the retracted position to the extended position in which the outer surface 14a of the primary pad 14 is biased against the borehole wall (Fig. 2) .
• the secondary pad 36 pushes against the conduit 22 so that the latter protrudes through the opening of the leaf spring 29 and extends a short distance into the borehole wall, and the tube 46 biases the ball 28 away from the valve seat 30 and thereby provides fluid communication between the conduit 22 and the fluid chamber 44.
• the fluid chamber 44 communicates with fluid present in the earth formation.
• the control/memory unit then operates the fluid pressure gauge so as to measure the pressure of the formation fluid and to store the resulting pressure data in the electronic memory.
• the electric motor 42 is then induced to retract the jack 34 so as to move the secondary pad 36 radially inward.
• the primary pad 14 also moves radially inward due to the biasing force from the leaf spring 29.
• the primary pad 14 and secondary pad 36 remain in contact until the primary pad 14 reaches its retracted position. Further radially inward movement of the secondary pad 36 causes secondary pad 36 to become displaced from the primary pad 14, and the tube 46 to become displaced from the ball 28 so that the spring 18 biases the ball 28 against the valve seat 30 thereby closing the ball valve 26.
• the casing 1 is raised or lowered through the borehole 2 so as to relocate the primary pad 14 in the borehole 1 at the desired depths. The procedure as described hereinbefore is then repeated.
• a suitable retrieving device (not shown) is lowered through the casing 1 to the activating device 34 in order to unlatch the activating device 34 from the casing section 8 and to retrieve the activating device 34 to surface.
• the pressure data is then read out from the electronic memory at surface. If no further earth formation fluid pressure measurements are to be conducted the casing 1 is cemented in the borehole 1. In case the borehole 2 is to be further drilled, the latching assembly is drilled out of the casing 1 before commencement of further drilling.
• the pressure can alternatively be read by extending a data transfer line (e.g. an electric conductor) from surface to the activating device 34 and transferring the data in the form of electric signals through the data transfer line to surface while the activating device 34 is still latched to the casing 1.
• a data transfer line e.g. an electric conductor

Landscapes

• Geology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Pipe Accessories (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

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• 2001
  • 2001-01-10 US US09/757,890 patent/US20010035289A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-01-12 EA EA200200757A patent/EA003565B1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-01-12 AR ARP010100129A patent/AR027206A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-01-12 OA OA1200200208A patent/OA12136A/en unknown
  • 2001-01-12 MX MXPA02006779A patent/MXPA02006779A/es unknown
  • 2001-01-12 BR BR0107569-1A patent/BR0107569A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-01-12 EP EP01900454A patent/EP1247002B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-01-12 CA CA2396168A patent/CA2396168C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-01-12 AU AU25167/01A patent/AU2516701A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-01-12 WO PCT/EP2001/000425 patent/WO2001051768A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2001-01-12 CN CN01803684A patent/CN1401046A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-01-13 EG EG20010035A patent/EG22609A/xx active
• 2002
  • 2002-07-12 NO NO20023365A patent/NO323060B1/no unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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