GB2149106A - Fluid monitoring system - Google Patents
Fluid monitoring system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2149106A GB2149106A GB08427451A GB8427451A GB2149106A GB 2149106 A GB2149106 A GB 2149106A GB 08427451 A GB08427451 A GB 08427451A GB 8427451 A GB8427451 A GB 8427451A GB 2149106 A GB2149106 A GB 2149106A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- reservoir
- mud
- condensate
- tritiated water
- liquid scintillation
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 6
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 title description 7
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-PWCQTSIFSA-N Tritiated water Chemical compound [3H]O[3H] XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-PWCQTSIFSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 239000000706 filtrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000005567 liquid scintillation counting Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 7
- YZCKVEUIGOORGS-NJFSPNSNSA-N Tritium Chemical compound [3H] YZCKVEUIGOORGS-NJFSPNSNSA-N 0.000 description 7
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 7
- 229910052722 tritium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 6
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000008398 formation water Substances 0.000 description 4
- NHNBFGGVMKEFGY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nitrate Chemical compound [O-][N+]([O-])=O NHNBFGGVMKEFGY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium hydroxide Chemical class [OH-].[Na+] HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 3
- 238000005070 sampling Methods 0.000 description 3
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L Sodium Carbonate Chemical class [Na+].[Na+].[O-]C([O-])=O CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 2
- 239000003208 petroleum Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000700 radioactive tracer Substances 0.000 description 2
- VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-M Chloride anion Chemical compound [Cl-] VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 1
- 235000008733 Citrus aurantifolia Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 229920001732 Lignosulfonate Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000004117 Lignosulphonate Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Potassium Chemical compound [K] ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920002472 Starch Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 235000011941 Tilia x europaea Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000996 additive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000440 bentonite Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910000278 bentonite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 235000012216 bentonite Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- SVPXDRXYRYOSEX-UHFFFAOYSA-N bentoquatam Chemical class O.O=[Si]=O.O=[Al]O[Al]=O SVPXDRXYRYOSEX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000001913 cellulose Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229920002678 cellulose Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000004087 circulation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004737 colorimetric analysis Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- GNBHRKFJIUUOQI-UHFFFAOYSA-N fluorescein Chemical compound O1C(=O)C2=CC=CC=C2C21C1=CC=C(O)C=C1OC1=CC(O)=CC=C21 GNBHRKFJIUUOQI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000013505 freshwater Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 235000019357 lignosulphonate Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000004571 lime Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100000053 low toxicity Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003129 oil well Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002401 polyacrylamide Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910052700 potassium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011591 potassium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004080 punching Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000013535 sea water Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910000029 sodium carbonate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 235000017550 sodium carbonate Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000011121 sodium hydroxide Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000008107 starch Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 235000019698 starch Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N23/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
- G01N23/22—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00 by measuring secondary emission from the material
-
- 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
- E21B49/005—Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N2223/00—Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation
- G01N2223/01—Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation by radioactivity, nuclear decay
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N2223/00—Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation
- G01N2223/20—Sources of radiation
- G01N2223/202—Sources of radiation isotopes
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N2223/00—Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation
- G01N2223/50—Detectors
- G01N2223/505—Detectors scintillation
- G01N2223/5055—Detectors scintillation scintillation crystal coupled to PMT
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N2223/00—Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation
- G01N2223/60—Specific applications or type of materials
- G01N2223/636—Specific applications or type of materials fluid sample with radioactive sources
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Immunology (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- Biochemistry (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Measurement Of Radiation (AREA)
- Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
Abstract
Apparatus which is suitable for monitoring the tritiated water content of drilling mud filtrate comprises:- (a) a sample line 1, (b) a still 2 for vaporising the tritiated water content of the mud, (c) a condenser 5 for condensing the vapours from (b), (d) a reservoir for the condensate from (c), (e) a reservoir 11 for a liquid scintillation counting medium, (f) means 9 for blending a known volume of condensate with a known volume of medium, (g) a liquid scintillation counter 13, and (h) a discharge line. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Fluid monitoring system
This invention relates to the testing of oil wells and more particularly to apparatus for testing fluids recovered from well tests.
In drilling operations it is often useful for the petroleum engineer to have information about the character of the underground formation being drilled and the fluids it contains.
Most of such information is obtained from down-hole samples.
Methods which have been previously used for ascertaining the properties of an underground formation include drill stem tests and wire line tests. Another method involves the taking of samples, either from the side of the hole or from the drilling face of the hole.
During sampling, oil, gas and water may be recovered from a particular zone. However, it is difficult to exclude the fluid in the drilling mud, herein referred to as filtrate, from the test zone with the result that a certain amount of this may be recovered during the test. It is therefore important to know the relative proportions of formation water and filtrate in the sample.
A method which has been used previously to determine the amount of filtrate in the sample involves comparing the electricai resistivity of the recovered water with the resistivity of the mud filtrate. Another method involves the use of fluorescein dye as an additive to the mud. If the recovered water has traces of dye it is assumed that mud filtrate is present.
Yet another method involves the addition of a known concentration of nitrate ion to the drilling mud, determining the concentration of nitrate ion in the recovered water and comparing this concentration with that in the drilling mud. However, a number of practical disadvantages have been encountered, e.g. interference by other ions such as chloride, potassium and iron in the colorimetric analysis used to measure the concentration of the nitrate ion.
