Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
166250030 | Determining fluid interface or fluid level | 26 |
20080202745 | FLUID LEVEL SENSING DEVICE AND METHODS OF USING SAME - A sensor used to determine the height of one or more fluids in a fluid column and to determine a location of an interface or boundary between a plurality of fluids in a fluid column is disclosed. The sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements comprising a capacitor and other components, such as resistors and inductors. The sensor also includes an oscillator that alters a frequency of an electrical current applied to the sensor, from which the dielectric constant of the fluid in which each sensing element is disposed can be determined. Methods of using such a sensor to determine the relative heights of various fluids in a fluid column are disclosed. In particular, methods of using embodiments of the invention in a well, such as water and petroleum wells, are described. | 08-28-2008 |
20080217006 | Methods and Apparatus for Determining Wellbore Parameters - One embodiment of a system for determining a wellbore parameter includes a pulse generator positioned in fluid communication with a wellbore such that a fluid can flow from the wellbore through the pulse generator, wherein the pulse generator selectively releases the fluid to flow through the pulse generator causing pressure pulses in the wellbore; a receiver in operational connection with the wellbore, the receiver detecting the pressure pulses; and a controller in functional connection with the receiver, the controller determining a wellbore parameter from receipt of a signal from the receiver in response to the detected pressure pulses. | 09-11-2008 |
20090078411 | Downhole Gas Influx Detection - A technique enables determination of gas influx in a fluid handling system. A tubing is provided for conducting fluid flow therethrough. Pressure signals are transmitted through the fluid in the tubing. Parameters of the pressure signal, e.g. time and/or attenuation, are measured at a first location and a second location along the tubing. Parameter data is evaluated to determine the occurrence of changes indicative of gas influx into the tubing. | 03-26-2009 |
20090151935 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING MOVEMENT IN WELL EQUIPMENT - An apparatus for use in a well for indicating movement of a reservoir. The apparatus may include first and second equipment assemblies connected by a telescoping connection mechanism. A sensor assembly may be provided and configured to detect relative movement of at least a portion of the telescoping connection mechanism. The relative movement of at least a portion of the telescoping mechanism may interpreted so as to correlate to the compaction or expansion of the reservoir. | 06-18-2009 |
20090211753 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM A GAS WELL - A technique is employed to remove liquid from a gas well to improve gas production from the well. An electric submersible pumping system is deployed into the wellbore and positioned to remove accumulated liquid. The electric submersible pumping system is constructed and controlled to maintain a flow of liquid during operation of the pumping system. | 08-27-2009 |
20100101787 | Using An Acoustic Ping and Sonic Velocity to Control an Artificial Lift Device - A transmitter generates an acoustic ping in a fluid in a borehole, and a receiver monitors waves resulting from the acoustic ping. Responsive to the monitored waves, an attribute of the fluid is estimated, including a sonic velocity, a mixture of gas and oil, a mixture of water and oil, an amount of sand, an amount of gas, an amount of skin effect, or a depth of fluid. An operation of the artificial lift device is then controlled responsive to the estimated attribute. Alternately, a sonic velocity is estimated for the fluid through an analysis of a sample pumped to the surface or through an analysis of monitored waves. A depth of the fluid is calculated responsive to the estimated sonic velocity for the fluid in the borehole and the monitored T-waves. The operation of the artificial lift device is then controlled responsive to the calculated depth of fluid. | 04-29-2010 |
20100126717 | INSTRUMENTED FORMATION TESTER FOR INJECTING AND MONITORING OF FLUIDS - An example instrumented formation tester for injecting fluids and monitoring of fluids described herein includes a downhole tool which can be deployed in a wellbore via a wireline or a drill string. The downhole tool may facilitate the injection of fluids into an underground formation, and the monitoring of the directions in which the injected fluids flow in the formation in an open hole environment. In particular, the downhole tool may be configured for removing the mud cake from a portion of the wellbore wall for facilitating a fluid communication with the formation to be tested. | 05-27-2010 |
20100307743 | METHOD OF DETERMINING PARAMETERS OF A LAYERED RESERVOIR - A method of determining parameters relating to the flow performance of subterranean sources is described using the steps of measuring a total flow rate and pressure at a reference datum for at least two different flow rates, allocating the flow from each of the sources using identified concentrations of characteristic components, and using the total flow rate, pressure and the allocation to determine selective inflow performance relationships for each source. | 12-09-2010 |
