US 5,328,440 AGranted

Centrifuge bucket and method of use

AssigneeMarathon Oil Company

InventorsHung-Lung Chen, Hiemi K. Haines, Sidney R. Smith

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Abstract

A bucket for use in a swinging bucket centrifuge. A core holder is located between two end chambers, with the annular space between the core holder and the bucket sidewall maintaining the chambers in fluid communication. Windows at each end of the bucket allow fluid collections to be monitored. This enables more accurate data to be obtained regarding the effect of fluids of different specific gravity on a fluid saturating a sample. For example, to obtain data allowing a more accurate modeling of reservoir conditions in an oil field impacted by both gas and water displacement, the amount of oil expelled from a rock sample by gas under pressure and temperature conditions simulating those in the reservoir is measured and, after replacing the gas with water, the amount of oil expelled by water under simulated conditions is measured.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a centrifuge having a rotary shaft, bucket support means connected to the shaft and a plurality of buckets mounted on the support means so as to be substantially perpendicular to the shaft during rotation thereof in a centrifuging operation, each bucket including an inner end and an outer end, the inner end being closer to the rotary shaft during rotation thereof than the outer end, the improvement comprising:

first and second liquid collection chambers in each bucket, the first chamber being adjacent the inner end of the bucket and the second chamber being adjacent the outer end of the bucket;
sample core support means between the first and second collection chambers, the interior of the sample core support means being in fluid communication with the collection chambers;
and
a liquid passageway, separate from the interior of the sample core support means, connecting the first and second collection chambers;
whereby liquid expelled from a sample core in a centrifuge operation by a fluid of greater specific gravity than that of the expelled liquid will flow through said liquid passageway and collect in the first chamber, and liquid expelled form the sample core by a fluid of lesser specific gravity than that of the expelled liquid will collect in the second chamber.

2 more elements

A centrifuge bucket for use in a swinging bucket centrifuge, comprising:

an upper end;
a bottom end;
a sidewall connected to said bottom end and said upper end;
a first liquid collection chamber in the bucket adjacent said upper end;
first means for the controlled introduction of fluid into and the controlled removal of fluid from said first liquid collection chamber;
a second liquid collection chamber in the bucket adjacent said lower end;
second means for the controlled introduction of fluid into and the controlled removal of fluid from said second liquid collection chamber;
and
sample core support means positioned between said first and said second collection chambers for supporting a sample core, the interior of the sample core support means being in fluid communication with said first and said second liquid collection chambers, whereby liquid which is present in said sample core and which is expelled from said sample core in a centrifuge operation by a fluid of greater specific gravity than that of the expelled liquid will collect in said first liquid collection chamber and liquid which is present in said sample core and which is expelled from said sample core by a fluid of lesser specific gravity than that of the expelled liquid will collect in said second liquid collection chamber, said upper end being closer to the axis of rotation of said centrifuge operation than said bottom end.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.