Tracer patch

Abstract

A method and a system for tracer marking and monitoring of a petroleum well with one or more production zones includes placing tracers at desired zones in a petroleum well with a production tubing, a casing or a liner with perforations at the zones and including lowering one or more patch-tubes into the well to a desired depth in a way that the one or more patch-tubes extends into the production tubing along on or more of the zones wherein the patch is divided in one or more patch zones along the patch, each patch zone includes one or more tracer sources with one or more unique tracers arranged to release to produced fluids, in desired positions, one or more radial expandable patch portions arranged to be expanded, upon desire, to seal against the tubing, anchoring an anchor of the patch to the tubing, allowing the well to produce well fluids and monitoring the production flow with respect to tracers.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method for tracer marking and monitoring of a petroleum well with one or more production zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . ), the method comprising
 placing tracers (Tr) at desired zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . ) in a petroleum well with a production tubing ( 6 ) with perforations (p 1 , p 2 , . . . ) at said zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . );   
       wherein
 lowering one or more patch-tubes ( 1 ) into the well to a desired depth in a way that the one or more patch-tubes ( 1 ) extends into said production tubing ( 6 ) along one or more of said zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . ); 
 wherein said patch-tube ( 1 ) is divided into one or more patch zones ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) along said patch tube ( 1 ); 
 wherein each said patch zone ( 111   i ) comprises 
 one or more tracer sources (T 1  . . . Ti) with one or more unique tracers (Tr 1  . . . Tri) arranged to release to produced fluids, in desired positions; 
 one or more radial expandable patch tube portions ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) arranged to be expanded, upon desire, to sealing against the tubing ( 6 ); 
 anchoring an anchor ( 12 ) of the patch tube ( 1 ) to the tubing ( 6 ); 
 allowing the well to produce well fluids; 
 monitoring the production flow (F) with respect to said tracers. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , anchoring said patch in a lower end of said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , anchoring the patch tube ( 1 ) by expanding one of said expandable patch tube portions ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) wherein said expandable patch tube portion ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) undergoes a plastic deformation and seal against the tubing ( 6 ) forming an anchor ( 12 ). 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the expanding of said expandable patch tube portion ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) is performed by an expansion pull tool ( 81 ) at a drill string ( 8 ). 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the expanding of said expandable patch portion ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) is performed by an explosive expansion tool ( 82 ). 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 42 , anchoring the the patch tube ( 1 ) by expanding hanger slips ( 121 ), comprised by said anchor ( 12 ), into said tubing ( 6 ). 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 42 , forming a zonal sealing ( 131   i ) between said patch tube ( 1 ) and said tubing ( 6 ) by setting said anchor ( 12 ) between two of said production zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . ) 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 42 , arranging said patch tube ( 1 ) such that said one or more patch zones ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) corresponds to each of said one or more production zones (z 1 , z 2 , . . . zi) in the well. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein a zonal sealing ( 131   i ) along the patch tube ( 1 ) is set between two or more of said production zones (Z 1 , Z 2 , . . . Zi) by activating a sealing portion ( 50 ,  11   i ) in one or more of said patch zones ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ). 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said zonal sealing ( 131   i ) is activated by expanding a portion ( 11   i ) in the patch tube ( 1 ), by using an expansion tool ( 81 , 82 ), said portion ( 11   i ) undergoes a plastic deformation, between two or more of the influx zones (z 1 , . . . Zi) of the well, the expanding of said portion ( 11   i ) thus forming said zonal seal ( 131   i ). 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 50 , perforating said patch zones ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ), by a shallow-perforating gun ( 31 ) in one or more portions ( 30   i ) allowing produced fluid to flow through the resulting perforations ( 3 ) and into said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 42 , perforating said patch tube ( 1 ) prior to lowering said patch tube ( 1 ) in the well. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 52  wherein said patch tube ( 1 ) is perforated above said tracer sources (Ti) within a said patch zone ( 111   i ) relative to said production zones (Zi), thus letting said produced fluid from said production zone (FZi) be in contact with said tracer sources (Ti) with said unique tracers (Tri) before flowing through said perforations ( 3 ). 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 52  wherein said patch ( 1 ) is perforated at the same level as said production zones (Zi) and the tracer sources (Ti) is placed above said perforations within a patch zone ( 111   i ) allowing a main flow of said produced fluid (Fzi) from said production zone (Zi) flow through said perforations and a partial flow of said produced fluid (Fi) from said production zone (Zi) be in contact with said tracer sources (Ti) with said unique tracers (Tri) before flowing through a second perforated portion ( 31   i ) with perforations ( 3 ) within said patch zone ( 111   i ). 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein one or more said tracer sources (Ti) are placed outside one or more of said expandable patch tube portion ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) of said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein one or more of said expandable patch tube portion ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) of said patch tube ( 1 ) is expanded in the entire area of one or more said influx zones (zi) to seal of and stop the flow from said sealed off zone (zi). 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein said patch tube ( 1 ) is expanded as a result of a monitored occurrence (O) in said well. 
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein an inflow path for a zonal inflow (Fi) through said patch tube ( 1 ) is activated by activating a valve system ( 112 ) arranged in a patch zone ( 111   i ) 
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein said one or more said tracer sources (T 1  . . . Ti) is arranged in one or more positions on an inner wall ( 101 ) of said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein two or more patches ( 1 ) is lowered into the well to different desired depths of the well. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein a shut-off or sealed production zone (z 1 ,z 2  . . . zi) is reopened by using a perforating gun. 
     