20110259581 | FORMATION TESTING - Formation testing which may involve circulating mud in a pipe string from a mud pit through a port in the pipe string to a downhole diverter sub, wherein the pipe string is suspended in a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation, operating a downhole pump to pump formation fluid from the formation, wherein the formation fluid comprises gas, and mixing the pumped formation fluid with circulated mud such that a proportion of the pumped formation gas in the circulated mud is maintained below a threshold value. | 10-27-2011 |
20120018149 | METHOD OF DETECTING FLUID IN-FLOWS DOWNHOLE - A method of measuring fluid in-flow in a region of interest in a wellbore comprises deploying a fiber optic cable concurrently with placement of a downhole tubular, transmitting a light signal along the cable and receiving a reflected signal from the region of interest, and interpreting the received signal to obtain information about fluid flowing in the region of interest. The wellbore may include a horizontal portion. The received signal may also be interpreted by assessing amplitude and frequency spectra across array of channels, conditioning the received signal by removing at least a portion of the signal that is not related to flow, assessing flow regimes across depths and times, calculating axial flow/s within the wellbore using relationships for axial flow, and calculating flow into or out of the wellbore at one or more points using relationships for flow through an orifice. | 01-26-2012 |
20120111561 | Systems and Methods for Detecting Phases in Multiphase Borehole Fluids - A method detects at least one phase of multiphase borehole fluids within a borehole. The method has a step of providing coiled tubing connected to a top end of a bottom hole assembly having a sensor configured to detect a property associated with the multiphase borehole fluids. Further, the method has a step of positioning the sensor adjacent to a first phase of the multiphase borehole fluids by rotating the bottom hole assembly or a portion of the bottom hole assembly. Moreover, the method has the steps of detecting a first measurement with the sensor as the sensor rotates and determining a fractional amount of at least one phase of the multiphase borehole fluids. | 05-10-2012 |
20120168152 | DISSOLVABLE BARRIER FOR DOWNHOLE USE AND METHOD THEREOF - A plug disposable in a well bore to block fluid from passing through the wellbore. The plug includes a body formed from water soluble glass. The body dissolvable in water. A method of utilizing water soluble glass is included. | 07-05-2012 |
20120168153 | WATERCUT SENSOR USING REACTIVE MEDIA - An apparatus for estimating a parameter of interest includes a conduit and a reactive media in the conduit. The reactive media interacts with a selected fluid component to control a flow parameter of the conduit. The apparatus also includes at least one sensor responsive to the flow parameter. The apparatus may be used for estimating a water content of a fluid flowing from a subterranean formation. The apparatus may include a flow path configured to convey fluid from the formation. The at least one sensor may be responsive to a pressure change in the flow path caused by interaction of the reactive media with water. | 07-05-2012 |
20120279702 | Formation Testing - An example downhole tool configured for conveyance in a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation comprises a first fluid communicator configured to allow drilling fluid communication with an annulus between the downhole tool and the wellbore, a second fluid communicator configured to direct formation fluid to the annulus, and a formation testing device disposed deeper in the wellbore relative to the first fluid communicator and configured to pump formation fluid from the formation to the second fluid communicator. At least one of the first and second fluid communicators comprises a jet pump. | 11-08-2012 |
20130146282 | Estimation of Production Sweep Efficiency Utilizing Geophysical Data - Method for estimating fluid heterogeneity in a subsurface region from seismic wave attenuation or velocity dispersion that is either measured or extracted from geophysical data ( | 06-13-2013 |
20130319661 | DOWNHOLE FLUID TRANSPORT PLUNGER WITH THRUSTER - A method for lifting fluids within a subterranean well includes lowering an elongated plunger to a lower region of a bore of the subterranean well. The plunger includes a motor assembly operably connected to a propeller. A seal can be created between the plunger and an inner surface of the bore of the subterranean well. A thruster, such as motor assembly connected to a propeller, generates thrust to lift the plunger to a plunger retainer located proximate to a wellhead of the subterranean well. | 12-05-2013 |
20130327520 | System and Method for Measuring Well Flow Rate - The present invention discloses an improved system for measurement of the liquid flow rate and totalized liquid production of a producing well. In the method of the present invention, liquid production rate in a pumping well is determined by calculation based upon wellbore geometry and continuously monitoring the depth of the fluid level within the wellbore. It is applicable to any pump lifted well where it is possible to shut the pump off periodically. Accuracy is enhanced with this method by properly accounting for pump leakage and where pump leakage is either known or can be estimated within reasonable limits or where it is measured during the pump shut off cycle. | 12-12-2013 |
20140000875 | Down-hole Liquid Level Control for Hydrocarbon Wells | 01-02-2014 |
