The Fluid Travel Log

Abstract

Walker, Terry,* Welex, A Div. of Halliburton Co., Houston, Tex., Sherwood, John,* Welex, A Div. of Halliburton Co., Oklahoma City, Okla., Sumner, Cyril R.,* Welex, A Div. of Halliburton Co., Houston, Tex., Marshall, Ray, Welex, A Div. of Halliburton Co., Houston, Tex. *Members AIME Abstract By using down-hole ejection of radioactive fluid and two gamma counters the velocity of flow at a given point or the determination of whether or not fluid has passed a given point can be determined accurately on production or injection wells. In this method the counters are positioned at the proper points, a small concentrated quantity of radioactive fluid is ejected, and a recorder operating in time-drive records the time interval or fluid movement past the counters, each counter recording on a separate pen for a permanent record. Inside the casing or in open hole if a caliper log is available, a time profile and resulting velocity profile determines the full injection or production distribution. During injection profiling the procedures readily point out and locate any channeling which may exist. Equally simple job procedures are available for detecting casing leaks, tubing leaks, leaking packers and many other operational problems which are detectable by a study of fluid flow. Field examples are given to indicate the success and utility of the method. Of great importance to the operations engineer is the fact that job procedures with the well at normal operating conditions are standardized for ready field interpretation. Introduction With the increasing application of water flooding, pressure maintenance and other recovery-increasing techniques in the oil industry, an accurate means of determining input profiles is an absolute requirement. The injection fluid costs, especially in miscible floods and gas injection, are such that channeling behind the pipe must be located and remedied. Also, the efficiency of secondary recovery techniques requires orderly flood-front movement throughout the vertical extent of the zones. Therefore, the input profile must be as desired, and accurate profiling by some means is necessary on the injection wells after completion and at intervals during the flood. In some cases in waterflood projects, even input profiles are not the only requirement-the production profiles should also be such that orderly flood-front movement is obtained. Again, an accurate means of profiling is required at intervals during the project. There are a number of production problems where accurate production profiles can be of great aid in remedial work. Where wells are producing large amounts of water along with a small amount of oil from either long perforated intervals or open hole, shutting off the water section and allowing greater drawdown on the oil section can greatly increase oil production. In wells of this type, of course, are the condition where the highest permeability zones are watered out with oil remaining in the less permeable zones. JPT P. 851ˆ