IP Library Granted Patent US 12,644,375
Granted Patent B2
US 12,644,375 · App. 18/342,417 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Quantifying zonal flow in multi-lateral wells via taggants of fluids

Inventors: Hooisweng Ow (Cambridge, MA); Sehoon Chang (Cambridge, MA); Gawain Thomas (Cambridge, MA); Wei Wang (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
E21B47/11E21B34/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,644,375
App. No.
18/342,417
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, including providing a first taggant through a first dosing tubing to a first lateral in a wellbore of the multi-lateral well, providing a second taggant through a second dosing tubing to a second lateral in the wellbore, flowing a first produced fluid from a subterranean formation via the first lateral into production tubing, flowing a second produced fluid including from the subterranean formation via the second lateral into the production tubing, flowing a produced stream including the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore, and analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream, wherein the first taggant and the second taggant are water soluble.

Claims (44)

1 . A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:

running a first dosing tubing from Earth's surface to an intersection of a first lateral and a vertical portion of a wellbore of the multi-lateral well;

providing a first taggant through the first dosing tubing at the intersection of the first lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore;

running a second dosing tubing from the Earth's surface to an intersection of a second lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore;

providing a second taggant through the second dosing tubing at the intersection of the second lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore;

flowing a first produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon and water from a subterranean formation via the first lateral through a first valve into production tubing in the wellbore, wherein the first valve is at the intersection of the first lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, and wherein the first taggant is provided adjacent to the first valve;

flowing a second produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon and water from the subterranean formation via the second lateral through a second valve into the production tubing, wherein the second valve is at the intersection of the second lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, and wherein the second taggant is provided adjacent to the second valve;

flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore; and

analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream, wherein the first taggant and the second taggant are water soluble.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first taggant and the second taggant each comprise at least one of a naphthalene sulfonate, a pyrene sulfonate derivative, or an anthracene sulfonate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first taggant and the second taggant each comprise at least one of Disodium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate hydrate (1,5-NDS), Disodium 2,7-naphthalenedisulfonate (2,7-NDS), Sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2-NS), Sodium 4-amino-1-naphthalenesulfonate tetrahydrate (ANS), 8-Aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, disodium salt (ANTS), Pyranine, or 1,3,6,8-Pyrenetetrasulfonic acid (PTSA).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil or natural gas, or both, wherein the first taggant is different from the second taggant, and wherein the first valve and the second valve are disposed along the production tubing to receive the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid, respectively, into the production tubing.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are each an interval control valve (ICV), and wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into the subterranean formation in Earth's crust.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining an amount of the first produced fluid in the produced stream and an amount of second produced fluid in the produced stream based on the amount of the first taggant in the produced stream as measured and the amount of the second taggant in the produced stream as measured.

7 . A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:

running a first dosing tubing from Earth's surface to a first intersection of a first lateral of a wellbore with a vertical portion of the wellbore;

providing a first tracer at the first intersection of the first lateral of the wellbore with the vertical portion of the wellbore;

running a second dosing tubing from the Earth's surface of the wellbore to a second intersection of a second lateral of the wellbore with the vertical portion of the wellbore;

providing a second tracer at the second intersection of the second lateral of the wellbore with the vertical portion of the wellbore, wherein the first tracer comprises a first sulfonate and the second tracer comprises a second sulfonate;

flowing from a subterranean formation a first produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon and water through the first lateral and a first valve into production tubing in the wellbore, wherein the first valve is at the intersection of the first lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, and wherein the first tracer is provided adjacent to the first valve;

flowing from the subterranean formation a second produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon and water through the second lateral and a second valve into the production tubing, wherein the second valve is at the intersection of the second lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, and wherein the second tracer is provided adjacent to the second valve;

flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore; and

analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first tracer in the produced stream and an amount of the second tracer in the produced stream.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the production tubing is disposed in the vertical portion.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tracer and the second tracer are water soluble, and wherein the first sulfonate and the second sulfonate each comprise at least one of a naphthalene sulfonate, a pyrene sulfonate, or an anthracene sulfonate.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first sulfonate and the second sulfonate each comprise at least one of Disodium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate hydrate (1,5-NDS), Disodium 2,7-naphthalenedisulfonate (2,7-NDS), Sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2-NS), Sodium 4-amino-1-naphthalenesulfonate tetrahydrate (ANS), 8-Aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, disodium salt (ANTS), Pyranine, or 1,3,6,8-Pyrenetetrasulfonic acid (PTSA).

11 . The method of claim 7 , comprising determining an amount of the first produced fluid in the produced stream and an amount of second produced fluid in the produced stream based on the amount of the first tracer in the produced stream as measured and the amount of the second tracer in the produced stream as measured.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil or natural gas, or both, wherein the first tracer is different from the second tracer, and wherein the first valve and the second valve are disposed along the production tubing.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are each an interval control valve (ICV), and wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into the subterranean formation in the Earth's crust.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first tracer is provided from the Earth's surface through the first dosing tubing to the first intersection, and wherein the second tracer is provided from the Earth's surface through the second dosing tubing to the second intersection.

15 . A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:

running, from Earth's surface, a first dosing tubing to a first region in a wellbore of the multi-lateral well, wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into a subterranean formation in Earth's crust, wherein, at the first region, a first lateral in the wellbore intersects with a vertical portion of the wellbore;

providing a first taggant through the first dosing tubing to the first region at which the first lateral intersects with the vertical portion of the wellbore;

running, from the Earth's surface, a second dosing tubing to a second region in the wellbore, wherein, at the second region, a second lateral in the wellbore intersects with the vertical portion;

providing a second taggant through the second dosing tubing to the second region at which the second lateral intersects with the vertical portion of the wellbore;

producing a first produced fluid from the subterranean formation through the first lateral into production tubing in the wellbore, wherein the first produced fluid is flowed into the production tubing via a first valve positioned at the intersection of the first lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, wherein the first taggant is provided adjacent to the first valve;

producing a second produced fluid from the subterranean formation through the second lateral into the production tubing, wherein the second produced fluid is flowed into the production tubing via a second valve positioned at the intersection of the second lateral and the vertical portion of the wellbore, wherein the second taggant is provided adjacent to the second valve;

flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore; and

analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream, wherein the first taggant and the second taggant each comprise at least one of Disodium 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate hydrate (1,5-NDS), Disodium 2,7-naphthalenedisulfonate (2,7-NDS), Sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2-NS), Sodium 4-amino-1-naphthalenesulfonate tetrahydrate (ANS), 8-Aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, disodium salt (ANTS), Pyranine, or 1,3,6,8-Pyrenetetrasulfonic acid (PTSA).

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first valve and second valve are disposed along the production tubing.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are each an interval control valve (ICV).

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first produced fluid comprises hydrocarbon and water, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil or natural gas, or both, and wherein the first taggant is different from the second taggant.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second produced fluid comprises hydrocarbon and water, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil or natural gas, or both, and wherein the production tubing is disposed in the vertical portion of the wellbore.

20 . The method of claim 15 , comprising calculating an amount of the first produced fluid in the produced stream and an amount of second produced fluid in the produced stream based on the amount of the first taggant in the produced stream as measured and the amount of the second taggant in the produced stream as measured.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2023
From: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 065697/0619 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2023
From: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 065698/0650 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2023
From: OW, HOOISWENG; CHANG, SEHOON; THOMAS, GAWAIN; WANG, WEI
To: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 064577/0318 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250003331A1 · Jan 2, 2025
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