Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Songming Huang

Franck Monmont

Cheng-Gang Xie

Robert Tennent

Ian Atkinson

Anthony Frank Veneruso

Craig David Johnson

Matthew R Hackworth

Gary Martin Oddie

Andrew Meredith

Fadhel Rezgui

Benoit G Froelich

Pierre Vigneaux

Randolph J Sheffield

Colin Atkinson

Franck Bruno Jean Monmont

Andrew Colin Whittaker

Yan Kuhn De Chizelle

Kasim Sadikoglu

A downhole tool for measuring flow properties of a multiphase fluid flow at a location within a subterranean borehole includes at least one ultrasonic probe with a transducer unit having an ultrasound transmission/receiving surface which, in use, interfaces with the multiphase fluid flow. At the surface, the transducer unit transmits ultrasonic acoustic waves into the multiphase fluid flow and receives reflections of the acoustic waves from the multiphase fluid flow. At least one piezoelectric element of the transducer unit produces the acoustic waves. The transducer unit focuses the transmitted acoustic waves into a focus volume in the multiphase fluid flow, which focus volume contains a position of maximum intensity of the transmitted acoustic waves that is spaced a distance of 50 mm or less from the surface. An electronic controller operates the transducer unit, and a signal processor measures properties of the fluid flow from the received reflected acoustic waves.

Downhole tool with an ultrasonic probe for measuring fluid flow properties

A multiphase flow measurement insert for insertion within a pipe includes a first, upstream isolation disc sized and shaped so as to make a fluid tight seal with the interior surface of the pipe. A second, downstream isolation disc is also sized and shaped to make a fluid tight seal with the interior surface of the pipe. The first isolation disc includes a first orifice and the second isolation disc includes a second orifice. The lower edge of the first orifice is positioned vertically higher in the first isolation disc than the lower edge of the second orifice in the second isolation disc. A measurement vessel extends from the first orifice to the second orifice forming a flow channel that is downwardly sloping when the multiphase flow measurement insert is in its operational orientation.

Flow measurement insert

Provided is a tool-body that arranges ultrasonic and electrical capacitance sensors at close distances to the casing wall of the wellbore such that properties of thickness, flow velocity, acoustic impedance and the dielectric constant of the liquid layer are measured at a number of circumferential locations inside the casing of the wellbore. These measured values may then be combined to derive the average flow rate of the layer and also used to identify whether the liquid is water or condensate/oil, or a mixture of the two with a certain water-in-liquid ratio. Combined with a gas flow rate and a liquid droplets concentration measurement, the total liquid flow rate and liquid type can be derived.

Sensing annular flow in a wellbore

A conditioning accumulator () for use in a multiphase flow measurement system. The conditioning accumulator includes a container which has an inflow orifice connected to the end of an inflow pipe and an outflow orifice connected to the end of an outflow vessel. The lowest point of the inflow orifice is positioned at or near the bottom of a sidewall of the container. The outflow orifice is positioned in a sidewall of the container, where the lowest point of the outflow orifice is vertically offset and above the lowest point of the inflow orifice when the container is in an operational orientation. The container includes a phase distributer located next to the inflow orifice adapted to distribute the liquid and gas phases of the incoming flow from the inflow pipe within the container. An exit flow resistance device reduces/resists the outflow of liquid from the container.

Stratified flow multiphase flowmeter

A measurement apparatus for non-invasively logging the flow of perforations in a well casing lining a wellbore. The measurement apparatus includes a plurality of transducers arranged adjacent an outer surface of the measurement apparatus and at predefined azimuthal angular positions with respect to a longitudinal axis of the measurement apparatus, where the transducers are adapted to transmit and detect an acoustic pulse, and where each transducer is arranged at a different azimuthal angle with respect to each of the remaining transducers.

Logging perforation flow in wellbore

Methods and systems are described that provide for measuring flow properties of multiphase mixtures within a pipe carry gas-liquid hydrocarbons and water produced from oil-gas wells. The methods and systems may provide for a combination of a clamp-on ultrasonic gas flow meter to measure flow characteristics of a gas phase in a pipeline and a pulsed ultrasonic Doppler sensor(s) and/or an RF/microwave electromagnetic sensor(s) to measure flow characteristics of a liquid phase. The combination of sensors may provide for multiphase flow measurements under certain flow conditions, such as when the gas-liquid is flowing in a substantially horizontal pipeline, when the flow is stratified or is caused to be stratified and/or the like.

