Method and apparatus for downhole production zone
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsRune Woie, Harald Grimmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for performing production testing in open holes and in cased holes that avoid transporting formation fluid to the surface. The invention essentially comprises a test string for testing a production zone intersecting a wellbore. The string further comprises a fluid communication member allowing flow of fluid therethrough, a sealing device for isolating a production zone intersecting the wellbore to allow fluid flow from the production zone into the fluid communication member, a second sealing device spaced apart from the first sealing device for isolating a second injection zone intersecting the wellbore, a pump for pumping fluid between zones, and flow control devices.
Claims24
A test string for in-situ testing a production zone intersecting a wellbore traversing a formation, comprising:
- a fluid communication member adapted to allow fluid flow therethrough;
- at least one first sealing device for isolating at least one production zone intersecting said wellbore to allow a fluid to flow from said at least one production zone into said fluid communication member;
- at least one sealing device spaced apart from said at least one first sealing device for isolating at least one injection zone intersecting said wellbore;
- a pump for pumping said fluid from said at least one production zone to said at least one injection zone through said fluid communication member;
- one or more sensors for measuring one or more reservoir characteristics downhole;
- a flow control device for controlling flow of said fluid from said at least one production zone;
- and
- a control unit for controlling said flow control device, wherein substantially all of said fluid remains in said production zone and said injection zone.
A method of performing production testing of a production zone intersecting a wellbore traversing a formation comprising:
- establishing an injection zone intersecting said wellbore of sufficient porosity and permeability to accept a body of production fluid supplied thereto under pressure;
- isolating said production and injection zones and establishing a fluid communication path between said production and injection zones;
- injecting said production fluid from said production zone into said injection zone at a known flow rate determining pressure of said production fluid in said communication path at least periodically over an extended time period;
- discontinuing flow of said production fluid from said production zone to allow said production fluid pressure in said communication path to build up;
- at least periodically measuring at least said production fluid pressure over a selected time period;
- and
- determining from said pressure measurements at least one characteristic of said production zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.