Patents by Inventor Youxiang Zuo

Youxiang Zuo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20170363077
    Abstract: First piston position data of a piston in a displacement unit is obtained based on an output signal from a sensor associated with the displacement unit, the output signal being dependent upon a physical position of the piston in the displacement unit. Second piston position data of the piston in the displacement unit is obtained based on data indicative of a number of revolutions of a hydraulic motor in a hydraulic system, the hydraulic system being operable to drive the piston of the displacement unit. Based on the second piston position data, a flow rate of a fluid pumped by the displacement unit is estimated. A system correction factor is generated based on the first piston position data and the second piston position data. The estimated flow rate is adjusted based on the system correction factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Adriaan Gisolf, Youxiang Zuo, Yi Chen
  • Patent number: 9835029
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for determining a viscosity-pressure profile of downhole fluid by measuring the viscosity at several different pressures during a sampling operation. According to certain embodiments, the viscosity may be measured at different times during a sampling operation and used to generate the viscosity-pressure profile. For example, the viscosity may be measured at the beginning of pumping, during filling of a sample chamber, during a pressure-build up period, and while retracting the probe. The measured viscosities may then be employed to determine a profile that represents the change in viscosity that occurs with pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hadrien Dumont, Youxiang Zuo, Beatriz E. Barbosa
  • Publication number: 20170342828
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying a likelihood that a reservoir of a geological formation received a secondary charge of hydrocarbons of relatively very different thermal maturity of composition are provided. One method includes positioning a downhole acquisition tool in a wellbore in a geological formation and testing one or more fluid properties of the formation fluid. Data processing circuitry may identify whether a relationship of the one or more fluid properties exceeds a first threshold that indicates likely asphaltene instability. When this is the case, data processing circuitry may be used to model the geological formation using a realization scenario in which multiple charges of hydrocarbons of substantially different thermal maturity or substantially different composition, or both, filled a reservoir of the geological formation over geologic time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Hadrien Dumont, Vinay K. Mishra, German Garcia, Li Chen, Thomas Pfeiffer, Soraya S. Betancourt Pocaterra, Jerimiah Forsythe, Andrew Emil Pomerantz, Youxiang Zuo, Oliver C. Mullins
  • Patent number: 9784101
    Abstract: A method for using an optical spectrum of mud filtrate for analysis of fluid drawn from a formation is provided. The method includes performing downhole fluid analysis of formation fluid drawn at a wellbore measurement station and determining an optical spectrum of mud filtrate in the formation fluid drawn at the wellbore measurement station. The method also includes performing downhole fluid analysis of formation fluid drawn at an additional wellbore measurement station, and performing the downhole fluid analysis of formation fluid drawn at the additional wellbore measurement station includes using the determined optical spectrum of the mud filtrate in the formation fluid previously drawn at the wellbore measurement station. Additional methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard Jackson, Ankit Agarwal, Adriaan Gisolf, Ilaria De Santo, Youxiang Zuo
  • Publication number: 20170284197
    Abstract: Methods for obtaining in-situ, multi-temperature measurements of fluid properties, such as saturation pressure and asphaltene onset pressure, are provided. In one example, a sample of formation fluid is obtained using a downhole acquisition tool positioned in a wellbore in a geological formation. The downhole acquisition tool may be stationed at a first depth in the wellbore that has an ambient first temperature. While stationed at the first depth, the downhole acquisition tool may test a first fluid property of the sample to obtain a first measurement point at approximately the first temperature. The downhole acquisition tool may be moved to a subsequent station at a new depth with an ambient second temperature, and another measurement point obtained at approximately the second temperature. From the measurement points, a temperature-dependent relationship of the first fluid property of the first formation fluid may be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hadrien Dumont, Christopher Harrison, Youxiang Zuo, Christopher Albert Babin, Li Chen, Vinay K. Mishra, German Garcia, Abhishek Agarwal, Matthew T. Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20170254792
    Abstract: Methods are provided for reservoir analysis. In some embodiments, a reservoir may be analyzed by obtaining abundance ratios at a first measurement station and a second measurement station and determining an abundance ratio trend. Abundance ratios at a third measurement station may be obtained and plotted versus depth with the previously obtained abundance ratios. A change in the abundance ratio trend may be identified and result in further investigation of the reservoir. If the abundance ratio is unchanged, additional abundance ratios may be obtained and plotted versus depth to further evaluate the abundance ratio trend. Methods for reservoir analysis using fluid predictions with and without offset well information are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Adriaan Gisolf, Youxiang Zuo, Ronald E. G. van Hal, Jeffrey Crank
  • Publication number: 20170175524
    Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining in-situ measurements of mixed formation fluids are provided. A downhole acquisition tool may move to a first station in a wellbore in a geological formation to collect a sample of first formation fluid from the first station. The downhole acquisition tool may move to a second station in the wellbore and a sample of second formation fluid may be collected. A proportion of the first formation fluid and the second formation fluid may be mixed within the downhole acquisition tool in-situ while the downhole acquisition tool is within the wellbore to obtain a formation fluid mixture. The formation fluid mixture may be passed into a fluid testing component of the downhole acquisition tool while the downhole acquisition tool is in the wellbore to measure fluid properties of the formation fluid mixture in-situ.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Hadrien Dumont, Christopher Harrison, Youxiang Zuo, Christopher Albert Babin, Abhishek Agarwal, Adriaan Gisolf
  • Publication number: 20170152743
    Abstract: A method includes operating a downhole acquisition tool including a guard probe and a sample probe in a wellbore that contains a fluid that includes a native reservoir fluid and a contaminant. The method also includes receiving a first portion of fluid into the guard probe and a second portion of fluid into the sample probe, estimating a contamination level of the first or second portions based on a fluid property of the respective first and second portions, determining an initial guard flow rate of the first portion, determining an initial sample flow rate of the second portion, using a processor to adjust a guard flow rate of the second portion over pump time after the contamination level of the first portion is at or below a contamination level threshold, and adjust a sample flow rate of the first portion based on the adjusted guard flow rate and total flowrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Adriaan Gisolf, Kai Hsu, Yong Chang, Youxiang Zuo, Ryan Sangjun Lee, Ashers Partouche
  • Patent number: 9664665
    Abstract: Methods are provided for reservoir analysis. In some embodiments, a reservoir may be analyzed by obtaining abundance ratios at a first measurement station and a second measurement station and determining an abundance ratio trend. Abundance ratios at a third measurement station may be obtained and plotted versus depth with the previously obtained abundance ratios. A change in the abundance ratio trend may be identified and result in further investigation of the reservoir. If the abundance ratio is unchanged, additional abundance ratios may be obtained and plotted versus depth to further evaluate the abundance ratio trend. Methods for reservoir analysis using fluid predictions with and without offset well information are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adriaan Gisolf, Youxiang Zuo, Ronald E. G. van Hal, Jeffrey Crank
  • Publication number: 20170138921
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating a downhole tool within a wellbore adjacent a subterranean formation to pump contaminated fluid from the formation into the downhole tool while measuring first and second fluid properties of the contaminated fluid. The contaminated fluid comprises native fluid from the formation and a contaminant. The downhole tool is in communication with surface equipment located at surface. The downhole tool and/or surface equipment is operated to estimate a formation volume factor of the contaminated fluid based on at least one of the first and second fluid properties of the contaminated fluid. A linear relationship is then estimated between the first fluid property and a function that relates the first fluid property to the second fluid property and the estimated formation volume factor of the contaminated fluid. A fluid property of the contaminant is then estimated based on the estimated linear relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Adriaan Gisolf, Li Chen
  • Patent number: 9638681
    Abstract: Accurate, real-time formation fluids analysis can be accomplished using the systems and techniques described herein. A fluid analyzer includes a first mode of analysis, such as an optical analyzer, configured to determine a physical (optical) property of a fluid sample. The fluid analyzer also includes another mode of analysis, such as a composition analyzer, such as a gas chromatograph, configured to determine a component composition of the fluid sample. A data processor is configured to determine a quantity, such as a weight percentage, of a target component of the fluid sample in response results obtained from the first and second modes of analysis. Beneficially, the results are obtained at least in near real-time, allowing for interim results, such as results from the first analyzer to be used for one or more of tuning the compositional analyzer and for implementing quality control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Oleg Zhdaneev, Christopher Harrison, Youxiang Zuo, Dingan Zhang, William H. Steinecker, Gordon R. Lambertus, Neil Bostrom
  • Patent number: 9606260
    Abstract: A method for monitoring oil based mud filtrate contamination is provided including steps of analytically dividing a fluid stream into two parts, determining a gas/oil ratio for a native fluid determining an apparent gas/oil ratio for the contaminated fluid and determining on a volume fraction, an oil based contamination level based upon the gas/oil ratio for the native fluid and the apparent gas/oil ratio for the contaminated fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Adriaan Gisolf, Anthony Smits, Oliver C. Mullins
  • Publication number: 20170067338
    Abstract: A method includes operating a downhole acquisition tool in a wellbore in a geological formation. The wellbore or the geological formation, or both, contains a fluid that includes a native reservoir fluid of the geological formation and a contaminant. The method also includes receiving a portion of the fluid into the downhole acquisition tool, obtaining a measured resistivity, a measured conductivity, or both of the portion of the fluid using the downhole acquisition tool, and using a processor of the downhole acquisition tool to obtain a temperature-corrected resistivity, a temperature-corrected conductivity, or both based on a downhole temperature of the portion of the fluid and the measured resistivity, the measured conductivity, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Adriaan Gisolf, Lei Jiang, Anthony Robert Holmes Goodwin, Youxiang Zuo
