Abstract: A system and method for sensing and determining operating features of coiled tubing (14) that is run in and out of a borehole. The coiled tubing (14) is stored on a reel (10) mounted on a reel frame (13) for transport from one job site to another. A reel database (22) is secured to the reel frame (13) at the first job site for the coiled tubing (14) and remains on the reel frame (13) for transport with the coiled tubing (14) for the entire life of the coiled tubing (14). The system provides for updating of the reel database (22) from sensor interface modules (SIMS 30B-30G) for predetermined operating characteristics of the coiled tubing (14) during operations. The system provides that data from the reel database (22) may be retrieved at a new job site to provide an accurate and current history of the predetermined characteristics of the coiled tubing (14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring the flow rate Q of a fluid in a fluid passage, in a well, the device comprising a first venturi section and first means responsive to the pressure difference .DELTA.P.sub.1 across the first venturi section between two points that are separate from each other in the flow direction. It comprises a second venturi section, and second means responsive to the pressure difference .DELTA.P.sub.2 across the second venturi section between two points that are separate in the flow direction, the two venturi sections being disposed relative to each other in such a manner that for a given direction of fluid flow, the diameter of one of them increases whereas the diameter to the other one of them decreases, said venturi sections being further arranged in such a way that the static pressure components present in said pressure differences .DELTA.P.sub.1 and .DELTA.P.sub.2 can be cancelled out.

Abstract: A method and a system for the early detection of defects in at least one multiplex pump, which includes a plurality of cylinders or chambers, by determination and analysis of pump harmonics based upon pressure fluctuations in a line in fluid communication with the multiplex pump and multiplex pump frequency. The presence of a defect, the type defect, and specific pump unit having the defect, is determined.

Abstract: A method of quantitative analysis of free organic components in a drilling fluid comprising separating solid and liquid components of the drilling fluid using a non-filtering technique such as centrifuging, mixing a sample of the liquid components with a solution of an inorganic carrier such as 2M KBr and analyzing the mixture using infrared spectroscopy so as to determine the amount of organic components in the mixture and deriving the amount of free organic components in the drilling fluid from this analysis. In one embodiment, the mixture is dried to leave a solid mixture of the organic components and the carrier. In this case, the sample is preferably analyzed using a reflectance technique such as diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy. In another embodiment, the mixture is analyzed as a liquid, preferably using a direct transmission technique. In both the liquid and solid cases, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is preferred.

Abstract: A method combining resin consolidation and placement of fibrous material in intimate mixture with particulates provides a means of stabilizing a formation respect to sand production while enhancing well productivity without requiring a gravel pack screen.

Abstract: An inflatable packer assembly used in well service work and having a mandrel that carries a normally retracted inflatable packer unit. The unit includes an inner elastomer bladder surrounded by a reinforcement. To control the shape of the unit during inflation and thereby prevent the formation of Z-folds in the bladder, its axial stiffness is preferentially increased relative to its circumferential or hoop stiffness by devices such as carbon fibers or fiberglass tape.

Abstract: When a pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) well logging tool is traversing a wellbore, a NMR well logging method includes magnetizing the hydrogen nuclei in a formation traversed by the tool with a static magnetic field, waiting for a first period of time W.sub.1, energizing the formation with oscillating RF pulses, collecting a first plurality of spin echo signals, waiting a second period of time W.sub.2 which is different from the first period of time W.sub.1, energizing the formation with oscillating RF pulses, collecting a second plurality of spin echo signals, waiting a third period of time W.sub.3 which is different from both the second period of time W.sub.2 and the first period of time W.sub.1, energizing the formation with oscillating RF pulses, collecting a third plurality of spin echo signals, etc. The first, second and third, etc. plurality of spin echo signals corresponding to the different wait times are input to a signal processing apparatus disposed in the tool.

Abstract: The addition of fibrous materials in intimate mixture with particulates for fracturing and gravel packing decreases or eliminates the flowback of proppant and/or formation fines while stabilizing the sand pack and lowering the demand for high polymer loadings in the placement fluids. Preferred fibers include glass, aramide, nylon and other natural and synthetic organic and inorganic fibers and metal filaments.

Abstract: Methods and systems for forming a window through the wall of a well casing to enable a new borehole to be drilled outside the casing include forming a cement plug in the casing, drilling a laterally offset hole in the cement plug, orienting and setting a whipstock in the offset hole, and using the whipstock to drill an elongated window through the casing wall opposite its deflector surface. The drilling steps employ a mud motor having a bent housing that establishes a toolface for the bit, and proper orientation is obtained by downhole measurement and transmission to the surface of orientation signals and downhole adjustment of orientation to a selected toolface value. The whipstock is oriented in the same manner. All drilling and orientation procedures are carried out on coiled tubing to reduce costs.

Abstract: A method, useful in computer-aided design, for finding configurations of collections of geometric elements representing shapes of physical objects that satisfy a set of geometric constraints, when these constraints relate to topological properties of the geometric elements. In particular, the invention relates to a method that classifies the geometric elements in terms of degrees of freedom, categorizes topological properties in terms of biases, and synthesizes a solution by progressively reducing the total degrees of freedom in the system.

Abstract: A borehole tool has a source probe in fluid contact with the borehole wall, a fluid flow line for bringing fluids to and from the source probe, two injection fluid chambers containing clean oil and clean water and in fluid contact with the fluid flow line, at least one sample chamber for receiving fluid from the formation, valves for selectively routing the formation fluids and the clean oil and water through the fluid flow line, at least one pressure controller for controlling whether fluid is to be injected or withdrawn from the formation via the source probe, and a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure seen at the source probe. Permeability measurements are made by sequentially injecting one clean fluid into the formation, followed by a cleaning of the line with the other fluid which was not injected, followed by the injection of the other fluid into the formation. The order in which the oil and water are injected is based on the type of mud used for drilling.

