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US 12,680,446 B1Granted
Detecting wellbore leaks
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsAhmed Ghaffar, Omar M. Al Hamid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of detecting leaks in a wellbore annulus includes deploying one or more sensors into an annulus defined between a wellbore string and a wall of a wellbore. The method also includes receiving, from the one or more sensors, sensor feedback including at least one of pressure information or temperature information of the annulus. The method also includes determining, as a function of the sensor feedback, a location of a fluid leak within the annulus.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- selecting, as a function of a density of an annulus fluid disposed within an annulus that is defined between a wellbore string and a wall of a wellbore, a number of weights to be positioned within a weight compartment of a microbead to adjust a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a predetermined speed;
- adjusting, as a function of a density of the fluid, a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a speed of between 5 and 15 meters per second;
- deploying the microbead into the annulus, the microbead comprising one or more sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor disposed within a housing of the microbead, the microbead further comprising a microchip electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and temperature sensor;
- receiving, from the one or more sensors, sensor feedback comprising at least one of pressure information or temperature information of the annulus, the receiving comprising receiving, from the microchip, pressure information and temperature information gathered by the pressure sensor and temperature sensor;
- determining, as a function of the sensor feedback, a location of a fluid leak within the annulus;
- and
- controlling, based on the location of the fluid leak, at least one of a valve or a pump to regulate a fluid flow within the wellbore.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a system comprising one or more computers in one or more locations, sensor feedback from one or more sensors of a microbead, the sensor feedback comprising at least one parameter of an annulus defined between an external surface of a wellbore string and a wall of a wellbore, the parameter gathered while the one or more sensors fall downhole within the annulus, the microbead comprising a number of weights positioned within a weight compartment of a microbead to adjust a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a predetermined speed, the number of weights selected as a function of a density of an annulus fluid disposed within the annulus to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a speed of between 5 and 15 meters per second, the one or more sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor disposed within a housing of the microbead, the microbead further comprising a microchip electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and temperature, the receiving comprising receiving, from the microchip, pressure information and temperature information gathered by the pressure sensor and temperature sensor;
- determining, by the system and as a function of (i) the sensor feedback and (ii) a falling speed of the one or more sensors, a location of a fluid leak within the annuls;
- and
- controlling, based on the location of the fluid leak, at least one of a valve or a pump to regulate a fluid flow within the wellbore.
1 more element
A system, comprising:
- one or more hardware processors;
- and
- a computer storage medium communicatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the computer storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, from one or more sensors of a microbead, sensor feedback comprising at least one of pressure information or temperature information of an annulus defined between an outer surface of a wellbore string and a wall of the wellbore, the microbead comprising a number of weights positioned within a weight compartment of a microbead to adjust a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a predetermined speed, the number of weights selected as a function of a density of an annulus fluid disposed within the annulus to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a speed of between 5 and 15 meters per second, the one or more sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor disposed within a housing of the microbead, the microbead further comprising a microchip electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and temperature, the receiving comprising receiving, from the microchip, pressure information and temperature information gathered by the pressure sensor and temperature sensor;
- determining, as a function of the sensor feedback, a location of a fluid leak within the annulus;
- and
- controlling, based on the location of the fluid leak, at least one of a valve or a pump to regulate a fluid flow within the wellbore.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- selecting, as a function of a density of an annulus fluid disposed within an annulus that is defined between a wellbore string an a wall of a wellbore, a number of weights to be positioned within a weight compartment of a microbead to adjust a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a predetermined speed;
- adjusting, as a function of a density of the fluid, a weight of the microbead to allow the microbead to descend along the annulus at a predetermined speed;
- deploying the microbead into the annulus, the microbead comprising one or more sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor disposed within a housing of the microbead, the microbead further comprising a microchip electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and temperature sensor, the deploying comprising inserting the microbead through a lubricator residing at a terranean surface of the wellbore, and then dropping the microbead into the annulus;
- receiving, from the one or more sensors, sensor feedback comprising at least one of pressure information or temperature information of the annulus, the receiving comprising receiving, from the microchip, pressure information and temperature information gathered by the pressure sensor and temperature sensor;
- and
- determining, as a function of the sensor feedback, a location of a fluid leak within the annulus.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.