20140262244 | Apparatus and Method for Determining Fluid Interface Proximate an Electrical Submersible Pump and Operating The Same in Response Thereto - In one aspect, a production system is disclosed that in one embodiment may include a production tubing placed inside the wellbore, an ESP in the wellbore for flowing fluid from the wellbore into the production tubing, a sensor string including distributed sensors along the sensor string that provides temperature measurements along the production tubing uphole of the ESP, and a controller that determines from the temperature measurements a change in temperature that exceeds a threshold and determines therefrom level of a liquid in the wellbore. | 09-18-2014 |
20140262245 | Fluid Level Determination Apparatus and Method of Determining a Fluid Level in a Hydrocarbon Well - A system for matching the hydrocarbon reservoir inflow with the outflow of an artificial lift system utilizes an apparatus which makes real time fluid level determinations based upon shock waves detected by a surface device and inputs the observed fluid levels into a processor which controls the speed of a motor which operates a subsurface pump, so as to increase hydrocarbon production. The apparatus which makes real time fluid determinations is installed such that a gas emission port and a pressure wave pressure wave receiving port are placed within the tubing-casing annulus. | 09-18-2014 |
20150027693 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS WELLS - A method for producing gas from a well including a wellbore extending from a surface into a subterranean formation, wherein the well also produces liquid, the method including: (a) producing gas from a production zone in the subterranean formation through an annulus extending within the wellbore at a first velocity that is greater than a critical velocity, and (b) pumping liquid through a liquid tubing string after (a) to reduce a level of the liquid within the wellbore. The method also includes: (c) shutting in the annulus after (a) after the first velocity decreases below the critical velocity, wherein the annulus has a first cross-sectional area and the first production string has a second cross-sectional area that is less than the first cross-sectional area, and (d) producing gas from the production zone through the first production tubing string after (c) at a second velocity being greater than the critical velocity. | 01-29-2015 |
20150083407 | METHOD OF REMOVING WELLBORE FLUID FROM WELL AND WATER REMOVAL WELL - A method for removal of fluid from a subterranean formation is provided, the method including the steps of: providing a wellbore from the surface to within the formation: providing a pump in the wellbore capable of removing fluid from the wellbore to a surface location; establishing a pump performance function as pump curves; measuring at least one variable that establishes where the pump is operating on the pump curve; determining the differential pressure across the pump from the measured variable and the digital power and the flow rate; determining the suction side pressure from the differential pressure across the pump and the vertical height of the annular fluid column of the fluid column above the pump; determining the suction side fluid level from the suction side pressure and the fluid density. | 03-26-2015 |
20150337639 | REDUCED EMISSIONS METHOD FOR RECOVERING PRODUCT FROM A HYDRAULIC FRACTURING OPERATION - A fracturing fluid mixture is used to hydraulically fracture underground formations in a reservoir, by mixing at least natural gas and a base fluid to form the fracturing fluid mixture, and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into a well. Within the fracturing fluid mixture, the natural gas composition and content are selected such that a recovered gas component of a well stream is within the inlet specification of an existing gas processing facility, and the well stream has a wellhead flowing pressure that is sufficient to flow the well stream to surface, or have a flowing pressure that meets capture system inlet pressure requirements of the processing facility. The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the bottom hole flowing pressure. | 11-26-2015 |
20160084042 | GAS VENT SYSTEM AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME - A gas intake apparatus for use in a wellbore configured to channel a mixture of fluids and solids includes a housing defining a chamber and at least one gas intake passage in flow communication with the chamber. The gas intake apparatus further includes a gas intake mechanism coupled to the housing at the at least one gas intake passage. The gas intake mechanism is configured to facilitate a flow of gaseous substances therethrough and to restrict a flow of solids and liquids therethrough. | 03-24-2016 |
20160115784 | DOWNHOLE DETECTION - A method for use in or for detecting a downhole feature in a well comprises transmitting an electromagnetic signal from a first position located substantially at or adjacent to surface through a first space to the downhole feature. The method further comprises receiving an electromagnetic signal at a second position located substantially at or adjacent to surface after reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signal from the downhole feature and after propagation of the reflected electromagnetic signal through a second space. The method may comprise sealing the well before transmitting the electromagnetic signal. Such a method may be used to detector determine a distance from surface to a downhole feature such as a fluid interface in a completed production, injection or observation well. | 04-28-2016 |
20160177685 | MULTILATERAL WELL COMPLETIONS TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL BRANCH CONTROL | 06-23-2016 |