Multiphase flow measurement

A multiphase flowmeter for determining at least one characteristic of a first phase flowing in a pipe with at least a second phase being also present in the pipe is disclosed. The multiphase flowmeter includes a processor configured to determine the at least one characteristic of the first phase, a first transducer configured to emit a first pulse signal into the first phase at a first incident angle with respect to a straight line that is perpendicular to an interior pipe wall; the first pulse signal is in an ultrasonic range and is configured to be coupled to an exterior pipe wall; and the absolute value of the first incident angle in the first phase is configured to be at least 10 degrees and at most 80 degrees and a second transducer configured to emit a second pulse signal into the first phase at a substantially normal incidence.

Ultrasonic clamp-on multiphase flowmeter

A method and system for measuring a property of a multiphase fluid comprising a mixture of at least an oil phase and a water phase travelling through a conduit, the method comprising measuring the thickness of the liquid mixture, measuring the permittivity of a portion of the multiphase fluid, combining the thickness measurement with the permittivity measurement to obtain a derived value for the permittivity of the liquid mixture, and using at least the derived permittivity of the liquid mixture and a relationship between a single phase liquid property and a corresponding two-phase property of the liquid mixture, to obtain a calculated water-to-liquid ratio of the liquid mixture.

Method of measuring flow properties of a multiphase fluid

A pressure-balanced electromechanical converter is described including a structure that converts displacement into electrical energy or electrical energy into displacement, said structure designed to separate an enclosed volume for an outside pressure wave channel, wherein said enclosed volume has a filtering pressure transparent connection to said outside pressure wave channel with said filtering connection be pressure transparent to static pressure or low frequency pressure waves and filtering pressure waves at higher frequencies.

Pressure-balanced electromechanical converter

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a system and method for flow assurance and pipe condition monitoring in a pipeline for flowing hydrocarbons using at least one thermal sensor probe, which at least one thermal sensor probe may be used in conjunction with one or more other sensors to manage the sensing process and for data fusion to accurately determine flow properties and/or pipeline condition. By way of example, but not by way of limitation, in an embodiment of the present invention, a network of noninvasive sensors may provide output data that may be data-fused to determine properties of the pipeline and/or flow through the pipeline.

System and method for using one or more thermal sensor probes for flow analysis, flow assurance and pipe condition monitoring of a pipeline for flowing hydrocarbons

Methods of measuring flow properties and flowmeters having an upstream transceiver and a downstream wave transceiver, each positioned with a wave emitting surface exposed to a fluid flowing in a conduit are described, the transceiver being separated by a length L along the conduit and adapted to receive wave signals traveling in flow direction and opposite to the flow direction, respectively, and an electronic processor for extracting from travel time measurements of the wave signals flow characterizing parameters, the transceivers being adapted to generate tube waves, particularly in the audible frequency range, in the conduit and used to determine the travel time of the tube waves between the upstream transceiver and the downstream wave transceiver.

Flow measuring apparatus using tube waves and corresponding method

Apparatuses and methods to power and communicate with downhole sensors are presented. Preferred embodiments of the present invention includes energizing a downhole sensor with a surface pressure wave generator and a downhole mechanical to electrical energy converter. Preferred embodiments of the present invention also include transmitting data measured from a downhole sensor to a surface unit through modulation of surface-generated pressure waves.

Downhole power generation and communications apparatus and method

An acoustic telemetry apparatus and method for communicating encoded digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface is described including an acoustic channel terminated at a down-hole end by a reflecting terminal (), an acoustic wave generator () located at the surface and providing an acoustic wave carrier signal through said acoustic, channel, a modulator () located down-hole to modulate amplitude and/or phase of said carrier wave in response to an encoded digital signal and one or more sensors () located at the surface adapted to detect amplitude and/or phase related information of acoustic waves traveling within said acoustic channel to determine the encoded digital data.

Borehole telemetry system

An acoustic telemetry apparatus and methods for communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface or between locations within the borehole are described including a receiver and a transmitter linked by an acoustic channel () wherein acoustic channel has a cross-sectional area of 58 cmor less and the transmitter comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.

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Hardwick, United Kingdom

Songming Huang