Flow Shunt Chamber for Tracer Cloud Distortion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring wellbore inflow profiles during production, such as using permanent tracers, are limited in accurately estimating pressure gradients and flow velocities in well shunts, leading to distorted tracer clouds and reduced accuracy in inflow profile estimation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a petroleum well tracer release flow shunt chamber with a tracer carrying system that releases unique tracer molecules or particles into flow shunt chambers, utilizing a flow restrictor nozzle unit to create a controlled pressure gradient, allowing for the estimation of pressure differences and gradients along the wellbore by analyzing tracer flux transients and time constants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If tracer is injected directly into main flow path, then tracer cloud reaches surface quickly, but tracer cloud becomes distorted by dispersion phenomena
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flow shunt chamber as an intermediary component between the main flow path and the tracer injection point. The tracer is injected into the shunt chamber where it mixes with shunt flow, creating a controlled release mechanism that delays tracer entry into the main flow path, thereby reducing dispersion distortion while still enabling surface detection
Solution Approach 2:
The tracer is preliminarily mixed with shunt chamber fluid before entering the main flow path. This preliminary mixing and controlled release from the shunt chamber prepares the tracer cloud in a more stable configuration, reducing subsequent dispersion effects during transport to the surface
2Measurement precision
If tracer is injected into flow shunt with lower velocity, then tracer cloud distortion is reduced, but tracer residence time increases leading to slower flush-out
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically balances the shunt chamber flow rate to optimize tracer release. By controlling the shunt flow velocity, the system achieves sufficient delay to reduce dispersion while maintaining reasonable flush-out times through adjustable flow conditions
3Loss of time
If pressure gradient is increased to accelerate tracer flush-out, then tracer reaches surface faster, but tracer cloud distortion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow shunt chamber acts as a buffer that decouples the pressure gradient effects from the tracer cloud. By releasing tracer through the shunt mechanism rather than direct injection, the system can manage pressure effects without proportionally increasing tracer cloud distortion
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
This approach enables precise estimation of pressure profiles along the production zone, improving the accuracy of inflow profile monitoring by minimizing tracer cloud distortion and enhancing the understanding of flow velocities and residence time distribution in shunt chambers.
Implementation Method 1
a flow restrictor nozzle unit (70) arranged between said tracer carrying system (2) and said second outlet aperture (5), allowing a pressure gradient between said inlet and outlet apertures (6, 5) driving said shunt chamber fluid (F3) out via said flow restrictor nozzle unit (70)
Implementation Method 2
The tracer cloud flushout from the flow shunt is characterized by the pressure drop along the shunt, and if the cloud is not distorted on its way to surface, its shape may be read at surface
Data Source
AI summary
A petroleum well tracer release flow shunt chamber in an annulus space about a base pipe and method of estimating one or more pressure differences or gradients, wherein the flow shunt chamber extending generally axial-parallel with the base pipe, and provided with a shunt flow passage for holding a shunt chamber fluid, and including: a tracer carrying system designed to release shots of tracer molecules or particles according to some control to the shunt chamber fluid, a first inlet aperture for receiving a first fluid, a second outlet aperture for releasing the shunt chamber fluid to a fluid, a flow restrictor nozzle unit allowing a pressure gradient between the inlet and outlet apertures driving the shunt chamber fluid out via the flow restrictor nozzle unit, topside recording the tracer transient response from the shunt chamber after tracer shots, extracting pressure gradients from recoded tracer transient response and tracer transient model, deriving wellbore inflow profile information from pressure gradients.