Texaco Inc.

Thomas M Williams

Irwin R Supernaw

Gregory J Hatton

David A Helms

Hans J Paap

Herbert A Rundell

James Craig Pauley

Charles L Gray, Jr

Paul D Carmichael

Alfred E Bussian

Radioactive contamination on tubing is detected as the tubing is withdrawn from a wellbore. The tubing is moved past a detector located on the wellhead, preferably through an annular shaped detector, and means responsive to the detected level of radiation exceeding predetermined limits activate both an alarm to gain the operator's attention and means to apply indicia to the contaminated tubing.

Naturally occurring radioactive material contamination detection means

A device and method for determining the flow of steam in a production well has a sonde with a pair of gamma ray detectors and a source of gaseous radioactive material therein. The sonde is lowered into the well and measured amounts of the gas are released and detected by the gamma detectors to thereby determine the volume and velocity of steam flowing in the production well as well as its depth of entry.

Produced steam survey device and method

Brines in earth formations in the vicinity of a well borehole are bombarded with neutrons. The neutrons are slowed to thermal energy and captured by sodium atoms in the brine according to the nuclear reaction .sup.23 Na (n, .gamma.) .sup.24 Na. Spaced arrays of gamma ray detectors in a sonde in the borehole obtain gamma ray measurements following activation to obtain measurements of horizontal brine flow past the borehole. The detector arrays are vertically spaced from each other along the axis of the sonde. Changes in the count ratios of the detector arrays indicates a vertical flow of the brine.

Radioactive well logging to determine vertical brine flow

A production stream analyzer, which analyzes a flowing crude oil production stream in a conduit, includes a temperature sensor, a capacitance measuring device and a densitometer which provide corresponding temperature, capacitance and density signals, respectively. An output circuit provides an output signal corresponding to the quantity of at least one constituent of the production stream in accordance with the temperature, the capacitance and the density signals.

Production stream analyzer

The present invention is a well logging apparatus and method for measuring the azimuth and speed of horizontal flow by a borehole using a conventional well logging sonde having a neutron source for irradiating the earthen formation surrounding the borehole. A gamma ray detection assembly in the sonde includes a segmented crystal and a segmented photomultiplier tube optically coupled to said segmented crystal. An additional gamma ray detector is located within the sonde and is displaced longitudinally along the sonde's longitudinal axis from the gamma ray detection assembly.

Method and apparatus for measuring azimuth and speed of horizontal fluid

Apparatus and method for monitoring a petroleum stream includes stratifying the petroleum stream into substantially liquid and gas streams. Predetermined parameters of the stratified petroleum stream are sensed and signals are provided accordingly. A sample of the liquid stream of the stratified petroleum stream is taken and parameters of the sample stream are also sensed with representative signals provided by sensors. Circuitry provides signals representative of the water faction, the gas faction, and the oil faction of the petroleum stream in accordance with the signals from all of the sensors.

Petroleum stream monitoring means and method

A method and system for detecting and identifying abnormal drilling conditions. It determines the normal pump speed-pressure ratio over the range of usual working conditions. It measures the output pressure from the pump. And it measures the speed of the pump. Then it detects a change from the normal pump speed-pressure ratio which indicates abnormal conditions. Identification of the abnormal condition depends upon whether the pump speed increased above normal or the output pressure decreased below normal. If the former, the volume of drilling fluid returning is observed in order to identify one of three conditions. If the latter, the number of decreases greater than a predetermined extent are counted over a predetermined interval of time which may indicate malfunctioning pump valve or valves.

Method and system for detecting and identifying abnormal drilling

A water cut monitor includes a microwave transmitter which transmits microwave energy through a fluid mixture containing water. An indicator connected to the microwave transmitter and receiving the microwave energy transmitted through the emulsion provides an indication of the water fraction of the fluid mixture in accordance with the phase difference between the microwave energy from the transmitter means and the microwave energy transmitted through the fluid mixture.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Thomas M Williams