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Operational Guidelines
Bottomhole Samplers
SRS Applications
Sample Transfer
Operation Guidelines
After the well has been conditioned the choice lies between recovering the
sample with the well shut-in or with the well flowing at a bleed rate. The most
common route is the flowing the well at as low a stabilised rate as possible to
guarantee that fresh and not aged reservoir fluid fills the bottomhole sampler.
Sampling with the well shut-in should be used only in the marginal cases where
flow even at a bleed rate causes the pressure to drop below saturation
pressure. The shut-in period is dependent on the productivity of the well and can
vary between 2-3 hours for a high productivity well and up to over 72 hours for a
low productivity one.
Page 1
Oilphase
Well Shut-in
Depth
Oil
Water
Pb Po il>Pb
Pressure
Pw i
Reservoir Zone
In extreme cases, the static water column may be so far up the wellbore that the
all the overlying oil is at a pressure below Pb despite the fact that the reservoir
pressure is above Pb. Representative bottomhole sampling would not therefore be
possible.
Depth
Oil
Water
Poil <Pb
Pb
Pressure
Pw i
Reservoir Zone
Page 2
Oilphase
Well Flowing
The objective is to stabilise the well at a low flow rate. It is recommended to
verify the stability over a period of four hours. The stable conditions of flow can
be checked by the:
Page 3
Oilphase
Quality Control of Bottom Hole Samples
For samples taken at the same conditions, the best way to ensure their validity is
to measure and compare the following data:
All being well, these figures should be within 2%. The bubble point determination
is performed in the cylinder after transfer because, unlike the sampling tools, the
sample cylinders have an internal sample agitation system.
It is of the utmost importance that the sample be agitated while measuring the
pressure changes as no agitation will result in a lack of sharp compressibility
change and therefore in arbitrary bubble point measurement with an error which
could be as much as 50%. It will also affect the reproduction of the pressure
curve and therefore the validity of comparing a duplicate sample.
The pressure-volume plot below is of a bottomhole oil sample. The pressure is
recorded together with the cumulative volume of water that was displaced from
the sample bottle at each step. No agitation of the sample was performed.
4 000
3 500
Pressure (psig )
3 000
2 500
2 000
1 500
1 000
500
0
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
Page 4
65
Oilphase
The pressure volume plot below corresponds to the same procedure except that
the sample was mixed for several minutes at each step so that the sample could
reach a reasonably stable equilibrium.
This oil sample example clearly shows how the lack of agitation can result in
wrong and arbitrary field apparent bubble point pressure estimation.
4000
3500
Pressure (psig)
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0
10
15
20
25
Page 5
Oilphase
On-Site Evaluation of BHS
Depending on the importance of the sampling and the time available at the
wellsite a more thorough evaluation can be performed on the samples than the
blind QC tests described above. This could involve:
Bottomhole Samplers
Wireline conveyed bottomhole samplers, whether run on electric wireline or
slickline, are the most common and effective sampling tools because they can be:
Nearly all the bottomhole samplers run today are of the positive displacement
type, which allows the sample to be transferred into a cylinder at surface without
the use of mercury.
These samplers are run in the hole closed and when they reach the sampling
depth, they are activated, either by a mechanical or electronic clock after a
preset delay, or via a signal sent from surface. Reservoir fluid then slowly
displaces a piston into the sample chamber at a constant reservoir pressure that is
regulated by displacement of a clean synthetic oil through a very small choke.
When sampling is complete the tool is automatically closed typically trapping a
600cc sample at Tres & Pres.
Page 6
Oilphase
Single-phase Bottomhole Samplers
Conventional positive-displacement samplers almost always allow the formation
of a second hydrocarbon phase in the sample after the reservoir fluid has entered
the tool. This should be avoided, as the recombination of the phases prior to
transfer cannot always be achieved.
As these samplers are retrieved from the well, there is a pressure change in the
sampled fluid due to the drop in surrounding temperature. This pressure drop is
the result of the thermal contraction of the fluid in the fixed volume of the sample
chamber.
The following example using typical values demonstrates the order of magnitude
of the expected pressure drop.
Example:
600 cm3 of an oil with thermal expansion factor of 0.75*10-3 F-1 and isothermal
compressibility factor of 25*10-6 psia-1 is trapped at 3890 psia and 220oF. The
tool is brought at the surface and before the sample is transferred it attains the
temperature of 80oF. Calculations show that we would expect a contraction of the
volume of the chamber of 0.35% and a contraction of the volume of the oil of
9%. It is calculated that the opening pressure of the sampler at the surface would
be, depending on the oils bubble point pressure, between 2000-2500 psia, i.e.
well below the sampling bottom hole pressure and very likely inside the twophase region.
A conventional sampler with diphasic fluid at the surface requires procedures to
recombine the sample into a single liquid phase by recompressing and agitating
the mixture before it is transferred to a transportation cylinder.
