Downhole Fluid Analysis Using Multivariate Decomposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for hydrocarbon extraction in wellbores face delays due to initial contamination by drilling fluid, requiring extended time to obtain a clean sample, which increases exploration costs and reduces the efficiency of reservoir assessment.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system with multiple channels is used to collect real-time data, employing multivariate statistical techniques to decompose measurements and determine the concentration of clean hydrocarbon fluids even when contaminated with mud filtrate, allowing for faster identification of hydrocarbon composition and properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If real-time downhole fluid analysis is performed on contaminated samples, then the time to obtain clean hydrocarbon samples is reduced, but the measurement precision is worsened due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multivariate statistical techniques to analyze contaminated formation fluid samples and extract accurate composition and property information despite the presence of drilling fluid contaminants. The system converts the harmful effect of contamination into a beneficial by using mathematical decomposition to separate contaminant signals from formation fluid signals, enabling real-time analysis without requiring clean samples.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multivariate statistical analysis as an intermediary processing layer between the contaminated sample measurement and the final composition determination. This intermediary technique mathematically separates the contaminant and formation fluid components, allowing accurate analysis of formation fluid properties even when direct measurement is compromised by contamination.
2Measurement precision
If detailed sample analysis is performed by transporting samples to off-site laboratories, then the measurement precision is improved, but the loss of time and resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the downhole system to perform its own fluid analysis by integrating sensor systems and multivariate statistical processing capabilities directly in the wellbore environment. This self-service approach eliminates the need to transport samples to external laboratories, providing real-time composition and property determination at the source of the formation fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physical sample transport and laboratory analysis with an in-situ electronic sensing and computational analysis system. By using downhole sensors combined with multivariate statistical processing, the system substitutes the traditional mechanical workflow with an electronic and mathematical approach that provides real-time results without physical sample movement.
3Productivity
If multiple formation layers are traversed in a single wellbore, then the productivity is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring clean fluid composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary separation of contaminant and formation fluid signals using multivariate statistical analysis before final composition determination. This preliminary action of mathematical decomposition removes the confounding effect of drilling fluid contamination, enabling accurate measurement of formation fluid composition across multiple formation layers without requiring separate clean-up procedures for each layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, including disposing a probe of a sensor system in a wellbore to interact with a formation fluid that includes a mud filtrate and a clean fluid that includes one of a formation water, or a formation hydrocarbon fluid including at least one hydrocarbon component. The method includes collecting multiple measurements of a formation fluid from a wellbore, the formation fluid comprising a mud filtrate and a clean fluid, is provided. The clean fluid includes at least one hydrocarbon component, and the method also include identifying a concentration of the mud filtrate and a concentration of the clean fluid in the formation fluid for one of the measurements, and determining at least one hydrocarbon composition and at least one physical property of the clean fluid based on a measurement fingerprint of the hydrocarbon components. A sensor system configured to perform a method as above is also provided.