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
  • E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
  • E21B47/01—Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• • 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
  • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
  • E21B43/11—Perforators; Permeators
  • E21B43/119—Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• • 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
  • E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
  • E21B47/06—Measuring temperature or pressure

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring properties in a formation traversed by at least one wellbore .
• Formation pressure is one of the key properties that engineers, geologists, and petrophysicists use to characterize the mobility of oil and gas formations and estimate reserves. Formation pressure data can be collected at specific times throughout the life of the well or it can be monitored on a long-term basis. Ideally, operators would like to be able to obtain a real time pressure profile of the well over its lifetime to aid in optimization of production. Formation pressures can be measured using a variety of methods. The most common method involves running a wireline formation pressure tester (FPT) in either an open or cased hole completion.
• FPT wireline formation pressure tester
• This method requires drilling into the formation or shooting a hole in the casing.
• the FPT method works well in permeable formations; however, it is limited to one data point for pressure at a specified time. Obtaining multiple data points is desirable because it is difficult to determine whether a pressure measurement reflects the virgin formation pressure or pressure after depletion. In addition, having a number of measurements over an extended period of time allows for identification of depletion even if the actual virgin formation pressure is unknown. In tighter, less permeable formations, the traditional FPT method has limits because it takes a long time to build up to the formation pressure. In addition, the method is less accurate in formations prone to a phenomenon known as supercharging.
• Supercharging is the increase of formation pressure around the wellbore as a result of exposure to the higher pressure from the mud used in the drilling process.
• the mudcake fails to adequately hold the drilling fluid in the wellbore, causing drilling fluid to penetrate the formation and create a high-pressure or "supercharged" zone.
• Using the FPT method under these conditions may require extrapolation or yield an inaccurate data point for pressure that is between the mud pressure and the formation pressure.
• Another method used in tighter formations is the diagnostic formation injection test (DFIT) .
• DFIT diagnostic formation injection test
• the formation is pressured up, a fracture is created beyond the supercharged area and the pressure fall off back to the formation pressure is monitored.
• pressure is measured at the surface and the accuracy is within hundredths of psi.
• a gauge may also be placed downhole to obtain a more accurate measurement; however, in tight formations, it is still a challenge to get an accurate measurement within 100 psi.
• Long-term build-up is another method for measuring formation pressure.
• the well is shut in for an extended period (weeks or months) and the pressure is measured as it builds back up to the current formation pressure.
• measuring can be performed at the surface or downhole, but both methods require that the well be shut in with no production.
• the long-term build-up method traditionally yields one data point representing the pressure for the whole well.
• a profile could be obtained by placing a number of gauges between bridge plugs in the casing, but doing so may force the operator to abandon the well or rely on retrievable bridge plugs .
• the long-term build-up method will also likely damage the casing integrity because the casing has to be perforated in order to have communication between the gauge and the formation.
• US Patent 5,467,823 discloses a method and apparatus of monitoring subsurface formations containing at least one fluid reservoir and traversed by at least one well.
• the method includes lowering a sensor to a depth level corresponding to the reservoir, positioning the sensor at this depth while isolating the section of the well where the sensor is located from the rest of the well and providing fluid communication between the sensor and the reservoir. Because this system requires isolating the section of the well where the sensor is located from the rest of the well, this could not serve as a long-term pressure measurement option. In addition, the chances of maintaining pressure isolation while achieving communication to surface over the wireline with multiple sensors are remote. Summary of the Invention
• the present inventions include a method for monitoring pressure in a formation traversed by at least one wellbore comprising providing a tubular element having an outside surface, attaching a perforating gun oriented in such a way that when fired, the perforating gun does not damage the tubular element, connecting a sensor to the perforating gun in close proximity to the perforating gun wherein the sensor is exposed to the wellbore, inserting the tubular element into the wellbore, securing the tubular element in the wellbore, firing the perforating gun to penetrate the formation, exposing the sensor to the formation pressure, and monitoring the pressure in the formation with the sensor to obtain pressure data.
• the present inventions also include an apparatus for monitoring pressure in a formation traversed by at least one wellbore lined with casing comprising a wireless communications module mounted on the outside of the casing, a perforating gun oriented away from the casing mounted on the outside of the casing, and a sensor mounted on the outside of the casing wherein the sensor is not protected from overpressure .
