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Method for monitoring or tracing operations in well boreholes

a well borehole and tracing operation technology, applied in the direction of borehole/well accessories, survey, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of high risk of radioactive material dispersion from the subsurface zone location of the subsurface zone location from hydraulic fracturing operations, high risk of health safety and environment perspectives, fixed or loose radioactive contamination of exposed items,

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-03-13
MASNYK ROBERT MICHAEL +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides two methods for monitoring or tracing job operations in a borehole. The first method involves disposing a neutron absorber into the borehole during the job operation, and measuring the neutron capture in and around the borehole after the operation using a neutron device. The second method involves disposing a neutron absorber during hydraulic fracturing of the borehole, and measuring the neutron capture and gamma radiation after the fracturing by comparison with a baseline measurement. The invention also provides a method using boron carbide particles as a tag material for the neutron absorber. The detection of the tag material is achieved by measuring the neutron and gamma count rates, as well as energy discrimination across tagged intervals. This method provides information about the dimensions of the well bore and the difference between the initial reference data and the detected tag material.

Problems solved by technology

The use of radioactive tracer materials for tracing subsurface zone location from hydraulic fracturing operations poses a high risk from a health safety and environment (“HSE”) prospective.
The risk of dispersing radioactive material is high with respect to uncontrolled variables such as equipment failure leading to the release of a radioactive tracer material, or the retention of radioactive tagged fracturing fluids in piping and blending or well head equipment, either by mechanical deposition or chemical reaction leading to fixed or loose radioactive contamination of the exposed items.
The presence of radioactive materials and contamination in the environment leads to pollution and burdens from exposure of gamma / beta emitting radioisotopes to people and anything in close proximity to them.

Method used

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  • Method for monitoring or tracing operations in well boreholes
  • Method for monitoring or tracing operations in well boreholes
  • Method for monitoring or tracing operations in well boreholes

Examples

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example 1

Concept Verification

[0059]Theory: boron and cadmium have large thermal neutron cross-section capture area and emit a high energy gamma upon neutron capture.

Hypothesis: The presence of boron or cadmium should be detected by the decrease of neutron activity and the increase of high gamma energy.

Materials: 3-45 gallon drums; 5″ metal exhaust pipe; frac sand; boron carbide tag, logging device containing Am241Be neutron logging source, thermal neutron detector, neutron gamma detector and natural gamma detector.

Method: Three 45 gallon metal barrels were cut in half 80 (refer to FIG. 2). A 5″ hole 32 was cut in the center of the ends of each half barrel 80. A piece of 5″ metal exhaust pipe 70 was inserted thru the hole 32 into the half barrel 80. The 5″ exhaust pipe 70 was then welded onto the end of the barrel 80. Three of the half barrels 80 were filled completely with frac sand and ash water. The remaining three half barrels 80 were filled with tagged frac sand (at different concentrati...

example 2

Demonstration Well Field Test

[0061]Hypothesis: Fracture tag relative placement to wellbore can be discerned by the relative change is neutron neutron and neutron gamma responses with the presence of tag and the tagging and non-tagging of fracture stages should be easily recognizable.

Materials: B4C, Logging device containing Am241Be neutron logging source thermal neutron detector, neutron gamma detector and natural detector; wireline logging unit comprising of sufficient length electric wireline and acquisition system to record the data.

Method: Record before fac neutron neutron, neutron gamma and natural gamma ray responses. Tag frac stags as follows: pad stage—no tag proppant stage 1—tag front and back of stage at 375 g / m3 because it is believed that the initial stags of well fracturing will be up and down near wellbore. Therefore there is a possibility to detect the tagged and untagged stage if the vertical extent is high enough. Tagging the back of stage 1 will place a wall of tag...

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Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for monitoring or tracing a job operation performed in a borehole, such as well boreholes traversing a geological formation. In one embodiment, the methods of the invention include (a) disposing into the borehole, in alternate stages, a neutron absorber during the performance of the job operation; (b) logging the borehole with an instrument capable of measuring a neutron capture in and around the borehole after performance of the job operation; and (c) monitoring or tracing the job operation performed in the borehole by comparing the measured neutron capture with a baseline neutron capture in and around the borehole. The methods of the present invention pose small or no risk from a heath safety and environment perspective and are useful for monitoring or tracing hydraulic fracturing, cementing operation in well boreholes, production logging or subsurface location downhole collars, float shoes and other jewellery.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 496,736 filed Mar. 16, 2012, which in turn is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT / CA2010 / 001446, filed Sep. 16, 2010, which in turn claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 61 / 242,147, filed Sep. 16, 2009, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to novel methods for monitoring or tracing job operations in boreholes with the use of neutron absorbers such as boron and cadmium.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]It is oftentimes desirable to fracture boreholes in order to increase or restore the permeability of fluids such as oil, gas or water into the borehole thereby increasing the production of oil, gas, and / or water from the borehole. Hydraulic fracturing is a technique commonly...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): E21B47/10
CPCE21B47/1015E21B43/26E21B47/11
Inventor MASNYK, ROBERT MICHAELKRAMER, HERMANN
Owner MASNYK ROBERT MICHAEL