  • Patent number: 9581014
    Abstract: A method for predicting asphaltene onset pressure in a reservoir is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes performing downhole fluid analysis of formation fluid via a downhole tool at a measurement station at a first depth in a wellbore and determining an asphaltene gradient for the formation fluid at the measurement station. Asphaltene onset pressure for a second depth in the wellbore may then be predicted based on the downhole fluid analysis and the determined asphaltene gradient. Additional methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yi Chen, Youxiang Zuo, Oliver C. Mullins
  • Patent number: 9557312
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating a downhole tool within a wellbore adjacent a subterranean formation to pump contaminated fluid from the formation into the downhole tool while measuring first and second fluid properties of the contaminated fluid. The contaminated fluid comprises native fluid from the formation and a contaminant. The downhole tool is in communication with surface equipment located at surface. The downhole tool and/or surface equipment is operated to estimate a formation volume factor of the contaminated fluid based on at least one of the first and second fluid properties of the contaminated fluid. A linear relationship is then estimated between the first fluid property and a function that relates the first fluid property to the second fluid property and the estimated formation volume factor of the contaminated fluid. A fluid property of the contaminant is then estimated based on the estimated linear relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Adriaan Gisolf, Li Chen
  • Publication number: 20170016321
    Abstract: A downhole tool, surface equipment, and/or remote equipment are utilized to obtain data associated with a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir, fluid contained therein, and/or fluid obtained therefrom. At least one condition indicating that a density inversion exists in the fluid contained in the reservoir is identified from the data. Molecular sizes of fluid components contained within the reservoir are estimated from the data. A model of the density inversion is generated based on the data and molecular sizes. The density inversion model is utilized to estimate the density inversion amount and depth and time elapsed since the density inversion began to form within the reservoir. A model of a gravity-induced current of the density inversion is generated based on the data and the density inversion amount, depth, and elapsed time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Shu Pan, Youxiang Zuo, Yi Chen, Kang Wang, Oliver C. Mullins
  • Publication number: 20160348480
    Abstract: A method includes receiving first fluid property data from a first location in a hydrocarbon reservoir and receiving second fluid property data from a second location in the hydrocarbon reservoir. The method includes performing a plurality of realizations of models of the hydrocarbon reservoir according to a respective plurality of one or more plausible dynamic processes to generate one or more respective modeled fluid properties. The method includes selecting the one or more plausible dynamic processes based at least in part on a relationship between the first fluid property data, the second fluid property data, and the modeled fluid properties obtained from the realizations to identify potential disequilibrium in the hydrocarbon reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Kang Wang, Andrew E. Pomerantz, Soraya S. Betancourt Pocaterra, Jerimiah Forsythe, Cosan Ayan, Hadrien Dumont, Vinay Mishra, Jesus Alberto Canas, Daniel M. Tetzlaff, Anish Kumar, Vladislav Achourov, Thomas Pfeiffer, Shu Pan, Yi Chen, Armin Kauerauf, Oliver C. Mullins
  • Publication number: 20160319662
    Abstract: A method includes operating a downhole acquisition tool in a wellbore in a geological formation. The wellbore or the geological formation, or both, contains first fluid that includes a native reservoir fluid of the geological formation and a contaminant. The method also includes receiving a portion of the first fluid into the downhole acquisition tool and determining a plurality of properties of the portion of the first fluid using the downhole acquisition tool. The plurality of properties includes a mass fraction of a component of the portion of the first fluid and a density of the portion of the first fluid. The method also includes using the processor to estimate a volume fraction of the contaminant in the portion of the first fluid based at least in part on a composition mass fraction function that depends at least on the mass fraction of the component in the portion of the first fluid and the density of the portion of the first fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Kang Wang, Adriaan Gisolf, Ryan Sangjun Lee
  • Patent number: 9458715
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining a plus fraction of a plus fraction of a gas chromatogram are provided. A gas chromatogram may obtained, such as from a downhole gas chromatograph module of a fluid analysis tool. The plus fraction of the gas chromatogram may be determined using one or more of a ratiometric determination, fitting an exponential decay function, and fitting a probability density gamma function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald E. G. van Hal, Jeffrey Crank, Youxiang Zuo, Adriaan Gisolf
  • Publication number: 20160252454
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a downhole fluid analysis method that includes withdrawing formation fluid into a downhole tool at a plurality of stations within a wellbore, analyzing the formation fluid within a fluid analyzer of a downhole tool to determine properties of the formation fluid for the plurality of stations, and developing, based on the determined properties of the formation fluid, a relationship for predicting viscosity from a measured optical density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Youxiang Zuo, Hadrien Dumont, Richard Jackson, Ilaria De Santo, Oliver C. Mullins, Cosan Ayan