• the present inventions also include an apparatus for monitoring pressure in a formation traversed by at least one wellbore comprising a tubular element having an outside surface, a wireless communications module mounted on the outside surface of the tubular element, a perforating gun oriented away from the tubular element mounted on the outside surface of the tubular element, and a sensor mounted on the outside surface of the tubular element wherein the sensor is not protected from overpressure.
• Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the pressure monitoring apparatus.
• Figure 2 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the pressure monitoring apparatus installed in a wellbore.
• Figure 3 shows a top view of the wellbore illustrating the direction of the perforations.
• Figure 4 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of the pressure monitoring apparatus installed in a wellbore.
• FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of an apparatus for monitoring formation properties.
• tubular element 101 is a section of casing, liner, or other material used to maintain the integrity of the wellbore.
• Tubular element 101 may also be a section of tubing, cement stinger, or other device used to lower equipment into a wellbore.
• Perforating gun 102 and sensor 103 are mounted on the outside of tubular element 101 in close proximity to one another. Perforating gun 102 and sensor 103 may be connected either directly or via additional tubulars or hoses.
• perforating gun Any type of perforating gun may be used; however the direction of the perforations must point away from the casing (tubular element 101) so that when fired, the perforating gun does not damage the casing.
• perforation gun 102 may be fired by pressuring up the casing using conventional methods of wireless perforating.
• a wire may be attached to perforating gun 102 and used for firing.
• a conventional casing conveyed wireless perforating gun with the inward facing shaped charges removed is shown.
• any type of sensor may be used including, for example, strain gauges, quartz gages, and other conventional sensing devices.
• the embodiments in this application discuss using a pressure sensor; however, sensors that measure other well properties could be employed.
• Wireless communications module 104 is shown connected to tubular element 101.
• Wireless telemetry technology is known in the industry and may be used to transmit data gathered downhole to surface production facilities.
• wireless communications module 104 transmits the pressure data gathered from sensor 103 real time to the surface.
• Figure 2 depicts the apparatus shown in Figure 1 installed in wellbore 201. A section of wellbore 201 is shown traversing formation 202 with tubular element 101 lowered inside. As in Figure 1, perforating gun 102, sensor 103, and wireless communications module 104 are mounted on the outside of tubular element 101. In Figure 2 only one section of the wellbore is shown. Because the transmission system is wireless, an operator may install numerous sensors and perforating guns in a single wellbore to obtain the desired data.
• FIG. 3 depicts the top view of the apparatus in the wellbore to indicate the direction of the perforations.
• Shape charges 301 are shown connected to perforating gun 102. When fired, shaped charges 301 penetrate cement 203 and formation 202 according to paths 302 thereby exposing sensor 103 to the formation pressure.
• FIG. 1 depicts a hard-wired embodiment that is installed on the outside of a section of casing.
• Wellbore 401 is shown traversing formation 402.
• First apparatus 403 and second apparatus 404 are shown mounted on the outside of casing 405.
• First apparatus 403 and second apparatus 404 are connected by wire 406, which extends to the surface (not shown) .
• First apparatus 403 and second apparatus 404 consist of perforating guns (407 and 410), sensors (408 and 411), and communications modules (409 and 412) .
• the entire apparatus is secured in the wellbore using cement 413.
• the data collected by sensors 408 and 411 is transmitted using wire 406 to the surface (not shown) .
• Transmission with a wire may be less reliable than using wireless communication because the wire might be damaged during placement in the hole or when zones are perforated for production.
• hard-wired transmission systems are advantageous because they provide higher frequency data, can transmit data for longer periods, and enable deeper measurements to be contained.
• the wire may also be used to fire the perforating guns .
• some embodiments of the invention may also be useful in high permeability reservoirs.
• multiple reservoirs penetrated by a single wellbore are produced and managed separately because of legal or reservoir management requirements.
• Some embodiments of the present invention enable the operator to have a single well produce one horizon, while acting as a pressure observation well for one or more other reservoirs, thus obviating the need to drill dedicated pressure observers.

Landscapes

• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Geophysics (AREA)
• Measuring Fluid Pressure (AREA)
• Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
• Testing Or Calibration Of Command Recording Devices (AREA)
• Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Families Citing this family (35)

Family Cites Families (21)

• 2006
  • 2006-11-02 EP EP06827430A patent/EP1945905B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2006-11-02 CN CNA2006800407878A patent/CN101300402A/zh active Pending
  • 2006-11-02 WO PCT/US2006/042924 patent/WO2007056121A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-11-02 EA EA200801260A patent/EA200801260A1/ru unknown
  • 2006-11-02 US US11/555,985 patent/US20070193740A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-11-02 BR BRPI0618246-1A patent/BRPI0618246A2/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2006-11-02 DE DE602006018508T patent/DE602006018508D1/de active Active
  • 2006-11-02 CA CA2627431A patent/CA2627431C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-11-02 AT AT06827430T patent/ATE489535T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-11-02 AU AU2006311880A patent/AU2006311880B2/en not_active Ceased
• 2008
  • 2008-06-03 NO NO20082490A patent/NO20082490L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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