Abstract: Methods and apparatus to form a well are disclosed. An example method involves determining a reservoir fluid map associated with at least a portion of a reservoir. The first fluid map has first fluid composition data associated therewith. The example method also involves measuring a formation fluid and determining a second fluid composition data based on the measurement. The second fluid composition data is compared with the first fluid composition data associated with the reservoir fluid map, and a well trajectory is adjusted based on the comparison.

Abstract: A method and system for characterizing asphaltene gradients of a reservoir of interest and analyzing properties of the reservoir of interest based upon such asphaltene gradients. The analysis employs a correlation that relates insoluble asphaltene concentration to spectrophotometry measurement data measured at depth.

Abstract: A method of downhole characterization of formation fluids is provided. The method includes: estimating a rough value of the bubble point pressure of the formation fluids; depressurizing the formation fluids at a first speed to a certain pressure which is a predetermined value higher than the estimated rough value while the formation fluids are isolated in a portion of the flowline; and depressurizing the isolated fluids at a second speed which is slower than the first speed in order to measure a precise value of the bubble point pressure.

Abstract: A formation fluid sampling tool is provided with reactants which are carried downhole and which are combined in order to generate heat energy which is applied to the formation adjacent the borehole. By applying heat energy to the formation, the formation fluids are heated, thereby increasing mobility, and fluid sampling is expedited.

Abstract: A marking system and method for a well site sample is provided. The system includes a container for collecting the well site sample, a marker applied to the container and a scanner adapted to read the marker. Data may be uploaded to and/or downloaded from the marker.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for investigating a hydrocarbon bearing geological formation traversed by a borehole are disclosed. A borehole tool is used to acquire a sample of fluid in the formation. Compositional analysis of the fluid sample is conducted to provide a determination of the composition of the sample. The sample composition is then related to a model of the thermodynamic behavior of the fluid; i.e., the mass fractions of the fluid components are used as inputs to an equation of state (EOS) to predict the phase behavior of the fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining phase transition pressure of downhole retrograde condensate. An OBM-contamination value is produced from a time-series of fluorescence values produced by measuring fluorescence emitted from a single-phase flow of OBM-contaminated formation fluid in a downhole cell during a cycle of time. The pressure of fluid in the cell is set at a transition boundary by incrementing drawdown pressure and monitoring the presence or absence of a phase transition. An apparent phase transition pressure value associated with the cycle of time is produced by setting apparent phase transition pressure value equal to cell pressure. This process is repeated for several cycles of time to produce a number of pairs of OBM-contamination value and apparent phase transition pressure value as OBM-contamination decreases over time.

Abstract: A method for determining properties of a formation fluid including obtaining data related to an optical density at a methane peak and an optical density at an oil peak for a fluid sample at a plurality of times, calculating an apparent gas-oil-ratio of the sample fluid from the optical density of the fluid sample at the methane peak to the optical density of the fluid sample at the oil peak at each of the plurality of times based on the data, selecting a power function of a sampling parameter for a buildup of the apparent gas-oil-ratio, calculating an exponential constant of the power function based on the data, and determining at least one selected from the group consisting of a contamination free gas-oil-ratio and a percent contamination.

Abstract: A method for determining properties of a formation fluid including obtaining data related to an optical density at a methane peak and an optical density at an oil peak for a fluid sample at a plurality of times, calculating an apparent gasoilratio of the sample fluid from the optical density of the fluid sample at the methane peak to the optical density of the fluid sample at the oil peak at each of the plurality of times based on the data, selecting a power function of a sampling parameter for a buildup of the apparent gasoilratio, calculating an exponential constant of the power function based on the data, and determining at least one selected from the group consisting of a contamination free gasoilratio and a percent contamination.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for investigating a hydrocarbon bearing geological formation traversed by a borehole are disclosed. A borehole tool is used to acquire a sample of fluid in the formation. Compositional analysis of the fluid sample is conducted to provide a determination of the composition of the sample. The sample composition is then related to a model of the thermodynamic behavior of the fluid; i.e., the mass fractions of the fluid components are used as inputs to an equation of state (EOS) to predict the phase behavior of the fluid.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing well planning and design includes performing a general-level design. The general-level design involves generating a proposed well configuration based on inputs from a user. The proposed configuration, generated by a software module, includes a well trajectory, the reservoir-wellbore interface, and completion equipment. The proposed configuration is refined by an optimizer based on a performance measure or a target constraint.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing well planning and design includes several phases, including a screening phase, a design phase, and an operating phase. The screening phase selects or categorizes candidate wells in addition to performing a general-level design. The general-level design process provides a framework in which a detailed or specific design can be performed. Once a completion system for a selected well has been designed, the operating phase is performed in which measurements taken during operation are fed back to a controller. The controller has access to a conceptual model of the completion system. The measured data is compared to an expected performance based on the model. If adjustments of settings are needed, then the controller issues commands to cause various components of the completion system to be adjusted. If adjustment of settings is not sufficient to achieve the desired level of performance as indicated by the model, then an adjustment of the model may be performed.