Controlling coning by sensing a formation fluid interface

A method of detecting a fluid interface (20) in a formation involves drilling a number of micro-boreholes (14, 15) away from the main production borehole (10) close to the zone containing the interface (20). Detectors (17a, 17b) are permanently implanted in the miro-boreholes (14, 15). By using tran...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors MATHEW G SCHMIDT, RICKY L WORKMAN, PETER S ARONSTAM
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 25.04.2001
Edition7
Subjects
DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS
EARTH DRILLING
EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
GEOPHYSICS
GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS
MEASURING
MINING
OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
PHYSICS
TESTING
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Summary:A method of detecting a fluid interface (20) in a formation involves drilling a number of micro-boreholes (14, 15) away from the main production borehole (10) close to the zone containing the interface (20). Detectors (17a, 17b) are permanently implanted in the miro-boreholes (14, 15). By using transmitters (16) in the production borehole (fig. 3) or micro-boreholes (14, 15), signals (30) are sent into the formation that are responsive to the position of the interface (20). Processing of the detected signals (30) facilitates monitoring of the location of the interface (20), which allows operation of flow control devices to avoid coning or breakthrough of undesirable fluid into the borehole. The transmitters (16) may be deployed outside the casing (212, fig 3) in the production well or deployed on a wireline (316, fig 4). The transmitters (16) and detectors (17a, 17b) can consist of either seismic or electromagnetic sources and detectors and the interface (20) may be a boundary between oil and gas, a boundary between oil and water, a boundary between gas and water or a boundary between steam and oil.
Bibliography:Application Number: GB20000023110