Release-Resistant Water Extraction for Real-Time Pay-Zone Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for analyzing geologic materials, such as petroleum drill cuttings, are limited in identifying oil and gas pay zones, particularly in low visibility plays and horizontal wells, as they fail to effectively utilize water as an analyte and are costly.
Innovation Solution
A method for analyzing release-resistant water in materials by isolating the sample, removing extraneous water, applying an extracting force to release detectable amounts of release-resistant water, and measuring it using humidity meters or capacitance manometers, with the release-resistant water being the sole analyte.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional resistivity logs are used to identify oil and gas accumulations, then the method is cost-effective and widely applicable, but it fails to locate pay zones in low visibility areas such as freshwater basins and sandstone reservoirs with clay coatings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from the geologic material through vacuum pressure application, separating it from the solid matrix. This extracted water serves as the analyte to identify pay zones, overcoming the limitation of traditional resistivity logs in low visibility areas by using a different physical basis for detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses water as an intermediary substance to indirectly detect oil and gas pay zones. Instead of directly measuring resistivity or hydrocarbon content, the method measures water extraction characteristics which correlate with pay zone presence, providing a reliable indicator even in challenging geological conditions.
2Loss of information
If fluid inclusion analysis is performed on petroleum drill cuttings, then information about fluid composition and formation conditions can be obtained, but the inclusion content does not match present-day fluids and is of limited utility for identifying current pay zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vacuum pressure to extract water from the drill cuttings in a controlled manner, preserving the water in its original state within the material matrix. This preliminary extraction action maintains the water's characteristics as they exist in the formation, providing reliable information about present-day fluid conditions rather than altered inclusion contents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and presentation of water from trapped inclusions to extracted liquid form through vacuum pressure application. This parameter change allows the water to be measured as a liquid analyte, providing direct information about present-day formation fluids while maintaining the correlation to pay zone identification.
3Measurement precision
If water is used as an analyte in material analysis, then accurate identification of pay zones can be achieved, but water is considered too abundant and difficult to measure accurately by traditional analytical methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from the geologic material using vacuum pressure, concentrating it into a measurable liquid phase. This extraction step transforms the abundant but difficult-to-measure water into a concentrated analyte that can be accurately measured, while the vacuum system provides a controlled environment for precise measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional analytical methods with a vacuum pressure-based extraction and measurement system. This mechanical approach to water removal and measurement provides accurate results by physically concentrating the water in a controlled vacuum environment, avoiding the complexity of traditional chemical analysis methods.
4Quantity of substance
If vacuum pressure is applied to extract water from materials, then release-resistant water can be obtained for analysis, but the process requires controlled vacuum conditions and specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from atmospheric to vacuum conditions, enabling the extraction of release-resistant water from the material matrix. This parameter change allows water that would normally remain trapped to be extracted in measurable quantities, while the vacuum system provides a controlled environment for consistent results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a vacuum environment as an inert atmosphere to extract water without contamination from atmospheric moisture. This controlled vacuum environment ensures that only water from the material is extracted and measured, providing accurate quantity measurements while the vacuum system maintains consistent extraction conditions.
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 accurate identification of oil and gas pay zones in real-time or near-real-time drilling operations, overcoming limitations of traditional methods by providing precise characterization of geological formations.
Implementation Method 1
The vapor pressure of water at a given temperature is the pressure at which water evaporates at that temperature. The vapor pressure of water at 25° C. is about 23.8 millibars (0.0238 atmosphere).
Implementation Method 2
The application of a force, such as vacuum pressure, to a material can cause water to be released from the material. The force applied must be greater than the vapor pressure of water at the given temperature.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are new methods of analyzing release-resistant water in materials, such as geologic materials. The methods of the invention typically comprise removal of extraneous water, e.g., by drying, preparing the material for the release of release-resistant water (e.g., by crushing the material, but typically not so greatly as to cause the release of fluid from hermetically sealed components, such as fluid inclusions), and then analyzing the amount of release-resistant water in the sample, either directly in-situ or by the additional step of extracting the release-resistant water and measuring the extraction. The invention also provides new devices and/or systems useful in the performance of such methods.