Downhole Sampling Probe with Penetrating Inlet and Method of Using Same

A downhole tool deployable into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the formation having a clean fluid therein, the downhole tool comprising:

• a housing having at least one flowline extending therein;
• and
• a probe, comprising:
• a base carried by the housing and positionable adjacent a wall of the wellbore;
• a penetrating inlet carried by the base and having a tip about a sampling end thereof to receive the clean fluid, the penetrating inlet in fluid communication with the at least one flowline, the penetrating inlet extendable through the wall of the wellbore a distance into the formation;
• and
• an inlet packer inflatably positionable about the penetrating inlet to form a seal with the formation and isolate the tip therein whereby the clean fluid may be drawn from the formation and into the housing.

A method of sampling a downhole fluid of a subterranean formation, the formation having a wellbore extending therein, the formation having a clean fluid therein, the method comprising:

• deploying a downhole tool into the wellbore, the downhole tool comprising a housing with at least one flowline extending therein and a probe, the probe comprising a base carried by the housing, a penetrating inlet carried by the base and having a tip about a sampling end thereof, and an inlet packer positionable about the penetrating inlet, the penetrating inlet in fluid communication with the at least one flowline;
• positioning the base adjacent a wall of the wellbore;
• selectively extending the penetrating inlet through the wall of the wellbore a distance into the formation;
• isolating the tip from contaminated fluid by inflating the inlet packer about the penetrating inlet and forming a seal with the formation;
• and
• drawing the clean fluid from the formation and into the housing through the tip.