In addition, if in the live reservoir oil significant amounts of asphaltenes are in
colloidal suspension, the drop of the pressure below the fluids bubble point
pressure can cause irreversible flocculation of these macromolecules, which will
then be left in the sample chamber.
Page 7
Oilphase
Single-phase Reservoir Sampler (SRS)
To address these problems the Single-phase Reservoir Sampler (SRS) was
developed. This tool has a special chamber containing nitrogen, which is used to
pressure-compensate the sample during recovery. The sample is kept monophasic
by maintaining it either above bubble point or reservoir pressure depending on
the well conditions and analysis requirements.
The attached diagram illustrates the SRS operating procedure.
FI GURE 1
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
Running Postion
Start Sampling
Pressure Compensation
c ompensating fluid
f lui d
sample shrinks
the sample
Mech anica l/
Elec tr ic al C lo ck
reopen
Closure Device
Spo ol v alve
Bu ffer Fluid
Pressure
Comp ensating Fluid
N itro gen
The SRS is a very reliable tool and has now been run on over 2,500 occasions
for over 60 operators with an average success rate of on 97%. The sampler is
extremely robust and has been successfully deployed in a wide range of hostile
well environments.
Page 8
Oilphase
Successful runs
450
120%
421
411
401
400
98%
350
98%
363 95%
345
75%
379 95%
388
359
325 95%
308
80%
300
Tool Runs
Success rate
100%
94%
95%
80%
273268
256251
250
60%
200
150
40%
129
Total runs
103
100
89
67
20%
50
0
0%
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Calendar Year
Page 9
Oilphase
Single-phase Reservoir Sampler
Time
(min)
20
Time
(min)
Start
Start
Rig-up SRS on
transfer bench &
pressure test.
20
Rig-up tool on
transfer bench &
pressure test.
60
to
180
No
Keep sample
single-phase ?
Yes
20
Transfer sample to
a Single-phase
Sample Bottle.
10
Transfer sample to
Conventional
Sample Bottle.
20
Create shipping
regulations gas
cap with nitrogen.
30 Determine Pb &
create shipping
to
gas
cap in sample.
60
Finish
Total 60
Total 60 to 90
10
Transfer sample to
Conventional
Sample Bottle.
30
to
60
Determine Pb &
create shipping
gas cap in sample.
Finish
Please refer to attached SRS data sheet for additional technical information.
Page 10
Oilphase
SRS Applications
The SRS is a tool with universal application. In exploration well testing, where
time is of the essence and little is known of the reservoir fluid properties, the SRS
provides an attractive option with no risk of time being lost in sample
recombination. This technology has now become the standard requirement in
North Sea well test operations.
Asphaltenes
One application is bottomhole sampling for asphaltene deposition analysis in oil.
Asphaltenes exist in colloidal suspension in crude oil and can cause severe
processing problems at any point from the formation to the refinery. They are
often not detected at the exploration and appraisal stage with very costly
consequences during production. The identification of asphaltene precipitation
zones as a function of pressure and temperature are of great interest to the
reservoir engineer, but until now it was not possible to take a bottomhole sample
for analysis without loss of pressure and irreversible asphaltene deposition in the
sampling tool. Meaningful asphaltene deposition analysis in oil is only
achievable with a sample, which has been maintained well above bubble point.
It was this requirement which originally provided the thrust for the SRS tool
development.
Water Sampling
Another specific application is bottomhole sampling of water. The cooling effect
as tools are pulled out of the hole leads to a dramatic decrease in sampled water
pressure in conventional bottomhole sampling tools.
Without pressure
compensation, the sample pressure on surface can drop virtually to zero allowing
dissolved gases to be released. If these released gases include CO2, this can lead
to irreversible precipitation and changes in pH which render the sample useless
for laboratory analysis. The SRS system can keep the water sample at a selected
pressure all the way to the laboratory ensuring no gas breakout and subsequent
change in pH. An accurate pH from a representative downhole water sample is
important for prediction and control of scale and corrosion problems.
Page 11
Oilphase
Heavy Oil
Recombining heavier crudes in the field can be very difficult if not impossible
and single-phase sampling provides the answer. Operations have included
downhole sampling a 7 API (60/60) oil with a downhole viscosity of over
35,000 cp in the Orinoco tar belt. In this particular case it was the first time in
15 years of operating the field that a true GOR, reservoir viscosity and bubble
point had been measured.
Gas Condensates
The ability of the SRS to maintain the sample above dew point pressure has led to
sampling operations where the client was not able to obtain a representative
sample by any other means. Transfers of gas condensate samples are performed
at Tres.
High Pressure/High Temperature (HPHT) Bottomhole Sampling
The SRS has a strong track record in successfully obtaining bottomhole samples
from high pressure/high temperature reservoirs. A special feature of the SRS is
the high temperature mechanical clock, which has operated in the North Sea at
367 F. The SRS is a true 15,000 psi working pressure tool that is tested to
22,500 psi and independently certified by Bureau Veritas as a pressure vessel.
