Measuring and testing – Volume or rate of flow – Using differential pressure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-14
2002-05-21
Fuller, Benjamin R. (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Volume or rate of flow
Using differential pressure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389908
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to measurements relating to the composition of oil well effluents, constituted by multiphase fluids typically comprising three phases: two liquid phases, namely crude oil and water, plus a hydrocarbon gas phase, and more particularly to measurements of gamma ray attenuation by the fluid. The invention also relates to the association of such measurements with flow rate measurements in order to determine the flow rates of the various phases.
In the oil industry, the traditional practice is to separate the effluent into its component phases and to perform measurements on the phases separated in this way. However that technique requires separators to be installed on site, which separators are bulky and expensive items of equipment, and when testing wells, it also requires additional pipes to be put into place.
Numerous proposals have been put forward for developing techniques that would make it possible to avoid using such separators. A description of these developments is to be found in SPE publication 28515 (SPE Annual Technical Conference, New Orleans, Sep. 25-28, 1994) by J. Williams, “Status of multiphase flow measurement research”.
Amongst such proposals, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,852 describes apparatus including a device for measuring gamma ray attenuation, that device being associated with a Venturi total flow rate sensor and being situated at the constriction of the Venturi. Apparatus of that type is also described in patent application WO 94/25859 and in SPE publication 36593 dated Oct. 6, 1996, “Multiphase flow measurement using multiple energy gamma ray absorption (MEGRA) composition measurement” by A. M. Scheers and W. F. J. Slijkerman.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention seeks to provide such gamma ray attenuation measurements in an advantageous manner, that is particularly well adapted for being associated with flow rate measurements using the Venturi effect.
In one aspect, the invention provides a method of characterizing an oil borehole effluent, formed by a multiphase fluid mixture which typically comprises water, oil, and gas, comprising the steps of emitting gamma rays at a first energy level of about 100 keV and at a second energy level of about 40 keV, and measuring the attenuation of the gamma rays at these two energy levels after transmission through the effluent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4558219 (1985-12-01), LeBlanc et al.
patent: 4788852 (1988-12-01), Martin et al.
patent: 5361632 (1994-11-01), Magnani
patent: 5841020 (1998-11-01), Guelich
patent: 0 236 623 (1987-09-01), None
patent: WO 94/25859 (1994-11-01), None
J. Williams,Status of Multiphase Flow Measurement Research, SPE 28515, SPE Annual Technical Conference, New Orleans (Sep. 25-28, 1994).
A. M. Scheers and W. F. J. Slijkerman,Multiphase Flow Measurement Using Multiple Energy Gamma Ray Absorption(MEGRA) Composition Measurement, SPE 36593 (Oct. 6, 1996).
Database WPI, Week 8930, Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; AN89-216574, XP002057575 (Matsushita Elec Ind Co Ltd), Jun. 16, 1989.
Chevalier Philippe
Segeral Gerard
Batzer William B.
Schlumberger Technology Corporation
Thompson Jewel V.
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