The 20th Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan, October 1 - 2, 2014

Advances in Wireline-Conveyed In-Situ Fluid Analysis

Andhi Marjono, Yoko Morita, Kamal Kader, Younes Jalali
Schlumberger K.K.

Therefore, the most fundamental objective of downhole

fluid analysis is to ensure representative samples are
obtained from the interval being tested.

This paper was selected for presentation by a JFES program committee following
review of an abstract submitted by the author(s).

ABSTRACT

It is therefore the responsibility and the decision of the

operating company to ensure that the well locations and
geologic formations being tested do provide a
representative description of the fluids distributed in the
reservoir.

Developments in wireline-conveyed fluid analysis are

motivated by the growing diversity of resource types and
field environments in which our clients operate, as well
as the possibilities growing out of the emergence of new
technologies.

The service providers remit is to ensure that whatever

location and zone that is selected, can be tested in the
most optimum manner, i.e., capturing samples that
respect well-defined quality metrics within the
constraints of well operations, notably available rig time.

Clients encounter a wide spectrum of reservoir fluid

types from dry gas to heavy oil, varied physico-chemical
characteristics (sour, waxy, asphaltenic, biodegraded,
volatile/critical, BTX-rich), range of drilling and
completion fluids which mix with the native reservoir
fluids (water-based, oil-based, latter as either natural
petroleum distillates or synthetic oils), field context
(conventional/unconventional, land/ platform/subsea, and
associated pressure and temperature conditions,
including HPHT), and field development stages
(exploration, development, production, the latter in
primary, secondary, or tertiary recovery).

With the successes that have been achieved on the

sample integrity front, a second objective has been
steadily gaining prominence, notably description of the
fluid column intersected by the well, irrespective of
whether fluid samples will be taken from any subsection
of this column. This requires pausing in multiple
stations across the reservoir section to engage with the
formation, drawing fluid from each station, and
analyzing the effluent in terms of its basic fluid
characteristics, without necessarily capturing fluid
samples. This is known as scanning analysis.

In this paper we describe how by use of advanced

deployment and sensing technologies, data processing
and interpretation methods, and information technology
infrastructure, the service industry is able to address the
fundamental challenges arising from the diversity of field
and fluid contexts enumerated above. Areas undergoing
active investigation are also briefly described.

Thus, sampling and scanning are the twin pillars of the

in-situ fluid analysis activity. Below we describe the
key technologies and processes associated with each
activity, and end with a brief description of outstanding
challenges in in-situ fluid analysis.

INTRODUCTION
Detailed fluid characterization including determination
of chemical composition, physical properties, and
dynamic characteristics (e.g., viscosity and phase
transitions) is the remit of laboratories specializing in the
analysis of reservoir fluids, i.e., PVT labs.

SAMPLE INTEGRITY
Two aspects are critical to ensure sample integrity. First
is assuring the sampled fluid is in a single-phase state.
Second is assuring the sample contamination level is
below client-specified tolerance (e.g., 10% by volume
for typical black oil).
There might be other
considerations for specific contexts (e.g., minimization
of scavenging for sour crude sampling), but in this paper
we will elaborate on these two objectives, which are
nearly universal requirements for all sampling jobs.

However, the precondition for a valid analysis is a valid

fluid sample, i.e., a sample that is representative of the
fluid residing in the zone or formation that is being
tested.
(In this paper we are not concerned with surface fluid
sampling, i.e., sampling from surface separators or
multiphase flowmeters.)

In a saturated reservoir, such as an oil reservoir having a

gas-cap, or gas reservoir having a condensate
accumulation below, ensuring a single-phase sample is

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The 20th Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan, October 1 - 2, 2014

the most challenging.

When the reservoir is
under-saturated, i.e., formation pressure is in excess of
saturation pressure (bubble point pressure or dew point
pressure), this requirement can be satisfied far more
easily.

results are obtained when two flowlines are engaged with

the formation, each with a dedicated pump and area open
to flow. If one line has a larger area and larger pumping
rate, then this line will dramatically reduce the saturation
of the filtrate in the vicinity of the formation, allowing
the other line to imbibe a stream that is rich in native
reservoir fluid. This two-line configuration is known as
focused sampling and has been widely used since it
was introduced in 2007.

The strategy to obtaining single-phase samples in

saturated reservoirs consists of the following selecting
a sampling interval that is far enough from the fluid-fluid
contact (e.g., gas-oil contact), to prevent the secondary
phase from being entrained in the flow stream.
In an oil reservoir containing normal black oil, for every
15-meter depth separation from the gas-oil contact there
is an excess pressure of about 1 atmosphere above the
bubble point pressure. This means that a drawdown of
up to 1 atmosphere can be applied without triggering the
degassing of the native oil.

