Dissolvable Deployment Devices for High-Temperature Wellbore Tracing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for wellbore performance, such as fiber optic systems and chemical tracers, are costly, complex, and temperature-limited, making them unsuitable for unconventional reservoirs, and there is a need for a low-cost, accurate, and non-intrusive method to assess wellbore performance decoupled from fracturing operations.
Innovation Solution
A method using a dissolvable deployment device containing ultrahigh resolution nanoparticle tracers is introduced, where the tracer is isolated from the formation until dissolution, allowing contact with formation fluid, and the remnant fluid is tested for wellbore performance analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fiber optic systems (DAS/DTS) are used for wellbore diagnostics, then high-end diagnostic results are obtained, but cost increases by up to $1 million/well and deployment complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable tracer particles that are inexpensive, easy to deploy, and single-use. These tracers are injected into the wellbore, travel through the formation, and are then discarded after providing diagnostic information through their detection at the surface, eliminating the need for complex reusable systems like fiber optics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical fiber optic installation system with a simple fluid injection system. Instead of physically installing fiber optic cables through the wellbore and formation, the system uses fluid dynamics to transport tracer particles through the same pathways, converting a mechanical deployment problem into a fluid transport problem
2Measurement precision
If conventional chemical liquid tracers are used, then diagnostic information is obtained, but temperature limitations prevent use in high-temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the tracer from liquid to solid particulate form. This parameter change enables the tracer to withstand high temperatures that would decompose or alter conventional liquid chemical tracers, while still allowing the tracer to be transported by formation fluids and detected at the surface
3Measurement precision
If radioactive isotopes are used in tracers, then diagnostic information is obtained, but environmental deficiencies make them unacceptable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of using detectable tracers by replacing radioactive materials with inert solid particles that have similar detectability properties but no environmental harm. The inert particles can be detected through their physical or chemical properties (such as fluorescence, magnetic properties, or density) without posing radiation risks to the environment or workers
4Measurement precision
If conventional chemical tracers are used, then diagnostic information is obtained, but multiple exotic formulations are required for different fluid types, increasing costs appreciably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal solid particulate tracer that can be used with all types of formation fluids (oil, gas, water) without requiring different formulations. The inert solid particles are chemically compatible with all fluid types and can be transported through any fluid phase, eliminating the need for multiple specialized tracer formulations
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
Provides accurate, affordable, and timely wellbore performance data without the need for fracturing, suitable for high-temperature environments, and allows for quick and reliable evaluation of reservoir quality and completion design.
Implementation Method 1
The deployment device may be made of a reactive material that dissolves, at least partially, based on wellbore fluid composition
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using a tracer additive in a wellbore that includes using a deployment device, the device configured with a hollowed region, and disposing a tracer additive into the hollowed region. The method includes sending or providing the deployment device into the wellbore in manner whereby the deployment device is positioned at a desired location, and sufficiently dissolving the deployment device so that the tracer additive comes into contact with a target formation fluid. The tracer additive has a first composition, and is in a solid powder form.