Determining oil viscosity based on biodegradation
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorNaim Wajih Al-Jabari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for determining oil viscosity based on biodegradation are described. A chemical signature of oil obtained from a subterranean zone is received. An amount of bacteria associated with oil in the zone based on the chemical signature of the oil is received. Using an empirical relationship relating oil viscosities to amounts of bacteria, an oil viscosity that is empirically related to the amount of bacteria is identified. The identified oil viscosity for the oil is provided, for example, in response to input requesting oil viscosity.
Claims19
A method to determine viscosity of oil in a subterranean zone of interest, the method comprising:
- obtaining the oil from cuttings from drilling the zone or from a core sample of rock obtained when drilling the zone;
- determining a chemical signature of the oil in the zone;
- determining an amount of bacteria associated with the oil based on the chemical signature of the oil;
- identifying, from a relationship relating oil viscosities to amounts of bacteria, an oil viscosity for the amount of bacteria;
- and
- providing the oil viscosity for the oil.
A method to determine viscosity of oil in a subterranean zone, the method comprising:
- generating a relationship relating oil viscosities of oil from a plurality of samples from the zone to amounts of bacteria in the oil;
- receiving oil obtained from the zone;
- determining an amount of bacteria in the received oil from a chemical signature of the received oil;
- identifying an oil viscosity of the received oil from the relationship;
- and
- providing the oil viscosity for the received oil.
A computer system comprising:
- one or more data processing apparatus;
- and
- a computer-readable medium storing computer instructions executable by the one or more data processing apparatus to determine viscosity of oil in a subterranean zone, the operations comprising:
- receiving a chemical signature of oil obtained from the zone;
- receiving an amount of bacteria associated with oil in the zone based on the chemical signature of the oil;
- accessing an empirical relationship relating oil viscosities to amounts of bacteria, wherein determining the empirical relationship relating oil viscosities to amounts of bacteria by:
- obtaining oil from cuttings or from core samples of rocks obtained from the zone at a plurality of locations at a respective depth in each location;
- and
- for oil obtained at each location at a respective depth:
- determining an amount of bacteria in the oil based on a chemical signature of the oil,
- determining a viscosity of the oil, and
- associating the viscosity of the oil with the amount of bacteria in the oil;
- and
- developing a relationship between viscosities of the plurality of oil samples and amounts of bacteria in the plurality of oil samples;
- identifying, from the empirical relationship, an oil viscosity that is empirically related to the amount of bacteria;
- and
- providing the identified oil viscosity for the oil obtained in the zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.