     
         63 . A system for arranging tracers inside a tube ( 6 ) in petroleum (hydrocarbon) well, said system comprising
 a length of a tube shaped patch tube ( 1 ) with outer diameter less than an inner diameter of said tube ( 6 ),   wherein said patch tube ( 1 ) is subdivided into one or more patch zones ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ) along said patch tube ( 1 );   wherein   each patch zone ( 111   i ) comprises   one or more tracer sources (T 1  . . . Ti) with one or more tracers (Tr 1  . . . Tri);   one or more radial expandable patch tube portions ( 11   1 , 11   2 , . . .  11   i ).   
     
     
         64 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein one or more of said patch zones ( 111   i ) is arranged for perforations ( 3 ) through a patch tube wall ( 110 ) in at least a portion ( 30 ) of said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         65 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein one or more of said one or more tracer sources (Ti) is arranged on an outer wall ( 102 ) of said patch tube ( 1 ). 
     
     
         66 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 64 , wherein at least one of said portions ( 30 ) is pre-perforated ( 3 ). 
     
     
         67 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein said patch tube ( 1 ) comprises at least one anchoring device ( 11 ,  12 ) for anchoring said patch tube ( 1 ) to said tube ( 6 ). 
     
     
         68 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 67 , wherein said anchoring device ( 11 ,  12 ) is located near an end of said patch ( 1 ). 
     
     
         69 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein said portion ( 30 ) with perforations ( 3 ) or the portion ( 30 ) arranged for perforations ( 3 ), the tracer sources (T 1  . . . Ti) and the radial expandable portion ( 11 ) is arranged adjacent/next to each other. 
     
     
         70 . The tracer arranging system according  claim 64 , wherein said portion ( 30 ) is arranged to be perforated by a shallow penetrating perforation gun ( 31 ). 
     
     
         71 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63  wherein one or more of said one or more patch zones ( 111   i ) comprises a zonal sealing element ( 50 ). 
     
     
         72 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein said patch tube ( 1 ) comprises a partly or fully enveloping sealing material ( 13 ) arranged on its outer wall ( 102 ). 
     
     
         73 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein a protective layer ( 4 ) is arranged outside said tracer sources (Ti). 
     
     
         74 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 73 , wherein said protective layer ( 4 ) is a mesh ( 41 ). 
     
     
         75 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 73 , wherein said protective layer ( 4 ) is a metal shroud ( 42 ). 
     
     
         76 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein said tracers sources (Ti) are arranged in elongate slots along an enveloping sealing material ( 13 ). 
     
     
         77 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 76 . wherein said enveloping sealing material ( 13 ) in one or more portions forms a totally enveloping circumferential seal. 
     
     
         78 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein a said patch zone ( 111 ) comprises open and lockable flow-through areas ( 300 ). 
     
     
         79 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 64 , wherein a said patch zone ( 111   i ) comprises two portions with said perforations ( 3 ) or said portions ( 30 ) arranged for said perforations ( 3 ) with one or more said tracer sources (Ti) inbetween. 
     
     
         80 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , comprising at least one said patch zone with at least a sealing portion ( 11 , 50 ) arranged in either ends of said patch zone to seal off a production zone (Zi). 
     
     
         81 . The tracer arranging system according to  claim 63 , wherein said patch zone ( 111   i ) comprises at least a reinforced tube portion ( 60 ).