IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,281,570
Granted Patent B1
US 12,281,570 · App. 18/635,909 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Apparatus and method for in-situ monitoring of hydrogen levels at a subsurface location

Inventors: Ibrahim Alobaidan (Dammam, SA); Abdallah A. Alshehri (Dhahran, SA); Klemens Katterbauer (Dhahran, SA); Ali Abdallah AlYousef (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
E21B49/0875E21B17/1021
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,281,570
App. No.
18/635,909
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A sonde adapted for determining one or more parameters related to hydrogen at a subsurface location. The sonde includes: a plurality of centralizer arms forming an interior space having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and a plurality of fiber optic Raman probes each disposed at the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space and proximate a respective one of the plurality of centralizer arms, the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes being adapted to measure a hydrogen concentration in a downhole measurement. The sonde also includes a plurality of optical probes each disposed at another of the distal portion or the proximal portion of the interior space and proximate a same or different one of the plurality of centralizer arms, the plurality of optical probes being adapted to measure downhole local gas holdup.

Claims (37)

1. A sonde adapted for determining one or more parameters related to hydrogen at a subsurface location, comprising:

a plurality of centralizer arms forming an interior space having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a plurality of fiber optic Raman probes each disposed at the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space and proximate a respective one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of fiber optic Raman probes being adapted to measure a hydrogen concentration in a downhole measurement; and

a plurality of optical probes each disposed at another of the distal portion or the proximal portion of the interior space and proximate a same or different one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of optical probes being adapted to measure downhole local gas holdup,

wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are adapted to detect signal bands of hydrogen molecules,

wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are adapted to detect signal spectra with wavenumbers at about 4,100-4,175 cm −1 , and

wherein a detected signal with wavenumbers at about 4,125-4,165 cm −1 is processed based on one or more of a temperature determined using a temperature probe and a pressure determined using a pressure probe.

2. The sonde of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes and the plurality of optical probes are disposed at respective interior perimeters having diameters that are fractions of respective outer circumference diameters formed by the plurality of centralizer arms.

3. The sonde of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of centralizer arms are bowspring centralizer arms.

4. The sonde of claim 1 , further comprising a flowmeter disposed at the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space.

5. The sonde of claim 4 , further comprising an additional flowmeter disposed at another of the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space.

6. The sonde of claim 5 , wherein the flowmeter and the additional flowmeter are rotationally offset from each other in relation to a longitudinal axis along the sonde.

7. The sonde of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are disposed proximate to same ones of the plurality of centralizer arms as the plurality of optical probes.

8. The sonde of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are disposed proximate to different ones of the plurality of centralizer arms from the plurality of optical probes.

9. The sonde of claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of centralizer arms comprise at least six (6) centralizer arms, and

the fiber optic Raman probes comprise six (6) fiber optic Raman probes that are disposed proximate to respective ones of the at least six (6) centralizer arms at 60 degrees from one another around an interior perimeter of the sonde.

10. The sonde of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optical probes comprise six (6) optical probes that are disposed proximate respective ones of the at least six (6) centralizer arms at 60 degrees from one another around another interior perimeter of the sonde.

11. The sonde of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling to a downhole logging tool incorporating one or more detectors selected from the group consisting of: a pressure probe, a temperature probe, a depth detector, and a fluid density measurement detector.

12. The sonde of claim 11 , wherein the downhole logging tool comprises one or more processing devices adapted to process at least signal data obtained from the plurality of optical probes and the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes.

13. The sonde of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processing devices comprise a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device.

14. The sonde of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling to an additional sonde, said additional sonde comprising:

a plurality of centralizer arms forming an interior space having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a plurality of fiber optic Raman probes each disposed at the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space and proximate a respective one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of fiber optic Raman probes being adapted to determine a hydrogen concentration in a downhole measurement; and

a plurality of optical probes each disposed at another of the distal portion or the proximal portion of the interior space and proximate a same or different one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of optical probes being adapted to measure downhole local gas holdup.

15. The sonde of claim 14 , wherein the additional sonde is rotationally offset from the sonde in relation to a longitudinal axis along the sonde.

