Search

EP-4739880-A1 - MEASURING APPARATUS

EP4739880A1EP 4739880 A1EP4739880 A1EP 4739880A1EP-4739880-A1

Abstract

A method of measuring solid content present in a solid-fluid flow through a tube, comprising: using a generator to generate in operation an excitation signal for exciting a coil arrangement disposed around the tube for interacting with the solidfluid flow through the tube; receiving at a signal processor resonance signals from the coil arrangement for determining a solid content present within the tube; and, providing, by the signal processor, real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube, wherein the signal processor is remotely located from the tube.

Inventors

  • KALSAAS, Odd-Petter
  • BRANDT, MORTEN

Assignees

  • Hammertech AS

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240705

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method of measuring solid content present in a solid-fluid flow through a tube, comprising: using a generator to generate in operation an excitation signal for exciting a coil arrangement disposed around the tube for interacting with the solid-fluid flow through the tube; receiving at a signal processor resonance signals from the coil arrangement for determining a solid content present within the tube; and, providing, by the signal processor, real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube, wherein the signal processor is remotely located from the tube.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: on receiving the real-time measurements of solid content present in the solidfluid flow, adjusting a treatment of the solid-fluid flow in the tube.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein adjusting a treatment of the solid-fluid flow in the tube comprises at least one of: altering solid removal from, solid input to or fluid input to the solid-fluid flow; and, updating flow speed of the solid-fluid flow.
  4. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein altering solid removal from, solid input to or fluid input to the solid-fluid flow comprises: filtering out solids using a kinetic separator wherein the solids relate to the real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube.
  5. 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the solids relating to the real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube are cuttings.
  6. 6. A method according to any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising performing calibration measurements on a first solid-fluid flow through a tube to obtain a first measurement of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube; and, comparing real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube to the first measurement.
  7. 7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein providing, by the signal processor, real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube comprises providing real-time measurements to a user interface located proximally to the tube.
  8. 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein providing real-time measurements to a user interface comprises providing real-time measurements via an online connection.
  9. 9. A method according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the method is performed in an automated manner.
  10. 10. A method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein remotely located control circuitry comprises the signal processor.
  11. 11. A method according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the solid-fluid flow is a drilling mix for use in drilling operations.
  12. 12. A method according to any of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the generator and tube are located off shore and wherein the signal processor is located on shore.
  13. 13. A method according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein providing, by the signal processor, real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube comprises: providing, by the signal processor, continual real-time measurements of solid content present in the solid-fluid flow through the tube.
  14. 14. A method according to any of claims 1 to 13, further comprising providing data on initial solid-fluid composition to signal processor.
  15. 15. A solid content measuring apparatus for measuring solid content present in a solid-fluid flow through a tube, wherein the apparatus includes a generator for generating in operation an excitation signal, a coil arrangement disposed around the tube adapted to be excited into resonance by the excitation signal and interact with the fluid flow through the tube, and a signal processor adapted to receive resonance signals from the coil arrangement for determining a solid content present within the tube, wherein the signal processor is remotely located from the tube.
  16. 16. A solid content measuring apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a solid-fluid flow treatment module for applying a treatment to the solid-fluid flow in the tube.
  17. 17. A solid content measuring apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the solid-fluid flow treatment module is arranged to at least one of: alter solid removal from, solid input to or fluid input to the solid-fluid flow; and, update flow speed of the solid-fluid flow.
  18. 18. A solid content measuring apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein remotely located control circuitry comprises the signal processor.
  19. 19. A solid content measuring apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the solid content measuring apparatus is for use in drilling operations.
  20. 20. A solid content measuring apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 19, wherein the generator and tube are located off shore and wherein the signal processor is located on shore.

Description

MEASURING APPARATUS Field of the invention The present invention relates to measuring apparatus. The invention relates to for example to a solid content measuring apparatus for monitoring solid content in solidfluid flows. The invention also relates to for example monitoring water content in fluid flows wherein conditions for hydrate deposit formation can potentially arise. The present invention relates to methods of measuring such content in fluid flows. For example to methods of measuring solid or water content in fluid flows in conditions wherein hydrate deposit formation can potentially arise. The present invention relates to methods of measuring water content in drilling mud mixture in conditions where a change in the content of water, solids and hydrocarbon may potentially arise. The present invention relates to methods of measuring solid content in drilling mud mixtures in conditions where a change in the content of water, solids and hydrocarbon may potential arise. Furthermore, the present invention concerns software products recorded on machine-readable media, wherein the software products are executable on computing hardware for implementing aforesaid methods. Background of the invention It is known to employ a pair of coils of wire exhibiting mutually different responses and excited with alternating signals for determining phase characteristics of a fluid region intersected by magnetic and electrical fields generated by the pairs of coils when excited. Such coils conventionally have relatively few turns, for example less than 10 turns each, and can determine fluid composition to within an accuracy of a few percent by way of measurement of their resonance characteristics, for example resonance Q-factor. The pair of coils is susceptible, for example, to being used to monitor fluids extracted from a production borehole when water, oil, sand particles and scum can potentially simultaneously be present in the fluids. Apparatus for determining phase characteristics of a fluid region are described in a published international PCT application no. W02004/025288A1 , "Method and arrangement for measuring conductive component current of a multiphase fluid flow and uses thereof", inventor Erling Hammer. A contemporary issue is that geological oil reserves are becoming rapidly depleted, requiring oil companies to revert to difficult and expensive off-shore drilling and production to meet World demand for oil; the World demand is presently estimated to be 85 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Many newly discovered oil and gas fields, for example in the Barrent Sea lying North of Norway, are found to contain a higher ratio of gas to oil than expected from earlier discovered oil and gas fields. Consequently, there is found to be a need to monitor to an increasing extent gas production in Northern latitudes which are often subjected to severe operating conditions, for example low ambient operating temperatures, for example below 0 °C. A contemporary problem encountered with gas production is spontaneous formation of hydrate deposits which can block tubes completely and therefore threaten gas production with associated financial loss. Hydrate formation occurs when gas hydrocarbon molecules, for example on account of strong polarization of their hydrogen atoms, attract oxygen atoms of water molecules so that the hydrocarbon molecules become encapsulated in water molecules to form miniature hydrate ice crystals which can precipitate to cause aforementioned hydrate deposit blockages in tubes. The blockages grow initially on inside walls of tubes, and eventually obstruct a central region of the tubes. Once hydrate ice crystal deposition commences on the inside walls, hydrate crystal nucleation is enhanced such that hydrate blockages can potentially form rapidly, for example within minutes. Moreover, the blockages are also often rather difficult to remove when formed, sometimes requiring costly "pigging" or heat treatment to be performed. A conventional approach to hinder hydrate formation is to include additives in a flow of gas. However, using additives is expensive and can also potentially cause a degree of contamination in gas flows. Contemporary sensors and associated measuring instruments for sensing hydrate formation in tubes are complex and costly, thereby limiting locations whereat they can be installed in gas production systems. Consequently, many locations along gas tubes and pipes which could beneficially be provided with measuring instruments capable of detecting potential formation of hydrate deposits are hindered from being accordingly equipped on account of cost of conventional hydrate measuring instruments. It is also known that in well drilling operation, in the process of creating a wellbore into Earth’s surface to access and extract oil or natural gas, a specially formulated fluid, known as “drilling mud”, is pumped down the drill pipe during the drilling operation. The drilling mud is th