The use of tritiated water as a drilling mud tracer has been described in the Journal of
Canadian Petroleum Technology, April-June 1975, Vol 14, No 2, pages 42-47. Tritiated water satisfies most of the requirements of an ideal tracer and can be detected at extremely low levels. It has a low toxicity and therefore a low biological hazard.
However, current sampling and analytical techniques are laborious and time consuming.
We have now devised an automated tritium monitoring system.
Thus, according to the present invention there is provided apparatus suitable for monitoring the tritiated water content of drilling mud filtrate, which apparatus comprises:- (a) a sample line,
(b) a still for vaporising the tritiated water content of the mud,
(c) a condenser for condensing the vapours from (b),
(d) a reservoir for the condensate from (c),
(e) a reservoir for a liquid scintillation counting medium,
(f) means for blending a known volume of condensate with a known volume of medium,
(g) a liquid scintillation counter, and
(h) a discharge line.
The still may be heated by a water bath whilst under vacuum.
The apparatus is suitable for use with two sampling tools. The first is called a formation interval tester (FIT) which measures pressure and takes a sample of formation water or other well fluid in a section of the well which has been cased. Use of the tool involves punching a hole in the casing. The second is called a repeat formation tester (RFT) and also measures pressure but this takes a plurality of samples of formation water or other well fluid and is employed in an open hole, ie, an uncased section of the well.
Since tritiated water does not occur naturally in formation water the lower limit of the concentration of tritium in the drilling mud is determined by the sensitivity of the method of determining its concentration, which in the case of a liquid scintillation counter is typically about 5 to 10 picocuries of tritium per ml.
Although on purely technical considerations there is no upper limit to the quantity of tritium which can be used in the mud (since the sample recovered can be diluted if necessary) the upper limit is determined by Government regulations relating to radioactivity and is normally about 0.003 microcuries/ml. In most cases the concentration of tritium in the mud will be from 0.0005-0.002 ,uc/ml.
A calculated quantity of diluted tritiated water is added to the drilling mud whilst the latter is circulating. Preferably the addition is made at a constant rate over an integral number of circulations of the mud.
Preferably the operations are controlled in such a way to ensure a substantially constant concentration of tritium in the drilling mud, and, in the event of finding a loss of tritium, adding more to maintain the concentration substantially constant.
The constituents of the drilling mud other than the tritiated water are conventional and include bentonite, caustic soda, sodium carbonate, lignosulphonates, polyacrylamide, starch, cellulose compounds, and lime, and the liquid in which they are dispersed may be fresh or sea water.
The invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.
A sample of drilling mud is taken by sample line 1 to a heated mud still 2 heated by a water bath 3 and maintained under vacuum by a pump 4. Vapour is driven off and con densed in a condenser 5. Waste mud is discharged through line 6.
Condensate is normally passed by line 7 to a metering pump 8 and thence to a mixing valve 9 where it is blended with liquid scintillant medium supplied by line 10 from a reservoir 11.
The blend of tritiated water and medium is then passed through a flow cell 1 2 in a scintillation counter 1 3 containing a photomultipler tube 14. It is then discharged through line 1 5.
Provision is made for retaining tritiated water in a reservoir 1 6 and for calibration using a reservoir 17.
Claims (3)
1. Apparatus suitable for monitoring the tritiated water content of drilling mud filtrate, which apparatus comprises:- (a) a sample line,
(b) a still for vaporising the tritiated water content of the mud,
(c) a condenser for condensing the vapours from (b),
(d) a reservoir for the condensate from (c),
(e) a reservoir for a liquid scintillation counting medium,
(f) means for blending a known volume of condensate with a known volume of medium,
(g) a liquid scintillation counter, and
(h) a discharge line.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the still is heated by a water bath whilst under vacuum.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 as here it before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB838329081A GB8329081D0 (en) | 1983-11-01 | 1983-11-01 | Fluid monitoring system |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8427451D0 GB8427451D0 (en) | 1984-12-05 |
| GB2149106A true GB2149106A (en) | 1985-06-05 |
| GB2149106B GB2149106B (en) | 1987-05-13 |
Family
ID=10551018
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB838329081A Pending GB8329081D0 (en) | 1983-11-01 | 1983-11-01 | Fluid monitoring system |
| GB08427451A Expired GB2149106B (en) | 1983-11-01 | 1984-10-30 | Fluid monitoring system |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB838329081A Pending GB8329081D0 (en) | 1983-11-01 | 1983-11-01 | Fluid monitoring system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB8329081D0 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109632836B (en) * | 2018-11-19 | 2019-09-03 | 江苏省水文水资源勘测局 | The recognition methods of underground reservoir hydrologic cycle information based on tritium gradient |
-
1983
- 1983-11-01 GB GB838329081A patent/GB8329081D0/en active Pending
-
1984
- 1984-10-30 GB GB08427451A patent/GB2149106B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8329081D0 (en) | 1983-12-07 |
| GB8427451D0 (en) | 1984-12-05 |
| GB2149106B (en) | 1987-05-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |