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US 8,783,355 B2Granted
Virtual flowmeter for a well
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsJohn R. Lovell, Valery Shako
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique includes inducing a distributed temperature change along a portion of a wellbore and measuring a time varying temperature along the portion of the wellbore due to the induced change. The technique includes determining a distributed flow rate in the portion based at least in part on the measured time varying temperature before the temperature reaches equilibrium.
Claims25
A method comprising:
- controlling a flow device through which production fluid flows to induce a distributed temperature change along a portion of a wellbore;
- measuring a time varying temperature along the portion of the wellbore due to the inducing;
- and
- determining a distributed flow rate in the portion based at least in part on the measured time varying temperature before the temperature reaches equilibrium.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- changing a wellhead pressure to induce a distributed temperature along a portion of a wellbore;
- measuring a time varying temperature along the portion of the wellbore due to the inducing;
- and
- determining a distributed flow rate in the portion based at least in part on the measured time varying temperature before the temperature reaches equilibrium.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a pressure-changing device through which production fluid flows, wherein the pressure-changing device is configured to induce a temperature change;
- a distributed temperature sensing system to measure a distributed temperature along at least a portion of a wellbore;
- and
- a processing system configured to:
- receive data from the distributed temperature sensor indicative of a time varying temperature along the portion of the wellbore due to the induced distributed temperature change;
- determine a distributed flow rate in the portion based at least in part on the time varying temperature before the time varying temperature has reached equilibrium;
- model the temperature as an exponential function characterized by at least one time constant;
- determine the time constant;
- and
- determine the distributed flow rate based at least in part on the determined time constant.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.