US2377501A - Fluid influx indicator - Google Patents

Description

M. M, KINLEY FLUD INFLUX INDICATOR June:A 5, 1945.

Filed Aug. 18, 1941 Patented June 5, 1945 Y UNI'I'EI) STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID INFLUX INDICATOR I Myron M. Kinley, Houston, Tex.

l Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,339

3 Claims. (Cl. 175-182) tions for production from' a single stratum or a plurality of strata.

Frequently encroaching or unwanted fluids enter the well bore, as for example where' salt water enters and is produced with the oil. ,In such cases it is necessary to separate the salt water from the oil and to dispose of such salt water in any suitable manner. Similarly, in event a supply of fresh water is desired, the in-v iiux of salt 'water may contaminate the fresh water entering' the well bore. In either event it ls desirable to ascertain the-exact location and g the nature of the uids entering the well so that necessary steps such as squeeze cementing, pack oifs, etc. may be taken to control the influx of undesired formation fluids. At the same time,

it is desirable that the method and apparatus used for locating the, level oi influx of the various fluids shall not impede the flow of the fluids ln the well bore. l

It is the 'primary object of the present invention to determine the location of influx to the various iiuids in a well bore and the nature of theiluids entering the wells\ at various levels throughout the area of iniiux.

vAnother object is to segregate an area within a well and to determine the nature of fluids entering thewell through such area.

A more specic object isto provide an assembly which will segregate an area and obtain an indication of the nature of the uids entering such area but which Adevice will at the same time per- '.mit continued now of fluids longitudinally of the well. including those iluids which enter .through the segregated area. 1

Still another object is to provide novel apparatus for determining at diiferent levels in a well connection with the accompanying drawing in which: A

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a well in which there is positioned a device embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a manner of obtaining the desired electrical measurements.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the device embodying the invention is positioned within a well bore I provided with a screen 2 having a plurality of openings 3 to permit fluids from the surrounding formation 4 to enter and to rise within the well as indicated by the arrows 5. The iluids entering the/well bore may include mixed gaseous and liquid constituents and frequently it is desired to ascertain the exact point or points of entry of the respectivefluids so that, as already indicated, necessary steps may be taken to enhance economy of production and conservation of the desired fluids. 'ro this end the invention comprehends an assembly l0 to be lowered on a conductor cable il containing one or more insulated conductors i2 so that desired electrical measurements can be made in the manner and for the purposes appearing hereinafter.

The assembly I0 comprises an elongated lhollow or tubular body member I5 having a longitudinal bore I6 which is closed at its upper end by means of a plug or head member llto which the lowering cable is secured.'J Closely adjacent the plug l1 are a plurality of openings i8 in the member i5 so that fluids entering the well below the assembly I0 can Arise freely within the well bore regardless of the presence of the assembly I0 therein. n r

Below the openings I8 there is provided a packer assembly 20 about the member l5, such packer serving to provide a sealbetween the member and the walls o'f the surrounding screen 2. This packer has an inner collar porthe nature of enterin fluids by determining an g a pair of spaced concentric tubes 2li and 2l. Such 'electricalcharacteristic of the fluids entering at such levels.

f The foregoing objects, together with additional objects, will be more fully apparent from a contion 2i filling the annular space between the A of fluid upwardly about the'member I5 as in-`r dicated by the .arrows- 24. Y

'I'he collar 2l is reduced both interiorly and exteriorly at its lower end and has attached thereto tubes may be of any suitable material but are 'preferably an insulating material so as to more eillcie'ntly serve a purpose to be further described.

sideration of the following description taken in s Spaced below the lower ends of the tubes 2i .tends downwardly as indicated at 30 and 'terminates in a ring or electrode 32 which surrounds the tubular member 25 whereby such electrode is y located within the stream of fluid moving upwardly between the tubular members 25 and v2li as indicated by the arrows 3|.

It is to be notedl that the spaced packers land 21 serve to segregate an area of the walls of the well so that fluid entering through such vsegregated area will flow in the manner indicated by the arrows 3|. Attention will now be directed to Fig. 2 which indicates the manner of obtaining a measure ent of an electrical characteristic of such fluid the fluid entering between the packers when the assembly is located at a desired level within the well.

The conductor cable I2 is connected to a measuring device such as a bridge 40 having arms 4|, 42 and 43 which, as is well known, may contain any suitable resistance and/ory impedances so that-fa balance of the bridge or a galvanometer deflection may be obtained. The fourth arm of the bridge comprises the conductors I2 and il,

, the electrode 32, the casing and screen M and s an indication of the nature of 2 and the fluid passing through the screen 2 i adjacent to and flowing upwardly between the tubular members' 25 and 26. Since the respective elements of this arm of the bridge remain con- `stant except the fluid flowing along the path 3|,

of the fluid which is segregated and is located between the tubular members 25 and 2Q. If the well is flowing under pressures exerted within the earth formations measurements may be made.

of such flowing fluids. If, however, a static condition exists in a well such condition can be overcome by producing an unbalanced condition by removal of liquid from the well whereupon for` mation liquids enter the well and measurements' thereof can be made in the manner already set Broadly the invention comprehends a method and apparatus for locating the area or areas of fluid influx to wells and the nature of the influx -at different levels within such area or areas.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus to detect the electrical characteristics of a liquidentering a well through the well casing comprising a body, an upper packer on said body, a pair of spaced tubes of insulating material on said packer and body so as to provide an annular passage therebetween.

a lower packer on said body disposed below said tubes, said annular passage being open at the bottom for the entry of liquid, an outlet through said upper packer from said passage, and an electrical circuit including a bridge having one leg that includes the casing and an electrode well within said annular passage whereby fluid present between the casing and the electrode vconstitutes the unknown impedance in said leg, and means `to indicate unbalancing of said bridge as caused `by variation in the electrical characteristics of the liquid passing through said passage.

r2. An apparatus to detect the electrical characteristics of a liquid entering a well through the well casing comprising a body, an upper packer on said body, a pair of spaced tubes of insulating material on said packer and body so as to provide an annular passage therebetween.' a lower packer on said body disposed below said tubes, said annular passage being operi at the bottom for the entry of liquid, an outlet through `said upper packer from said passage, and an electricacircnit including a bridge having one leg that il'udes the casing and an electrode well within said annular passage whereby fluid present between the casing and the electrode constitutes the unknown impedance in said leg, and means to indicate unbalancing of said bridge as caused by variation in the electrical characteristics of the liquid passing through said passage,

'said body having a passage throughout its length for the flow of well fluid from below the apparatus l so as to avoid closing of the well during use ot the apparatus.

3. A device for detecting the. nature and location of fluid entering a well bore'casing, having a passage throughout its length and carrying a. packer -near each end, an insulating sleeve encircling and spaced from the pipe and extending downwardly from said upper4 packer with its forth.A Thtechnique of the invention includes such step of unbalancing where conditions are `finch that this feature is necessary.

It seems apparent that the desired measure- 'ments may be made at any level within the well and such measurements may `be either intermittent or continuous. It also seems apparent that the assembly I0 may remain stationary during the making of measurements or, if desired, such assembly may be raised or lowered by means of cableil during the. measuring operations.

only radially outward opening adjustment said lower packer, an outlet-from said sleeve through the upper packer, and means including an electrical circuit connnected to the casing and having an electrode insulatingly carried by said pipe within the sleeve and spaced from said outward nature thereof.

MYRON M.' KINLEY.

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