Coiled Tubing Formation Evaluation Assembly Multi-Zone Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional formation evaluation methods require separate trips into the wellbore for each zone, making them time-consuming and costly, as they cannot efficiently test multiple zones simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A formation evaluation system and method that uses a coiled tubing string with a formation evaluation assembly to test multiple zones in a single trip, incorporating a pump to draw formation fluid and sensors to determine its characteristics, with options for wired or wireless telemetry to transmit data to a remote location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate trips into the wellbore are performed for each zone, then formation evaluation can be conducted for each zone, but time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wellbore is divided into multiple discrete zones, each equipped with its own formation evaluation tool and isolation mechanism. This allows independent evaluation of each zone while maintaining the ability to access multiple zones in a single trip, resolving the contradiction between thorough zone evaluation and time efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic isolation mechanisms that can selectively open or close off specific zones along the wellbore. This dynamic control enables the evaluation tool to access different zones sequentially during a single trip, eliminating the need for multiple trips while maintaining precise zone-by-zone evaluation capability.
2Measurement precision
If separate trips into the wellbore are performed for each zone, then formation evaluation can be conducted for each zone, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single formation evaluation tool is designed to perform multiple functions by evaluating different zones sequentially. The tool incorporates universal capabilities to assess various formation properties across multiple zones, eliminating the need for separate specialized trips for each zone and thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining evaluation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic isolation system allows one evaluation tool to serve multiple zones by selectively accessing each zone in sequence. This multi-functional approach enables a single trip to replace multiple trips, directly addressing the contradiction between thorough evaluation and operational productivity.
3Loss of time
If multiple zones are tested in a single trip, then time and cost are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wellbore is segmented into discrete zones with dedicated evaluation tools and isolation mechanisms for each. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by treating each zone as an independent unit while coordinating them through a centralized control system, enabling multi-zone evaluation in a single trip without overwhelming system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates the dynamic isolation mechanisms and evaluation tools across multiple zones. This intermediary manages the complexity by providing unified control and data integration, allowing the system to operate efficiently as an integrated whole rather than a collection of independent complex components.
4Loss of time
If multiple zones are tested in a single trip, then time is reduced, but operational difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic isolation system provides automated control for accessing different zones, reducing the manual operational difficulty inherent in multi-zone testing. The system can automatically sequence through zones and manage isolation, making multi-zone evaluation as easy to operate as single-zone evaluation while completing the task in a single trip.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that provide real-time information about zone conditions and evaluation progress. This feedback enables operators to monitor and control the multi-zone evaluation process easily, reducing operational difficulty by providing clear guidance and status information throughout the single trip evaluation of multiple zones.
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 convenient and efficient testing of multiple zones in a single trip, reducing time and cost by allowing simultaneous evaluation of multiple zones with the ability to flow fluid to the surface or back into the formation, thereby optimizing wellbore operations.
Implementation Method 1
a pump which draws the formation fluid into the formation evaluation assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A formation evaluation system and method. A formation evaluation system includes an assembly interconnected as part of a tubular string and displaceable to multiple positions proximate each of multiple zones intersected by a wellbore. The assembly includes at least one formation evaluation instrument for determining a characteristic of formation fluid, and a pump which draws the fluid into the assembly. A method of evaluating multiple subterranean zones during a single trip into a wellbore includes the steps of: interconnecting a formation evaluation assembly in a coiled tubing string; for each of the multiple zones, displacing the formation evaluation assembly to a position proximate the respective zone, receiving formation fluid from the respective zone into the formation evaluation assembly, and determining at least one characteristic of the formation fluid; and performing the multiple displacing, receiving and determining steps during the single trip of the coiled tubing string into the wellbore.