Page 12
Oilphase
Transfer Benches
Transfer benches are designed, as the name suggests, to transfer a sample from
the sampling chamber of the bottom hole sampler into a sample bottle that can
safely be shipped to the PVT laboratory. In order to maintain the quality of the
transferred sample, the transfer must be performed at constant pressure and in
single phase above the bubble point or dew point.
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
Rig Up
Commence Transf er
Complete Transf er
Create Nitrogen
Gas Cap in SSB
S RS S ampl e
S RS S ampl e
Cham ber
Cham ber
S ingle -phas e
S ingle - phase
S ampl e Bott le ( SS B)
N itroge n Pi ston
S RS Ni troge n
Cham be r
Pist on
Ni troge n
Pist on
M eas uri ng
Me asuring
Cylinde r
Cyli nder
R eservo ir Fluid
Pressure
Com pen sa ting Flu id
N itr oge n
Water/G ly co l
Page 13
Oilphase
Sample Transfer
The sample cylinder into which the bottomhole sample is transferred should have
a capacity at least 10% greater than the sample volume to allow the creation of a
gas cap for shipping safety.
When the sample is transferred into a Conventional Sample Bottle (CSB) a gas
cap is created at the end of the bubble point determination by expanding the
sample further until the volume has increased overall by 10%.
When a sample is transferred into a Single-phase Sample Bottle (SSB) the gas
cap is created in a separate nitrogen chamber thus keeping the sample
monophasic all the way to the laboratory.
Due to its high compressibility, the natural gas cap or nitrogen will absorb any
expansion of the liquid phase that can be caused by exposure of the bottle to
higher temperatures during shipment and eliminate the risk of explosion.
Example :
Consider a 500 cm3 bottle full of a single phase oil exhibiting typical values of
thermal expansion and compressibility factors. A change of 30o C of the
temperature of the bottle can cause an increase in the pressure of the container in
excess of 4500 psia!
Please refer to the attached CSB and SSB datasheets for further information.
Page 14
Oilphase
Non-reactive Reservoir Sampler
Trace elements such as H2S, mercury or mercaptans are known to react, with the
stainless steel walls of the sampling tools and transportation cylinders. Even after
short period of contact, a significant proportion can be adsorbed on the surface
active points of the metal and they will not be detected at the correct level in the
laboratory analysis.
The Non-Reactive Reservoir Sampler (NRS) has been developed, with the
assistance of oil company research funding, to address this issue. Any SRS in the
bottomhole sample string can be converted into a Non-reactive Reservoir
Sampler, by replacement of all components in contact with the sample.
All sample wetted components in the NRS are constructed from materials and
coatings evaluated during an extensive testing project involving 3000 man-hours
of testing. A sample introduced into the tool with 40ppm of H2S can be recovered
after a typical bottomhole sampling cycle with a level of 38ppm. This compares
with losses of 40% or worse with normal tools constructed from untreated
stainless steel.
Monophasic sampling avoids partitioning of trace components between phases
and allows controlled flashing of the sample to obtain accurate measurements of
H2S in the gas, oil and water phases.
This technology gives the operator the opportunity to avoid flowing the well for
extensive periods during well testing (as long as three days) in order to saturate
the completion and process equipment to obtain stabilised levels of H2S at
surface.
Page 15
Oilphase
100%
99%
95%
95%
95%
90%
Recovery
80%
70%
63%
60%
50%
46%
43%
40%
40%
30%
0
4
NRS C oated
C hamber
15 Days
SRS Un coated
Ch amber
Page 16
Oilphase
DST conveyed Sampling Tools
Tools have been available to capture samples and recover them with the DST
string since the introduction of DST. Their application has been generally limited
to quick and dirty sampling where the objective is to dump the sample at
surface or only as a back up to wireline BHS operations. Current tools such as
the Full-bore Annular Sample Chamber (FASC) are rarely used to recover PVT
Quality samples because they have a reputation of being difficult to transfer and
handle in the laboratory because of their size. In addition, to date, no DST
conveyed samplers could pressure-compensate the sample.
However, the most significant weakness of DST samplers is that one does not
know if a representative sample has been recovered until after the well is killed
and the DST string is pulled out of the hole. It is then too late to recover the
situation if the samples are found to be unrepresentative
Most operators find this risk unacceptable. As long as it is safe and practical to
run wireline they prefer to recover samples on wireline BHS and validate the
samples on surface before abandoning the zone. With the collection of
representative samples often the primary objective of the well test, most petroleum
engineers want the samples in their hands before unsetting the packer.
On the other hand, there are several situations where some operators are
reluctant to run wireline bottomhole samplers. These include:
in high H2S wells for safety to avoid release of gas during wireline
rig up
where there is a risk that the well is not properly conditioned for
sampling
To facilitate PVT quality sampling for the above applications a new range of Oilphase
DST Sample Carriers have been developed (SCAR). These use the proven technology of
the Single-Phase Reservoir sampler combined with annulus pressure activated rupture
discs.
Page 17