Production Logging Tool Chloride Sensor Fluid Origin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current production logging techniques lack the capability to accurately determine the chloride content of fluids produced from oil fields, which is crucial for distinguishing between naturally occurring and injection fluids, especially in mature oilfields with high water content.
Innovation Solution
A production logging tool equipped with a water sensor, such as a capacitive water holdup probe, and a chloride sensor, like a fluid resistivity sensor or neutron capture cross-section sensor, to measure the chloride content of the produced fluid, allowing differentiation between water from the formation and injection fluids based on chloride levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional production logging techniques are used, then basic fluid monitoring is achieved, but chloride content determination capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a water sensor and a chloride sensor into a single production logging tool assembly, enabling simultaneous measurement of water holdup and chloride content. This merging approach achieves precise chloride determination while avoiding the need for separate logging operations, thus managing device complexity through integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The production logging tool is designed with multi-functional sensors that can detect both fluid composition (water vs. hydrocarbon) and chemical content (chloride concentration). This universal approach allows a single tool to perform multiple measurement functions, improving chloride determination capability without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
2Loss of information
If water content monitoring is performed in mature oilfields, then production dynamics are tracked, but fluid origin identification is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The chloride sensor acts as an intermediary measurement that provides indirect information about fluid origin. By measuring chloride content, the system can distinguish between injection fluids (high chloride) and formation water (low chloride), thereby recovering lost fluid origin information without directly observing the source.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes chloride content as a distinguishing parameter to differentiate between fluid types. By measuring and comparing chloride concentrations against known thresholds, the system transforms the difficult-to-detect fluid origin question into a measurable parameter comparison, enabling automatic identification of injection versus formation fluids.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise determination of chloride content, facilitating the identification of fluid origin, thereby aiding in diagnosing well performance and monitoring oilfield operations by distinguishing between naturally occurring and injection fluids.
Implementation Method 1
The water sensor may be a capacitive water holdup probe, and the measurement is a water holdup measurement
Implementation Method 2
The chloride sensor may be a fluid resistivity sensor, and the measurement is a measurement of a resistivity of the fluid
Implementation Method 3
The chloride sensor may be a fluid resistivity sensor, and the measurement is a measurement of a sigma of the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a production logging tool and method for evaluating fluid produced from a formation of an oilfield. The fluid is measured by a water sensor to determine if the fluid is water, and a chloride sensor to determine chloride levels of the fluid. Based on the chloride levels of the fluid, it can be determined whether the fluid is naturally occurring water, or if the fluid is an injection fluid.