Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to distinguish between gas and liquid based on the much lower index of refraction of gas. It can also be used to monitor fluid sample clean up over time. The refractive index of a wellbore fluid is determined from the fraction, R, of light reflected off the interface between a transparent window that has a known refractive index and this fluid. Preferably, the refractive index is measured at some wavelength of light for which the fluid is not highly attenuating. However, the adjacent transmission spectrometer can be used to correct the refractive index measurement for attenuation at those wavelengths, which it monitors. Also, this reflection-based refractometer design can be used as an attenuated reflectance spectrometer at highly attenuating wavelengths.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to distinguish between gas and liquid based on the much lower index of refraction of gas. It can also be used to monitor fluid sample clean up over time. The refractive index of a wellbore fluid is determined from the fraction, R, of light reflected off the interface between a transparent window that has a known refractive index and this fluid. Preferably, the refractive index is measured at some wavelength of light for which the fluid is not highly attenuating. However, the adjacent transmission spectrometer can be used to correct the refractive index measurement for attenuation at those wavelengths, which it monitors. Also, this reflection-based refractometer design can be used as an attenuated reflectance spectrometer at highly attenuating wavelengths.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus incorporating a spinning, oscillating or stepping optical interference filter (109) to change the angle at which light (102) passes through the filters after passing through a sample (105) under analysis downhole. As each filter is tilted, the color or wavelength of light passed by the filter changes. Black plates are placed between the filters to isolate each filter's photodiode. The spectrometer of the present invention is suitable for use with a wire line formation tester to provide supplemental analysis and monitoring of sample clean up. The present invention is also suitable for deployment in a monitoring while drilling environment. The present invention provides a high resolution spectometer which enables quantification of a crude oil's percentage of aromatics, olefins, and saturates to estimate a sample's gas oil ratio (GOR). Gases such as CO2 are also detectable. The percentage of oil-based mud filtrate contamination in a crude oil sample can be estimated with the present invention by using a suitable training set and chemometrics, a neural network, or other type of correlation method.
Abstract:
The invention relates to refractometry and attenuated reflectance spectrometry in a wellbore environment. Specifically, it pertains to a robust apparatus and method for measuring refractive index of fluids along a continuum (rather than in steps), and for measuring attenuated reflectance spectra, and for interpreting the measurements made with this apparatus to determine a variety of formation fluid parameters. The present invention provides a method and apparatus to distinguish between gas and liquid based on the much lower index of refraction of gas. It can also be used to monitor fluid sample clean up over time. The refractive index of a wellbore fluid is determined from the fraction, R, of light reflected off the interface between a transparent window that has a known refractive index and this fluid. Preferably, the refractive index is measured at some wavelength of light for which the fluid is not highly attenuating. However, the adjacent transmission spectrometer can be used to correct the refractive index measurement for attenuation at those wavelengths, which it monitors. Also, this reflection-based refractometer design can be used as an attenuated reflectance spectrometer at highly attenuating wavelengths.
Abstract:
The invention relates to refractometry and attenuated reflectance spectrometry in a wellbore environment. Specifically, it pertains to a robust apparatus and method for measuring refractive index of fluids along a continuum (rather than in steps), and for measuring attenuated reflectance spectra, and for interpreting the measurements made with this apparatus to determine a variety of formation fluid parameters. The present invention provides a method and apparatus to distinguish between gas and liquid based on the much lower index of refraction of gas. It can also be used to monitor fluid sample clean up over time. The refractive index of a wellbore fluid is determined from the fraction, R, of light reflected off the interface between a transparent window that has a known refractive index and this fluid. Preferably, the refractive index is measured at some wavelength of light for which the fluid is not highly attenuating but is optimally attenuating. The adjacent transmission spectrometer can be used to correct the refractive index measurement for attenuation at those wavelengths, which it monitors. Also, this reflection-based refractometer design can be used as an attenuated reflectance spectrometer at highly attenuating wavelengths.
Abstract:
The invention relates to refractometry and attenuated reflectance spectrometry in a wellbore environment. Specifically, it pertains to a robust apparatus and method for measuring refractive index of fluids along a continuum (rather than in steps), and for measuring attenuated reflectance spectra, and for interpreting the measurements made with this apparatus to determine a variety of formation fluid parameters. The present invention provides a method and apparatus to distinguish between gas and liquid based on the much lower index of refraction of gas. It can also be used to monitor fluid sample clean up over time. The refractive index of a wellbore fluid is determined from the fraction, R, of light reflected off the interface between a transparent window that has a known refractive index and this fluid. Preferably, the refractive index is measured at some wavelength of light for which the fluid is not highly attenuating. However, the adjacent transmission spectrometer can be used to correct the refractive index measurement for attenuation at those wavelengths, which it monitors. Also, this reflection-based refractometer design can be used as an attenuated reflectance spectrometer at highly attenuating wavelengths.