Gas Extraction Correction Coefficients for Well Site Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for analyzing drilling fluids in subterranean operations fail to accurately measure gas partitioning between different phases, leading to incomplete data on residual saturation and component distribution, which can cause undesirable phase transitions and economic delays in production.
Innovation Solution
The use of Fick's laws of diffusion and correction coefficients to quantify gas extraction from drilling fluids, allowing for more accurate analysis of gas composition and efficiency in real-time, reducing the need for secondary laboratory analysis and enabling recalculation of diffusion coefficients without additional testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional gas extraction methods are used to analyze drilling fluids, then gas extraction can be performed, but accurate measurement of gas partitioning between different phases cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the gas extraction and analysis process into distinct phases: extracting gases from the drilling fluid stream, then individually analyzing each gas component (C1, C2, C3, etc.) using a gas chromatograph. This segmentation allows for precise measurement of each gas phase separately, resolving the contradiction between extraction capability and measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a gas chromatograph as an intermediary device between the gas extraction system and the analysis output. This intermediary separates and identifies individual gas components that were mixed together in the original drilling fluid, enabling accurate measurement of gas partitioning that conventional direct methods cannot achieve.
2Measurement precision
If downhole analysis is performed by stopping circulation in the wellbore, then fluid sampling can be conducted, but production delays and wellbore settlement damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs gas extraction and analysis at the wellbore surface immediately after drilling fluid returns, rather than requiring downhole sampling. This preliminary action at the surface eliminates the need to stop circulation for sampling, maintaining continuous production while obtaining accurate fluid composition data through real-time gas chromatography analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical downhole sampling system (which requires stopping circulation and physical intervention) with a surface-based gas extraction and chromatography system. This substitution maintains production continuity while achieving equivalent or superior analytical accuracy through non-intrusive gas phase analysis.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional surface analysis methods are used, then gas extraction can be performed, but undesirable phase transitions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls critical parameters including temperature (maintaining isothermal conditions at 50-150°F), pressure (maintaining formation pressure), and flow rate (0.1-10 gallons per minute) during gas extraction to prevent undesirable phase transitions. These parameter controls stabilize the fluid composition during analysis while maintaining process simplicity.
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 provides greater accuracy in assessing gas composition and fluid characteristics, reducing the risk of phase transitions and economic delays by enabling real-time, precise monitoring and analysis of drilling fluids during subterranean operations.
Implementation Method 1
The amount of each gas species extracted is measured as a function of time. The diffusion coefficient for the gas species may then be calculated by applying the measured function to Fick's second law of diffusion.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for monitoring, analyzing, and characterizing well bores and reservoir fluids in a subterranean formation are provided. In particular, methods and systems for determining and using correction coefficients for quantitative analysis of gas samples extracted from fluids at a well site based on Fick's laws of diffusion are provided. In one embodiment, the systems include: a gas trap configured to extract one or more gaseous samples from a fluid at a well site; a gas analyzer configured to receive one or more gaseous samples from the gas extraction system and generate data regarding the amount of one or more gas species in the gaseous sample; and an information handling system communicatively coupled to the gas analyzer that is configured to use data received from the gas analyzer to determine an extraction efficiency coefficient for the gas species.