IP Library Granted Patent US 12,669,024
Granted Patent B1
US 12,669,024 · App. 19/240,177 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Systems and methods for determining radial drilling fluid invasion

Inventors: Mohamad Abdo (Austin, TX); Bin Dai (Katy, TX); Wael Elhawary (Katy, TX)
Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
E21B21/08E21B49/005E21B44/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,669,024
App. No.
19/240,177
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Provided herein is a system for determining a radius of invasion of a drilling fluid. The system can include a formation tester tool and at least one processor. The formation tester tool can be operable to be positioned in a wellbore. The formation tester tool can be operable to measure at least one property of a formation fluid within the wellbore. The at least one pump can be operable to pump a drilling fluid into the wellbore. The at least one processor can be configured to receive the at least one property of the fluid within the wellbore, a drilling pressure, a formation pressure, and at least one property of the drilling fluid, receive a drilling schedule including at least one change in an downhole environmental condition, and determine a radius of invasion of the drilling fluid based on the at least one property of the fluid, the drilling pressure, the formation pressure, the at least one property of the drilling fluid, and the drilling schedule.

Claims (35)

1 . A system comprising:

a formation tester tool operable to be positioned in a wellbore, the formation tester tool operable to measure at least one property of a formation fluid within the wellbore; and

at least one processor configured to:

receive the at least one property of the formation fluid within the wellbore, a drilling pressure, a formation pressure, and at least one property of a drilling fluid;

receive a drilling schedule, the drilling schedule comprising at least one change in a downhole environmental condition; and

determine a radius of invasion of the drilling fluid based on the at least one property of the formation fluid, the drilling pressure, the formation pressure, the at least one property of the drilling fluid, and the drilling schedule.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the formation fluid includes a type of fluid.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a flow type between the drilling fluid and the formation fluid, wherein the flow type is miscible or immiscible flow.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein determining the radius of invasion for immiscible flow is based on a capillary diffusion of the drilling fluid into the formation fluid.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one change in the downhole environmental condition includes one or more of a switch between static drilling and dynamic drilling, removal of at least a portion of the drilling fluid, and a pause in drilling.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a drilling fluid removal volume based on the radius of invasion.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the drilling fluid removal volume comprises a volume of the drilling fluid to be removed to access the formation fluid, wherein at least one pump is operable to pump the drilling fluid removal volume out of the wellbore.

8 . A method comprising:

providing a drilling pressure in a wellbore greater than a formation pressure of a formation, thereby causing a drilling fluid within wellbore to invade the formation;

receiving, via a formation tester tool and/or calculations, at least one property of a formation fluid within the wellbore, the drilling pressure, the formation pressure, and at least one property of the drilling fluid;

receiving a drilling schedule comprising at least one change in an downhole environmental condition;

determining a radius of invasion of the drilling fluid based on the at least one property of the formation fluid, the drilling schedule, the drilling pressure, the formation pressure, and the at least one property of the drilling fluid; and

determining a drilling fluid removal volume based on the radius of invasion.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one property of the formation fluid includes a type of fluid.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a flow type between the drilling fluid and the formation fluid, wherein the flow type is miscible or immiscible flow.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the radius of invasion for immiscible flow is based on a capillary diffusion of the drilling fluid into the formation fluid.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one change in the downhole environmental condition includes one or more of a switch between static drilling and dynamic drilling, removal of at least a portion of the drilling fluid, and a pause in drilling.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, removing, via at least one pump, the drilling fluid removal volume from the wellbore.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the drilling fluid removal volume comprises a volume of the drilling fluid to be removed to access the formation fluid.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon for determining a radius of invasion of a drilling fluid, that when executed by at least one computing device cause the at least one computing device to perform operations for outputting the radius of invasion, the operations comprising:

receiving at least one property of a drilling fluid pumped into a wellbore, a drilling pressure, and a formation pressure;

receiving, via a formation tester tool, at least one property of a formation fluid within the wellbore;

receiving a drilling schedule comprising at least one change in an downhole environmental condition;

determining the radius of invasion of the drilling fluid based on the at least one property of the formation fluid, the drilling pressure, the formation pressure, and the drilling schedule; and

determining a drilling fluid removal volume based on the radius of invasion.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one property of the formation fluid includes a type of the formation fluid.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a flow type between the drilling fluid and the formation fluid, wherein the flow type is miscible or immiscible flow.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein determining the radius of invasion for immiscible flow is based on a capillary diffusion of the drilling fluid into the formation fluid.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least one change in the downhole environmental condition includes one or more of a switch between static drilling and dynamic drilling, removal of at least a portion of the drilling fluid, and a pause in drilling.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise causing at least one pump to remove the drilling fluid removal volume, wherein the drilling fluid removal volume comprises a volume of the drilling fluid to be removed to access the formation fluid.