Sidewall coring tools having active circulation features
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsJules El-Khoury, Anish Kumar, Christopher Albert Babin, Khaled Hadj-Sassi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods presented herein include sidewall coring tools with active circulation caused by bi-directional downhole pump modules included in the sidewall coring tools. The active flow of mud through the sidewall coring tools may be adjustable in substantially real time during coring operations performed by the sidewall coring tools. In general, the ability to actively control the flow of mud through the sidewall coring tools enables lubrication and assists in moving cuttings during coring operations away from the coring bit.
Claims20
A sidewall coring tool assembly, comprising:
- a coring tool configured to perform a sidewall coring operation to extract a core sample from a formation adjacent a borehole within which the sidewall coring tool assembly is disposed;
- and
- a downhole pump configured to control a flow of fluid through the coring tool, wherein the sidewall coring tool assembly further comprises at least one of:
- the downhole pump being configured to automatically adjust a pumping rate and/or a pumping direction of the flow of the fluid through the coring tool in substantially real time during the sidewall coring operation;
- or
- one or more screens configured to remove debris from the flow of the fluid.
A coring system, comprising:
- a sidewall coring tool assembly comprising:
- a coring tool configured to perform a sidewall coring operation to extract a core sample from a formation adjacent a borehole within which the sidewall coring tool assembly is disposed;
- and
- a downhole pump configured to control a flow of fluid through the coring tool;
- and
- a surface unit configured to send control signals to the downhole pump to automatically adjust operating parameters of the downhole pump.
A sidewall coring tool assembly, comprising:
- a coring tool configured to perform a sidewall coring operation to extract a core sample from a formation adjacent a borehole within which the sidewall coring tool assembly is disposed;
- and
- a downhole pump configured to bi-directionally control a flow of fluid through the coring tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.