Sample
Line

To withdraw fluid from the formation when a tight limit

exists on the drawdown, it is necessary to minimize the
flowrate and maximize the flow area as much as possible.
In this way, it will be possible to respect the drawdown
limit, for a large range of fluid mobility. The greater the
fluid mobility, the easier it is to respect the drawdown
limit. (Fluid mobility is the ratio of effective
permeability to oil and the viscosity of oil, K/. Mobility
can range from less than 1 md/cp to greater than 1000
md/cp. High mobility formations need a smaller
drawdown to achieve a given rate, compared to lower
mobility formations.)

Guard
Line

Figure-1 Schematic of the focused sampling configuration

Also if the zone being analyzed is chosen such that it is

beneath a geological barrier (e.g., shale zone), it
facilitates obtaining a purer sample, because the shale
will prevent the downward flow of filtrate from invaded
zones that are higher up.

The equation below (Darcys law) serves to illustrate this

concept; on the left is the drawdown which must be kept
below a certain threshold to prevent gas liberation and
hence the denaturing of the virgin crude; on the right the
coefficient is a geometric factor which varies depending
on the flow geometry into the probe (spherical, radial,
etc.), and is dimensionless.

Drawdown = coeff .

Proper zone selection and use of focused sampling will

dramatically increase the chances of obtaining a
high-quality sample. However, measurements must be
made to ensure the quality meets the client requirements.
For wells drilled with water-based mud (WBM),
resistivity measurement is a good indicator of sample
quality. Brine has low resistivity, while reservoir fluid
(hydrocarbon) has high resistivity. Therefore, the trend
of resistivity increase during flow (a process called
cleanup) can indicate when the stream is rich in
hydrocarbons. This distinction is more difficult to
make when sampling formation water, and there are
other techniques, notably use of tracers in the mud with
distinct optical signatures that can help with this
differentiation.

Flowrate / Area
Mobility

Limiting drawdown boils down to reducing the flowrate

and maximizing the area open to flow. For this reason
pumps for in-situ fluid analysis can now deliver a
controlled rate as low as about 0.45 cc/sec, and packers
can create a flow area as high as about 80 in2. At the
other end, flowrates can be as high as 20 cc/sec, and flow
area as small as 0.15 in2.

For wells drilled with oil-based mud (OBM) resistivity

will not be a useful differentiator of reservoir fluid and
filtrate.

If we now consider the case of an under-saturated

reservoir, where drawdown threshold is high, then it is in
the clients interest to maximize the flowrate, to shorten
the time required to obtain an effluent for analysis.

The base oil used to compose the mud can be derived

either from petroleum distillates (diesel fraction, or
non-diesel fraction, the latter is called mineral oil), or

Experience has shown that to maximize flowrate, best

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The 20th Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan, October 1 - 2, 2014

it can be derived from non-petroleum sources (olefins,

esters, being two common types).
What these different base oils have in common is that
they do not contain the light hydrocarbon components,
notably methane, and in terms of physical properties are
like degassed or dead oil. This distinction with
reservoir oil (live oil, gassy), makes it possible to
discriminate between the two in downhole fluid analysis
operations.
Natural crude has many more components than the
oil-based mud filtrate (which has the properties of the
base oil used to compose the mud). Therefore it has a
much higher optical absorbance (or optical density) than
filtrate. This means that the effluent flowing past the
optical sensing device in the sample line or in the guard
line, has a trend of increasing optical density with
pumped volume.
Figure-3 Basic trends of OD, GOR and mass density during a
cleanup operation

OD of pure oil from t

2.5

In summary, sample integrity can be assured by use of

versatile probes, packers, pumps, sensors, and
interpretation routines. Regarding interpretation, key
point to mention is that the data acquisition and
processing is done in real-time, and the information is
delivered to the client during operations, so they can
optimize the job program.

1.5

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Client office

Time (sec)

Figure-2 Behavior of optical density (OD) during a cleanup

process

The plateau of the OD curve corresponds to a high level

of purity. The optical spectrum of the effluent (OD as a
function of wavelength) is also indicative of the
composition of the mixture, and its Gas-Oil-Ratio (GOR).
Therefore, during cleanup we witness an increasing GOR.
Further, a density sensor can be deployed in the flowline,
and during cleanup we witness the density decaying,
since a progressive shift is taking place from filtrate-rich
fluid (degassed, dense) to fluid rich in live oil (gassy, less
dense). Therefore the trends observed in OD, GOR, and
density can be used to ensure a high purity level has been
achieved in the cleanup process. There exist methods
of estimating the purity or contamination level
quantitatively.