16. The sonde of claim 15 , wherein the offset is about 30 degrees.

17. A method for determining one or more parameters related to hydrogen at a subsurface location, comprising:

deploying a sonde to the subsurface location;

recording signal data from the sonde; and

withdrawing the sonde from the subsurface location, wherein the sonde comprises:

a plurality of centralizer arms forming an interior space having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a plurality of fiber optic Raman probes each disposed at the proximal portion or the distal portion of the interior space and proximate a respective one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of fiber optic Raman probes being adapted to measure a hydrogen concentration in a downhole measurement; and

a plurality of optical probes each disposed at another of the distal portion or the proximal portion of the interior space and proximate a same or different one of the plurality of centralizer arms, said plurality of optical probes being adapted to measure downhole local gas holdup,

wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are adapted to detect signal bands of hydrogen molecules,

wherein the plurality of fiber optic Raman probes are adapted to detect signal spectra with wavenumbers at about 4,100-4,175 cm −1 , and

wherein a detected signal with wavenumbers at about 4,125-4,165 cm −1 is processed based on one or more of a temperature determined using a temperature probe and a pressure determined using a pressure probe.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2024
From: ALOBAIDAN, IBRAHIM; ALSHEHRI, ABDALLAH A.; KATTERBAUER, KLEMENS; ALYOUSEF, ALI ABDALLAH
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 067123/0418 →
References Cited (68)
US 3908122A · Hartsell · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 6115528A · Schmucker · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 7595876B2 · DiFoggio · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7699114B2 · Ullah et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8319657B2 · Godager · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8800384B2 · Wootten · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8867040B2 · Pope et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9074462B2 · Pearce · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9140643B2 · Bellian et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9243466B2 · Klomp et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9274246B2 · Minette et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9388685B2 · Ravi et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9513241B2 · Whittaker · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9863244B2 · Donzier · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 9874087B2 · Jay et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 9874088B2 · Fanini et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10088422B2 · Andrews et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10294771B2 · Donzier et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10370915B2 · Tolley · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10677050B2 · Johnston et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10774639B2 · Donzier et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10876394B2 · Hill, III et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10941647B2 · Grubb et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11021947B2 · Ratcliffe et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11073471B2 · Maity · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11333625B2 · Jones et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11352839B2 · Donzier et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11414987B2 · Fellinghaug et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11454094B2 · Chen et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11460443B2 · Al-Huwaider et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11530611B2 · Pfutzner et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11661844B2 · Al-Huwaider et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11680466B2 · Vinegar et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11697978B2 · Signerelli et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11725465B2 · Harris et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20080129993A1 · Brennan et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20120166108A1 · Whittaker · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140245826A1 · Pope et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160130935A1 · Manzar et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170051607A1 · Whittaker · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170184502A1 · Andrews et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170198574A1 · Donzier et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170219737A1 · Donzier et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180003027A1 · Donzier et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180363449A1 · Ratcliffe et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200200942A1 · Main et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200208514A1 · Swett et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200362645A1 · Donzier et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210222540A1 · Kroczka et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210270647A1 · Xie · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210349068A1 · Bremner et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220106878A1 · Al-Huwaider et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220307364A1 · Rowe et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230031721A1 · Stewart et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240240558A1 · Andrews et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20240243641A1 · Smith · 2024 [cited by applicant]
CN 206807077U · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 109540812A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3479098B1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
McKinley, R.M; Production Logging. Paper presented at the International Petroleum Exhibition and Technical Symposium, Beijing, China, Mar. 1982. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/10035-MS; 32 pages. [cited by applicant]
Chowdhury et al. (2019). Production Logging and its Implementation: A Technical Review. International Journal of Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineering. 5. 42-51. https://doi.org/10.20431/2454-7980.0502004; 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
Li et al. Raman vibrational spectral characteristics and quantitative analysis of H2up to 400° C. and40 MPa. J Raman Spectrosc. 2018; 49:1722-1731. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5420; 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
Da̧browski et al.; Downhole measurements and determination of natural gas composition using Raman spectroscopy, Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, vol. 65, 2019, pp. 25-31, ISSN 1875-5100, https://doi.org/10… [cited by applicant]
Wang et al.; (2021), Quantitative analysis of coal-bed methane components by downhole laser Raman spectroscopy; Interpretation 9: B1-B6. https://doi.org/10.1190/INT-2020-0206.1; 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Luo et al.; Application and Analysis of Array Production Logging Technology for Multiphase Flow in Horizontal Wells; Processes 2023, 11, 3421; 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ahmad et al.;Array Production Survey Accurately Pinpoints Water Shut-Off Location and Strengthen the Understanding on Remaining Potential of a Giant Carbonate Gas Field, Offshore East Malaysia; SPE-205785-MS (Year: 2021… [cited by applicant]
No author; Proactive Diagnostic Services; Multiple Array Production Suite (MAPS); (Year: 2017); 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action in corresponding U.S. Appl. No. 18/636,015 mailed Sep. 6, 2024; 37 pages. [cited by applicant]