Apparatus and Methods for Measurement of Solids in a Wellbore

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for measuring solids in wellbore that include a bottom hole assembly having a sensor to measuring a characteristic indicative of solids in the wellbore. The measurement may be used to measure solids or solids suspended in fluid flow. The invention is useful for use in wellbore cleanouts. A computer model may be used and updated based on the measured characteristic. The input of measured characteristic and the updating of the computer model may be performed in real time whilst the wellbore cleanout operation is ongoing.

1 . A method for detecting solids in a wellbore comprising 
 deploying a bottom hole assembly (BHA) into a borehole using a conveyance, the BHA comprising a sensor assembly; and    measuring a characteristic indicative of solids in the wellbore using the sensor assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sensor assembly comprises at least one selected from the group of consisting of acoustic transmitter and receiver; optical transmitter and receiver; radioactive transmitter and receiver; and electromagnetic transmitter and receiver.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising using the conveyance to move the BHA into the wellbore, wherein the characteristic is measured as the BHA is moved.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the rate of movement of the BHA is adjusted based on the measurement characteristic.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  where the BHA is adjusted based on the measured characteristic.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the measured characteristic is recorded.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the measured characteristic is transmitted via a communication link to the surface in real time and the recording is at the surface.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the BHA further comprises a storage device and the measured characteristic is recorded downhole on the storage device.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the BHA further comprises a nozzle having one or more ports for delivering a fluid to the wellbore and the measured characteristic is indicative of solid particles in the fluid in the wellbore.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the conveyance is selected from the group consisting of tubing, drill pipe, cable, wireline, slickline and wellbore tractor.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the communication link is selected from the group consisting of wireline, slickline, optic fiber, wireless transmission, and pressure pulse.  
   
   
       12 . A method for detecting solids in a wellbore fluid comprising 
 deploying a bottom hole assembly (BHA) into a borehole, the BHA comprising a nozzle having one or more ports and a sensor assembly;    flowing a fluid into the wellbore through at least one port in the BHA;    suspending solids in the fluid flow in the wellbore: and    measuring a characteristic indicative of solid particles suspended in the fluid using the sensor assembly.    
   
   
       13  The method of  claim 12  wherein the sensor assembly comprises an acoustic receiver.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the measuring the characteristic comprises receiving an acoustic signal.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising generating an acoustic signal, wherein the acoustic signal is generated by impingement of the solid particles suspended in the fluid flow on the BHA.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising using a conveyance to move the BHA in the wellbore and wherein the characteristic is measured as the BHA is moved.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the rate of movement of the BHA is adjusted based on the measured characteristic.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the BHA is adjusted based on the measured characteristic.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the measured characteristic is transmitted via a communication link to the surface in real time and recorded.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the BHA further comprises a storage device and the measured characteristic is recorded downhole on the storage device.  
   
   
       21  The method of  claim 26  wherein the conveyance is selected from the group consisting of tubing, coiled tubing, drill pips, cable, slickline and wellbore tractor.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the communication link is selected from the group consisting of wireline, slickline, optic fiber, wireless transmission, and pressure pulse.  
   
   
       23 . A method for cleaning out a wellbore comprising 
 deploying a bottom hole assembly (BHA) disposed on a conveyance into a borehole, the BHA comprising a nozzle having one or more ports and a sensor assembly;    moving the BHA along the borehole to run-in-hole (RIH) at running-in-hole rate;    flowing a fluid into the wellbore through at least one port in the BHA;    suspending solids in the wellbore in the fluid flow;    measuring a characteristic indicative of solid particles suspended in the fluid using the sensor assembly; and    moving the BHA in the borehole to pull-out-of-hole (POOH) at a pulling-out-of-hole rate.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the conveyance is coiled tubing and the BHA is connected to the coiled tubing such that the fluid is flowed through the interior of the coiled tubing and through the at least one port in the BHA into the wellbore.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the running-in-hole rate is adjusted based on the measured characteristic.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the pulling-out-of-hole rate is adjusted based on the measured characteristic.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the measured characteristic comprises an acoustic signal generated by impingement of solid particles suspended in the fluid flow on the BHA.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the sensor assembly comprises an acoustic receiver.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the measuring the characteristic comprises receiving an acoustic signal.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprises generating an acoustic signal, wherein the acoustic signal is generated by the impingement of solid particles suspended in the fluid flow on the BHA.  
   
   
       31 . An apparatus for cleaning out a wellbore comprising 
 a BHA connected to a coiled tubing, wherein the BHA has a nozzle having at least one port and a device for measuring solids in the wellbore;    a storage device for recording and storing measurements; A surface equipment system for deploying the BHA and the coiled tubing from the wellbore; and    a fluid delivery system to flow fluid into the wellbore through the coiled tubing and BHA.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a computer model for designing the wellbore clean out.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32  wherein inputs into the computer model include fluid properties and wellbore properties and outputs from the computer model include target RIH rate and target POOH rate.  
   
   
       34 . The appartus of  claim 31 , wherein the recording device is at the surface, and further comprising a communication link to transmit measurements from the BHA to the recording device.  
   
   
       35 . The appartus of  claim 32 , further wherein the measurements update the computer model in real time.  
   
   
       36 . The method of using the apparatus of  claim 31  to clean out a wellbore.  
   
   
       37  The method of using the apparatus of  claim 32  to clean out a wellbore, further wherein the computer model output includes an estimate of the degree of cleanout.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 31  wherein the sensor assembly comprises an acoustic receiver.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the device for measuring solid particles is an acoustic receiver which measures acoustic signals generated by impingement of the solid particles on the BHA.  
   
   
       40 . A method for operating a wellbore cleanout comprising 
 using a computer model to generate initial job parameters;    deploying a bottom hole assembly (BHA) disposed on a conveyance into a borehole, the BHA comprising a nozzle having one or more ports and a sensor assembly;    moving the BHA along the borehole;    flowing a fluid into the wellbore through at least one port in the BHA;    suspending solids in the wellbore in the fluid flow;    measuring a characteristic indicative of solid particles suspended in the fluid using the sensor assembly;    updating the computer models using the measurements;    generating updated job parameters using the updated computer model; and    modifying the operation based on the modified parameters.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the conveyance comprises coiled tubing and the job parameters comprise RIH rate, POOH rate, and the fluid flow rate.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the job parameters comprise fluid characteristics.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the job parameters comprise BHA characteristics.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the sensor assembly comprises an acoustic receiver.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the measuring the characteristic comprises receiving an acoustic signal.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45  further comprising generating an acoustic signal, wherein the acoustic signal is generated by the solids suspended in the fluid flow impinging on the BHA.