# US 11,414,989 B2 · Optical analysis of wellbore fluid demulsifiers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,414,989 B2 - Document ID: US11414989B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/614,586 - Filed: 2018-08-03 - Published: 2020-06-25 - Granted: 2022-08-16 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-13 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Li Guo; Jay Paul Deville; William Walter Shumway; Kay Ann Galindo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11414989B2 ## CPC - E21B 49/08: Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells - E21B 43/38: in the well - G01N 21/5907: {Densitometers} - G01N 21/82: producing a precipitate or turbidity - G01N 21/85: Investigating moving fluids or granular solids - G01N 33/2823: {Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures} - G01N 2021/5923: {Determining zones of density; quantitating spots} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure provide optical methods and systems to evaluate the performance of a demulsifying agent in wellbore fluid. The present embodiments provide an optical system which scans wellbore fluid in order to detect the phase separation caused by a demulsifying agent. Using spectral data, the optical system quantifies the opacity and/or transparency of the different phases in the wellbore fluid in order to evaluate the demulsifying agent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical method to evaluate performance of a demulsifying agent in wellbore fluid, the method comprising: optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with an emulsified wellbore fluid to produce sample-interacted light, the wellbore fluid comprising an aqueous phase, oil phase, and demulsifying agent; optically interacting the sample-interacted light with an optical detector to thereby detect separation of the aqueous and oil phases of the wellbore fluid; and based upon the detected phase separation, evaluating the performance of the demulsifying agent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical method as defined in claim 1, wherein evaluating the performance of the demulsifying agent comprises determining one or more of: an amount of separated water; a clarity of the separated water; an interface angle which reflects a phase separation quality; a water recovery percentage; and a speed of the phase separation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the optical method is performed before a wellbore completion operation; and the method further comprises selecting a demulsifying agent for use in the wellbore completion operation based upon the performance evaluation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical method as defined in claim 1, wherein the optical method is performed in real-time using an optical device positioned at a wellbore, the optical device being positioned in-line of the wellbore such that the optical device receives flow back fluid from the wellbore. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical method as defined in claim 4, further comprising altering a chemical makeup of the demulsifying agent in real-time based upon the performance of the demulsifying agent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical method as defined in claim 1, wherein the method is performed during a Flow-to-Refinery operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: based upon the performance evaluation, selecting a demulsifying agent for use in a wellbore operation; and demulsifying fluid produced by the wellbore operation using the demulsifying agent. ### Claim 8 An optical system to evaluate performance of a demulsifying agent in wellbore fluid, the system comprising: a user interface; and processing circuitry communicably coupled to the user interface and configured to execute instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising: optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with an emulsified wellbore fluid to produce sample-interacted light, the wellbore fluid comprising an aqueous phase, oil phase, and demulsifying agent; optically interacting the sample-interacted light with an optical detector to thereby detect separation of the aqueous and oil phases of the wellbore fluid; and based upon the detected phase separation, evaluating the performance of the demulsifying agent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical system as defined in claim 8, wherein evaluating the performance of the demulsifying agent comprises determining one or more of: an amount of separated water; a clarity of the separated water; an interface angle which reflects a phase separation quality; a water recovery percentage; and a speed of the phase separation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The optical system as defined in claim 8, wherein: the operations are performed before a wellbore completion operation; and the operations further comprise selecting a demulsifying agent for use in the wellbore completion operation based upon the performance evaluation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The optical system as defined in claim 8, wherein the operations are performed in real-time using an optical device positioned at a wellbore, the optical device being positioned in-line of the wellbore such that the optical device receives flow back fluid from the wellbore. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical system as defined in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise altering a chemical makeup of the demulsifying agent in real-time based upon the performance of the demulsifying agent. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The optical system as defined in claim 8, wherein the optical system is integrated into a Flow-to-Refinery system.