Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for locating stratification in production fluid in a well

US5205167A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 26, 1992
Grant dateApr 27, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V5/12
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

Apparatus for measuring the volume of gas present in a multiphase flow regime in a cased oil or gas well borehole and the amount, if any, of stratification thereof at a particular borehole depth. The apparatus includes a low energy gamma ray source and a sodium iodide detector located a very short distance from the source and separated by shielding material. Low energy gamma rays, unable to leave the well casing and return, are emitted from the source and scattered back from the multiphase production fluid to a detector comprising a sodium iodide crystal and photomultiplier tube. Both the source and detector are surrounded by rotatable slit collimators to provide sensitivity to azimuthal variations in gas volume percentage in the flow.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.