Abstract: In a form of the disclosure, electromagnetic propagation logging measurements are made for several magnetic moment directions of the electromagnetic energy, and can be examined and/or processed retrospectively in order to select the logging information which has a particular desired characteristic, such as the sharpest imaging of bed boundaries. By scanning the magnetic moment over a wide range of angles, one is assured of obtaining logging information that has a desired attribute, such as image sharpness. This can be determined by viewing a recorded log and/or by automatically processing the log data. Information from other ones of the several logs may be useful in optimizing other attributes, such as standoff immunity or signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: A borehole apparatus detects the presence of gas within a formation fluid sample. A light source transmits light rays to an interface between the fluid sample and the flow line. The interface reflects the light rays toward a detector array. The detector array detects light rays having angles of incidences extending from less than the Brewster angle to more than the critical angle for gas. A data base stores information concerning the Brewster angle and critical angle of gas for a plurality of gas volume categories. A processor determines the percentage of gas present in the formation fluid sample and categorizes the fluid sample as high as, medium gas, low gas, and no gas based on the signal from the detector array and the information from the data base.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for investigating nuclear magnetic resonance properties of earth formations traversed by a borehole, including a logging device adapted for longitudinal movement in the borehole. The device includes a first subsystem for producing a static magnetic field in the formations and a second subsystem for transmitting electromagnetic energy into the formations and for detecting electromagnetic energy from the formations. The second subsystem comprises an antenna assembly which includes an open-ended shell formed of a magnetically permeable material. An open-ended electrically conductive body is disposed within the shell and is spaced therefrom. A medium whose acoustic impedance is substantially different than the acoustic impedance of the shell and the body is disposed between the shell and the body. An electrically conductive probe is disposed in the body, and an electrically insulating magnetically permeable loading material disposed in the body.

Abstract: A filter removes certain noise-induced artifacts from a two-dimensional image of a bore-hole wall, this image being formed by signals from a two-dimensional array of staggered electrodes pulled along the bore-hole wall. The noise artifacts are due to a type of noise which varies as a function of depth of the array, but which is substantially the same at all electrodes at any given time. The artifacts appear in the image in the form of a "footprint" of the electrode array, as an unintended result of a depth-adjustment process in which the original frames of samples of the signals at the electrodes of the staggered array, all taken essentially at the same time, are later resampled to produce frames of samples each corresponding to the same depth in said bore-hole. The filter makes use of the fact that the configuration of the artifact in the image is known, and that the true signal values do not change much between azimuthally adjacent electrodes.

Abstract: A method for determining the mobility of fluids within earth formations surrounding a borehole. The preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes measured tube wave parameters such as acoustic slowness and attenuation as indicators of formation fluid mobility, and further modifies the results with a mudcake compensated parameter. The mudcake compensated parameter preferably includes a non-zero, finite membrane impedance contribution, and a mudcake elastic deformation contribution. By inputting values for certain mudcake parameters such as mudcake compressional acoustic velocity, shear velocity, density and impedance, the invention generates an improved quantitative estimate for tube wave derived mobility or permeability.

Abstract: A method of measuring acoustic vibrations affecting the fluid in a well at a plurality of points which are angularly distributed around the axis of the well and which are in the proximity of the wall of the well by means of an apparatus including an elongate body which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and having at least one acoustic vibration detector disposed at the end of an arm which is hinged to the body. The arm is moved away from the body so as to place its end at a determined distance from the wall of the well, and the arm is then caused to rotate continuously about the axis while simultaneously recording the signals produced by the detector. The method is suitable for use in a relief well to locate a well which is blowing out.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed which provide for determining in situ the characteristics of hydrocarbons including oil API gravity in a formation traversed by a borehole. The vanadium content in the formation is determined from a logging tool. The total vanadium content is then systematically separated into an oil vanadium content and a formation matrix or clay vanadium content. From the oil vanadium content and a determination of formation bulk density, porosity and oil saturation, the vanadium concentration of the oil is derived in parts per million, from which the API gravity is determined.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed which provide for quantifying and characterizing the mineral content of a formation as a function of depth. Elemental data derived from logging tools are input into an element-mineral transform operation, preferably a matrix which is constructed using multivariate statistical analysis on previously available data, to determine the quantity of at least one or more dominant minerals in the formation. From the mineral quantity information and the elemental log data, the formation minerals are further characterized. Information regarding the character and quantities of formation minerals is further used to obtain improved determinations of formation characteristics such as the cation exchange capacity and water saturation, and the grain density and formation porosity, as well as to obtain an increased understanding of the formation such as the depositional environment of the formation.

Abstract: Method for finding in situ the characteristics of oil are provided. The methods generally comprise logging the borehole to determine the total formation content of at least one element such as vanadium, sulfur or nickel associated with oil quality and determining how much of the total content is due to the occurrence of the element in the minerals of the earth formation and how much is due to the occurrence of the element in the oil. From the determination of how much of the element is in the oil, a characteristic of the oil at a depth in said borehole is found. In order to determine how much of the element is in the minerals of the earth formation, an equation relating the element to the minerals is required as well as a knowledge of which minerals are at the particular depth in the formation and in what quantities. The equation relating the minerals and element is obtained via a multiple regression analysis on elemental and mineralogical data.