Determining contact levels of fluids in an oil reservoir using a reservoir contact monitoring tool
US6023445A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 8, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V1/44
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The present invention is a method for monitoring contact levels of fluids in a subterranean oil reservoir. A monitoring wellbore is provided from an earthen surface into the oil reservoir which includes an oil zone, a water zone, and a gas zone, each having a level in the reservoir. The monitoring wellbore contains a plurality of fluids including an oil phase, a water phase and a gas phase, each have a level in the monitoring wellbore which substantially corresponds to the level of the oil, water and gas zones, respectively, in the reservoir proximal to the monitoring wellbore. The method includes positioning a transducer pair having a first and a second transducer in the oil phase of the monitoring wellbore, transmitting a plurality of first acoustic output signals from the first transducer in a first direction and transmitting a plurality of second acoustic output signals from the second transducer in a second direction. A gas/oil interface is contacted with one of the first acoustic output signals and a first acoustic input signal is reflected back to the first transducer in response to the contact. A contact level of the oil and gas zones is determined from the first acoustic i…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.