Fluid property estimation based on electromagnetic measurements
View Patent ↗A method of a method of analyzing a fluid includes measuring a conductive flow of a fluid circulating through a borehole during a subterranean operation, the conductive flow indicative of an electrically conductive constituent of the fluid. The method also includes measuring a total flow of the fluid concurrently with the measuring of the conductive flow, and estimating a property of the fluid in real time during the subterranean operation based on the conductive flow and the total flow.
1 . A method of analyzing a fluid, comprising:
measuring a conductive flow of a fluid circulating through a borehole during a subterranean operation, the conductive flow indicative of an electrically conductive constituent of the fluid, wherein measuring the conductive flow includes applying a static magnetic field to the fluid, and detecting a voltage generated by the fluid;
measuring a total flow of the fluid concurrently with the measuring of the conductive flow; and
estimating a property of the fluid in real time during the subterranean operation based on the conductive flow and the total flow; and
controlling a composition of an injected fluid based on the estimated property of the fluid.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes the injected fluid circulated through the borehole from a surface location, and the constituent includes at least one of formation fluid, oil, water and formation material.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the injected fluid is a drilling fluid, and the formation material includes cuttings generated by interactions between a drill bit and a subterranean region.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating the property includes estimating a proportion of a volume of the constituent relative to a total volume of the fluid.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the conductive flow is performed by an electromagnetic flow meter disposed in a borehole string in the borehole.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating the property includes determining a change in the detected voltage, and correlating the change in the detected voltage to a change in a proportion of the constituent.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the change in the detected voltage is determined relative to the total flow.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive flow and the total flow are measured at a downhole location.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive flow and the total flow are measured for a volume of the fluid flowing through a return fluid line at a surface location.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically controlling, in real time, at least one of an operational parameter and the composition of the injected fluid based on the estimated property of the fluid.
11 . A system for analyzing a fluid, comprising:
an electromagnetic flow meter configured to perform a measurement of a conductive flow of a fluid circulating through a borehole during a subterranean operation, the conductive flow indicative of an electrically conductive constituent of the fluid, wherein the electromagnetic flow meter is configured to measure the conductive flow based on applying a magnetic field to the fluid, and detecting a voltage generated by the fluid;
a second flow meter configured to perform a measurement of a total flow of the fluid concurrently with the measurement of the conductive flow; and
a processor configured to estimating a property of the fluid in real time during the subterranean operation based on the conductive flow and the total flow, the processor configured to control a composition of an injected fluid based on the estimated property of the fluid.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid includes the injected fluid circulated through the borehole from a surface location, and the constituent includes at least one of formation fluid, oil, water and formation material.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the injected fluid is a drilling fluid, and the formation material includes cuttings generated by interactions between a drill bit and a subterranean region.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the property based on estimating a proportion of a volume of the constituent relative to a total volume of the fluid.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the electromagnetic flow meter disposed in a borehole string in the borehole.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the property based on determining a change in the detected voltage, and correlating the change in the detected voltage to a change in a proportion of the constituent.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the change in the detected voltage is determined relative to the total flow.
18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the conductive flow and the total flow are measured at a downhole location.
19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the conductive flow and the total flow are measured for a volume of the fluid flowing through a return fluid line at a surface location.
20 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to automatically control, in real time, at least one of an operational parameter and the composition of an injected fluid based on the estimated property of the fluid.