Wellbore probe movement control
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsRuchir Shirish Patwa, Akshay Girish Khandekar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In various wellbore test systems, a probe mechanism that is extended to contact the formation within a wellbore, and retracted to allow movement of the test system, both rotationally and longitudinally, within the wellbore. A combination including monitoring an actuation fluid pressure used to actuate the probe mechanism to extend and to retract, and the use of one or more timers, provide information used to determine the position of the probe mechanism during the extension and retraction movements.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- positioning a downhole tool including a probe tool at a location within a wellbore;
- initiating testing using the probe tool including starting an extension timer and actuating the probe tool to extend a probe mechanism to engage a wall of the wellbore by applying an actuation fluid pressure at a known fluid flow rate and a known pressure to a moveable portion of the probe tool;
- and
- determining that the probe mechanism has made contact with the wall of the wellbore by monitoring a pressure level of the actuation fluid pressure and determining that the actuation fluid pressure exceeded a threshold pressure level within a time limit set by the extension timer.
A system comprising:
- a downhole tool including a probe tool having a movable portion including a probe mechanism, the probe tool configured to extend the probe mechanism outward from a tool body of the probe tool to allow the probe mechanism to engage a wall of a wellbore where the downhole tool is located;
- the probe tool further comprising a motor coupled to a pump, the motor configured to operate the pump to provide an actuation fluid pressure at a known fluid flow rate and a known pressure to a moveable portion of the probe tool;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- receive a signal to initiate testing of the wellbore using the probe tool while the probe tool is positioned within the wellbore;
- start an extension timer;
- control operation of a motor coupled to a pump to extend the probe mechanism by applying the actuation fluid pressure at the known fluid flow rate and the known pressure to the moveable portion of the probe tool;
- receive a signal from a pressure sensor indicative of the actuation fluid pressure as the actuation fluid pressure is applied to the movable portion of the probe tool;
- and
- determine that the probe mechanism has made contact with the wall of the wellbore by determining that the actuation fluid pressure exceeded a threshold pressure level within a time limit set by the extension timer.
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, wherein the instructions comprise program code executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
- receive a signal to initiate testing of a wellbore using a probe tool positioned within the wellbore;
- start an extension timer;
- control operation of a motor coupled to a pump to actuate the probe tool to extend a probe mechanism to engage a wall of the wellbore by applying an actuation fluid pressure at a known fluid flow rate and a known pressure to a moveable portion of the probe tool;
- receive a signal from a pressure sensor indicative of the actuation fluid pressure as the actuation fluid pressure is applied to the movable portion of the probe tool;
- and
- determine that the probe mechanism has made contact with the wall of the wellbore by determining that the actuation fluid pressure exceeded a threshold pressure level within a time limit set by the extension timer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.