Wells – Submerged well – Testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-08-28
Schoeppel, Roger (Department: 3672)
Wells
Submerged well
Testing
C073S152180, C073S649000, C219S502000, C250S227140, C250S261000, C385S012000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to multi-phase fluid measurement apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus and method for measuring flow parameters and composition of a multi-phase fluid in a well environment.
2. Background Art
In oil and gas exploration industries, a production pipe is centered in a conventional well to carry production fluids to a surface platform. The production pipe may have a plurality of valves to regulate fluid flow from within the well. Each of the valves is typically adjustable using a sliding sleeve which is moved along the pipe to increase or decrease the size of an opening in the production pipe. The valves are typically adjusted mechanically or hydraulically by using a tubing-conveyed tool which is inserted into the well to adjust each valve.
It is highly desirable to optimize the total flow from the well since each well and/or portions thereof may contain differing compositions of water, gas, and oil. Currently, to optimize the total flow from the well, a trial-and-error technique is used to adjust each valve individually. Thus, a corresponding change in the total flow is measured to determine if the adjustment optimized the fluid flow. This process of optimizing fluid flow in the well is a very expensive, time consuming, and inaccurate and requires an interruption in well production during valve adjustments.
Thus, there is a need for an easily implemented and more efficient method and apparatus for measuring fluid parameters, such as composition of the production fluid, flow rate, pressure, and temperature to optimize production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for optimizing the production of a multi-phase fluid in a well without halting well production.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for retrofitting an existing well to optimize production of multi-phase fluids at various locations within the well.
It is another object of the present invention to optimize separation of production fluid in a separation tank.
It is yet another object of the present invention to optimize flow of production fluid from multiple zones within a single well bore.
It is yet another object of the present invention to use fiber optics to measure fluid parameters and minimize the use of electronic components downhole.
According to the present invention, a well assembly for extracting production fluids includes a production pipe for allowing production fluids to flow downstream to the surface having a plurality of production zones defined by a plurality of packers and a plurality of fiber optic sensor packages, each of which is associated with a respective production zone, for measuring flow parameters of the production fluid and communicating the flow parameters to the surface to determine composition of the production fluid entering each production zone. The production pipe also includes a zone opening corresponding to each production zone for allowing production fluid to enter the pipe and a control valve for each production zone to control the amount of production fluid flowing into the pipe from each production zone. Each fiber optic sensor package includes a fiber optic bus to communicate flow parameters and composition of the production fluid to the surface. Based on specific requirements and particular flow parameters communicated by the sensor packages, the control valves are adjusted to optimize production fluid flow from the production well.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the well assembly includes sensor packages disposed in horizontal wells for determining flow parameters and optimizing flow of the production fluid in the well.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the well assembly includes a sensor package for measuring exit flow from a boost pump used to maintain optimum flow rates from the well.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, an existing well assembly is retrofitted with a plurality of sensor packages for determining composition and other parameters of fluid in various zones of the well to optimize production of fluid.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, sensor packages are placed on each well in a multi-well network to optimize production of production fluid from multiple wells.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the well assembly includes a plurality of sensor packages arranged to measure flow parameters of fluids entering and exiting a gas-liquid separation tank or a mud tank during drilling operations.
One advantage of the present invention is that the time consuming trial and error process of determining proper valve settings is avoided by installing flow meters within the well at specific locations to permit accurate measuring of the flow rates in various zones within the well.
Another advantage of the present invention is that flow rates within the well are readily measurable without halting well production.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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CiDRA Corporation
McCormick Paulding & Huber LLP
Schoeppel Roger
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