Packer Tool Including Multiple Ports For Selective Guarding And Sampling

Abstract

A tool may be used within a wellbore, the wellbore including a wall and extending in a formation with formation fluid. The tool may include a packer expandable against the wellbore wall and ports included within the packer and selectively openable to enable formation fluid to flow into the tool from the formation. The ports include a sample port to sample formation fluid from the formation, and include a guard port to guard the sample port from contamination. At least one of the ports is configurable between a sample port and a guard port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tool to be used within a wellbore, the wellbore including a wall and extending in a formation with formation fluid, the tool comprising:
 a packer expandable against the wellbore wall; and   ports included within the packer and selectively openable to enable formation fluid to flow into the tool from the formation;   wherein the ports include a sample port to sample formation fluid from the formation;   wherein the ports include a guard port to guard the sample port from contamination; and   wherein at least one of the ports is configurable between a sample port and a guard port.   
     
     
         2 . The tool of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sample flow path in fluid communication with the sample port; and   a guard flow path in fluid communication with the guard port.   
     
     
         3 . The tool of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the ports is in selective fluid communication with the guard flow path or the sample flow path. 
     
     
         4 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the sample port comprises the at least one port configurable between the sample port and the guard port. 
     
     
         5 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the guard port comprises the at least one port configurable between the sample port and the guard port. 
     
     
         6 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the ports comprise a sample port, a guard port, and a port configurable between a second sample port and a second guard port. 
     
     
         7 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the ports is configurable between the sample port and the guard port based upon a predetermined formation property. 
     
     
         8 . The tool of  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined formation property comprises a ratio of permeability for the formation in a first direction to permeability for the formation in a second direction. 
     
     
         9 . The tool of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pressure gauge to measure pressure of formation fluid flowing through at least one of the ports; and   a sensor positioned on the packer to measure a property of the formation fluid.   
     
     
         10 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the ports comprise at least one of a ring port configuration, an enclosed port configuration, and an individual port configuration. 
     
     
         11 . A method to collect fluid within a wellbore, the wellbore including a wall and extending in a formation with formation fluid, the method comprising:
 switching a first port positioned on a packer between a sample port configuration and a guard port configuration;   expanding the packer against the wellbore wall;   receiving fluid from the formation into the tool through the first port; and   receiving fluid from the formation into the tool through a second port positioned on the packer, the second port comprising one of a sample port and a guard port.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, when the second port comprises the sample port, switching the first port comprises:
 switching the first port from the sample port configuration to the guard port configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein switching the first port further comprises:
 switching the first port from being in fluid communication with a sample flow path of the tool to being in fluid communication with a guard flow path of the tool; and   communicating fluid into the tool through the first port to the guard flow path.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, when the second port comprises the guard port, switching the first port comprises:
 switching the first port from the guard port configuration to the sample port configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein switching the first port further comprises:
 switching the first port from being in fluid communication with a guard flow path of the tool to being in fluid communication with a sample flow path of the tool; and   communicating fluid into the tool through the first port to the sample flow path.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the tool comprises at least one valve operably coupled to the first port, the method further comprising:
 opening the at least one valve between the first port and a sample flow path of the tool to switch the first port to a sample port configuration; and   opening the at least one valve between the first port and a guard flow path of the tool to switch the first port to a guard port configuration.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 switching a third port positioned on a packer between a second sample port configuration and a second guard port configuration; and   receiving fluid from the formation into the tool through the first port.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein switching the first port comprises:
 measuring permeability for the formation in a first direction;   measuring permeability for the formation in a second direction; and   switching the first port positioned on the packer between the sample port configuration and the guard port configuration based upon a ratio of the permeability for the formation in the first direction to the permeability for the formation in the second direction.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 measuring pressure of fluid received into the tool; and   measuring a property of fluid received into the tool.   
     
     
         20 . A tool to be used within a wellbore, the wellbore including a wall and extending in a formation with formation fluid, the tool comprising:
 a packer expandable against the wellbore wall;   a sample flow path formed in the tool;   a guard flow path formed in the tool;   a first port included within the packer and in fluid communication with one of the sample flow path and the guard flow path to enable formation fluid to flow through the first port and into the tool from the formation;   a second port included within the packer and in selective fluid communication with the sample flow path or the guard flow path to enable formation fluid to flow through the second port and into the tool from the formation; and   at least one valve operably coupled to the second port such that the second port is in selective fluid communication with the sample flow path or the guard flow path.