Domain
Experts

Satellite

Surface
Acquisition

Telemetry

Wireline
Logging

Figure-4 A schematic of the overall data-flow in in-situ fluid

analysis operations

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The 20th Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan, October 1 - 2, 2014

FLUID COLUMN SCANNING

The key objective of fluid scanning is to identify the
fluid types comprising the entire reservoir interval and to
determine the degree of vertical uniformity of the fluids
in the reservoir section, and vertical connectivity.
When this description is used in the context of offset
wells, inferences can be made about the degree of lateral
continuity in the reservoir.
The first indicator of vertical variability in the fluid
column is the trend of pore pressure. Pore pressure is
measured by the same tool-string that performs fluid
analysis, and is done before the fluid analysis step,
usually from shallower to deeper horizons. (Pore
pressure is measured using a pad and probe, and a
sequence of low-volume flow and shut-in periods to
drawdown the pressure and observe its behavior on the
rebound; a quick rebound or pressure recovery is a sign
of high mobility.) After this step, which is called
pre-test, then fluid scanning and sampling may be done
on the return trip, from deeper to shallower horizons.

Figure-6 Vertical variation of fluid properties in a reservoir

section

The vertical profile of composition (derived from optical

spectrum), GOR, and density reveals important clues
about the vertical segmentation of the fluid column. The
dramatic drop in methane concentration from shallower
to deeper stations shows the separation between the gas
and oil intervals. The trend of decreasing GOR and
increasing density with depth suggests a vertically
graded hydrocarbon column.
More advanced analysis can be done to determine the
vertical segmentation of the oil column. Researchers
have found that asphaltene content correlates with the
color coefficient of the crude. (Color coefficient is the
decay constant of OD with wavelength, in the range of
visible light.)
Therefore, a profile of asphaltene
concentration with depth can be generated. Then
modeling can indicate whether this trend follows a
natural gravity segregation trend or deviates from it. In
the latter case, separate compartments may exist. Ref. 1
describes the details of this analysis methodology, which
is based on measurements made by wireline-conveyed
in-situ fluid analysis tool-string.
In summary, although we speak of degree of continuity
in the reservoir column, the main goal is to detect
discontinuity, i.e., compartments in a vertical and/or
lateral sense. That is because lack of knowledge of the
existence of compartments represents a major risk to our
clients field development plans and economic
evaluation.

Figure-5 Pore pressure profile, which indicates the presence of

a gas-cap, an oil column, and a bottom-water layer

Pressure gradients of 0.45-0.5 psi/ft are common for

water, 0.25-0.35 psi/ft for oil, and 0.03-0.09 psi/ft for
gas.

CONCLUSIONS
Use of advanced technologies, such as downhole optical
spectroscopy, PVT sensors (density, viscosity), and
versatile pad, packer, probe and pumping devices, have
made it possible to capture samples with greater purity
and with lower expenditure of rig-time.
These
developments have also made it possible to delineate the

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The 20th Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan, October 1 - 2, 2014

vertical fluid column and detect intervals of uniformity,

variability, and discontinuity. Developments in the
domain of sampling and scanning have therefore helped
the operating companies to tackle many of their
important challenges.
Investigation is ongoing to
address the pressing needs of the industry in such areas
as effective sampling of heavy oil crude, in-situ detection
of minute concentrations of H2S (in view of NACE
threshold criteria for need of high-grade alloys in well
completions), and the detailed in-situ analysis of
chemically complex crude.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the management of
Wireline and Schlumberger K.K. for permission to
publish this paper.

REFERENCE
1.

Zuo, J.Y., Dumont, H., Mullins, O., Dong, C.,

Elshahawi, H., Seifert, D.J.: Integration of
Downhole
Fluid
Analysis
and
the
Flory-Huggins-Zuo EOS for Asphaltene
Gradients and Advanced Formation Evaluation,
paper SPE 166385, presented at the SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition, 30
September-2 October, 2013, New Orleans,
Louisiana, USA.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Andhi Marjono is a former Wireline field engineer and
now a physicist specializing in optical sensing for
wireline applications. Yoko Morita is a geophysicist
specializing in data processing and interpretation. Kamal
Kader is a physics engineer and project manager, focused
on development of wireline technologies. Younes Jalali is
a reservoir engineering advisor currently working on
downhole fluid analysis.

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