US 10,246,989 B2Granted

Pressure sensor arrangement using an optical fiber and methodologies for performing an analysis of a subterranean formation

AssigneeWeatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

InventorsAndre R. Vincelette, Jason S. Kiddy, John B. Niemczuk, Christopher S. Baldwin, Paul Lefebvre

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A sensor arrangement using an optical fiber and methodologies for performing an analysis of a subterranean formation, such as a subterranean formation containing a hydrocarbon based fluid. The sensor arrangement may be used to measure one or more physical parameters, such as temperature and/or pressure, at a multiplicity of locations in the subterranean reservoir. The sensor arrangement may comprise a sensor array comprising an elongated outer casing for insertion in the subterranean formation and into a fluid in the subterranean formation. The sensor array may comprise an optical fiber defining an optical path that links one or more temperature sensors and one or more pressure sensors and transports measurement data generated by the temperature and pressure sensors. A data processing system may be connected to the sensor array to receive measurements from the sensor array and to compute one or more values of a property of an extraction installation operating on the subterranean formation.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A sensor cable for measuring pressure in a subterranean formation, the sensor cable, having a pressure sensing segment, comprising:

(a) an elongated outer casing extending along a longitudinal axis,
(b) the elongated outer casing having an outer side face for exposure to fluid in the subterranean formation and an opposite inner side face defining a boundary of an internal cavity extending along the longitudinal axis;
(c) a fluid port on the outer casing;
and
(d) a pressure sensor, including:
(i) a partition structure in the cavity defining an internal pressure chamber, the internal pressure chamber being in a fluid communication with the fluid port such that fluid in the subterranean formation can ingress the pressure chamber,
(ii) the partition structure being configured such that a portion of the internal cavity is isolated from the pressure chamber to prevent ingress of fluid in the portion of the internal cavity isolated from the pressure chamber,
(iii) the portion of the internal cavity isolated from the pressure chamber extending between the inner face of the outer casing and the pressure chamber;
and
(iv) an optical waveguide extending along the longitudinal axis in the internal cavity, the optical waveguide being responsive to a pressure differential established across the partition structure to encode an optical signal with information conveying the pressure differential.

7 more elements

A sensor cable extending along a longitudinal axis for measuring pressure in a subterranean formation at a plurality of spaced apart locations along the longitudinal axis, the sensor cable including:

(a) an elongated casing having a first end portion, a second opposite end portion and a side wall extending along the longitudinal axis between the first and the second end portions;
(b) a first fluid port on the side wall for admitting fluid at a first location in the subterranean formation at which pressure of the fluid is to be measured;
(c) a first pressure sensor in the elongated casing associated with the first fluid port for generating a signal conveying information on fluid pressure at the first location;
(d) a second fluid port on the side wall in a spaced apart relationship with the first fluid port along the longitudinal axis for admitting fluid at a second location in the subterranean formation at which pressure of the fluid is to be measured;
(e) a second pressure sensor in the elongated casing associated with the second fluid port for generating a signal conveying information on the fluid pressure at the second location;
and
(f) an optical waveguide in the elongated casing for conveying the signal generated by at least one of the first and second pressure sensors,
(g) the sensor cable having a length of at least 100 meters and being helically wound on a reel, the sensor cable being configured such that bending the sensor cable to helically wind it on the reel would not impair pressure sensing at the first and second locations once the sensor cable is unwound from the reel and inserted in the subterranean formation.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/675,505Filed 11 Aug 2017 · continuation
Priority: 22 Apr 2009
Published: US 2018/0087371 A129 Mar 2018
Granted: 2 Apr 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

E21B 47/06
Survey of boreholes or wells: measuring temperature or pressure
E21B 43/2406
Using heat, e.g. steam injection: steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]
E21B 43/2408
Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]: sAGD in combination with other methods
E21B 47/135
By electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency: using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves

Family

Application61/202,945Us provisional application · filed 22 Apr 2009
PCT/US2010/001200Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Apr 2010
Application15/147,704Parent of this continuation · filed 5 May 2016
US 2018/0087371 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Mar 2018
Application13/129,481Parent of this continuation
US 9,347,312 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0229071 A1Published application
US 2016/0245071 A1Published application
US 10,246,989 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key