Non-Invasive Compressibility and In Situ Density Testing of a Fluid Sample in a Sealed Chamber
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsLi Gao, Mark A. Proett, Sami Eyuboglu, Tony Herman van Zuilekom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In situ density and compressibility of a fluid sample are determined for a fluid sample collected downhole. The density and compressibility of the fluid sample is determined by measuring a distance to a piston contained within the sample chamber using an external magnetic field sensor that senses a magnetic field emanating from a magnetic provided on the piston internal to the sample chamber. The testing is performed quickly and at the surface in a noninvasive fashion (i.e., without opening the sample chamber).
Claims13
A method, comprising:
- changing a hydraulic pressure applied to a piston within a sealed sample chamber, said sample chamber containing a fluid sample;
- measuring said hydraulic pressure with a pressure sensor external to said sample chamber;
- measuring, with a magnetic sensor, a distance associated with said piston;
- and
- computing compressibility of said fluid sample contained within said sealed sample chamber based on the distance and the measured hydraulic pressure.
A method, comprising:
- weighing a sample chamber before receiving a downhole fluid sample;
- collecting a downhole fluid sample in said sample chamber;
- weighing said sample chamber with said fluid sample;
- computing mass of said fluid sample based on the weight of the sample chamber before and after collecting said fluid sample;
- determining volume of said fluid sample using one of a magnetic field sensor that determines the location of a piston contained within the sample chamber and a downhole pump filling sensor that determines the volume of the sample collected while the pump fills the sample chamber;
- and
- computing in situ density of said fluid sample based on said mass and volume of said fluid sample.
A system for testing a fluid sample contained within a sealed sample chamber containing a fluid sample, comprising:
- a control unit;
- a hydraulic unit having a hydraulic line, said hydraulic unit electrically coupled to said control unit;
- a pressure sensor coupled to said hydraulic line and to the control unit, said pressure sensor producing a pressure signal proportional to the pressure of said hydraulic line;
- and
- a linear position device coupled to said control unit, said linear position device comprising a movable magnetic field sensor sensitive to a magnetic field emanating from a magnet contained in said sample chamber, said linear position device producing a position signal indicative of a position of the movable magnetic field sensor;
- wherein said control unit:
- causes said hydraulic unit to change pressure in said hydraulic line to thereby move the piston within the sealed sample chamber;
- receives the pressure signal from said pressure sensor and the position signal from said linear position device;
- and
- computes compressibility of the fluid sample based on the pressure signal and the position signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.