SmartPacker Workup 8-01

1. SmartPacker Workup 8-01 Working document This is a work-in-progress And is under development. Not for Publication ! Robin Lafever Ramsey Haught Ray Solbau

2. SYSTEM Smart packers are modular addressable units with inflatable rubber elements that can be linked together end-to-end to entirely seal almost any desired length of borehole. They allow any number of different length intervals to be opened anywhere along the packer string for the purposes of sensing and flow studies. Envisioned uses include gas sampling, pneumatic testing and transport studies in the vadose zone.

3. Background Inflatable packers have been used in the gas and oil industry since the 1940s. A packer is basically an expandable plug used to isolate sections of a well or borehole for pumping, injection or data collection. Several packers can be connected together with sections of pipe to isolate different parts of a well. The packers consist of a metal tube or pipe body with a rubber element on the outside that is attached to the metal body at both ends. An inflation port allows gas to enter between the body and the rubber element to expand the rubber. When lowered into a well or borehole, the rubber element can be inflated to seal against the inside well diameter thus preventing air or fluid from moving up or down the wellbore along the outside of the packer. Tubing and wires can be passed through the inside of the metal body to provide air or liquid for injection, pumping or inflation, and for connection to pressure sensors, temperature sensors, etc for data collection. The internal elements are isolated from the borehole. The number of packers that can be fastened together is limited at this time. The reason for this is explained further in the text.

4. New Capabilities What Smart Packers enable people to do that couldn't be done as well before: Present day packer sections do not carry any of the components mentioned above internally. These items are located outside the borehole at the surface. Therefore the control and measurement tubing from each packer section has to be passed internally through each previous packer section. Due to the large amount of tubing required for each section (connected at the surface to the appropriate devices for control and measurement), it becomes apparent that only a limited number of sections can be connected mechanically to each other before there is no more internal space for the tubes to pass through the outermost section. This construction limits the sealing surface length of a complete packer string to about 4 packer sections, or about 20 feet when utilizing five-foot packers with in a four-inch borehole. This invention utilizes only three airlines and one six conductor wire for communication and power, regardless of the number of packer sections lowered into the wellbore. The 3 airlines and cable are all that is required for data acquisition and control of the entire packer assembly. With no limit on the number of packers, an entire borehole can be sealed with packers. Filling the entire borehole better simulates an undisturbed rock and will therefore result in more realistic measurements. This also allows data acquisition from the borehole's total length in one set-up. Being able to fill the borehole also reduces field personal time because they don't need to move the packer system down the borehole in stages as is done now. Additionally, because the entire borehole can be sealed there is added flexibility for testing using different combinations of inflated and deflated packer sections.

5. Current practices How people currently address the problem that Smart Packers address: The current method is to assemble a length of packers (currently about 20 ft max) and move the packer assembly down the borehole in stages, or alternatively, leave large sections of the packer string without a sealing mechanism. There is no way at present to fill or test the non-packed section of borehole.

6. Summary The smart packers are modular addressable units with inflatable rubber elements that can be linked together end-to-end to entirely seal almost any desired length of borehole. They allow any number of different length intervals to be opened anywhere along the packer string for the purposes of sensing and flow studies. By using an embedded processor in each of the packer modules to control inflation of the rubber elements, injection points, and measurement of pressure data, the number of airlines needed is reduced from several per packer section to three for the whole string. The number of wires is reduced from several per packer section to six for the whole string. Each packer module is addressable from the surface using the RS-485 serial communication standard. The processor in each module can take care of the routine tasks of monitoring the module's status, and reporting back to the surface computer that status and the data from the sensors placed in the packer (pressure, temperature, humidity, etc). This can all be done in parallel with the other packer modules thus reducing the load on the surface computer. This parallelism also will allow better time resolution of the sensor data. This is important in transient flow tests.

7. Uses Uses of the Smart Packer system: This invention's use is in the field of fracture flow characterization (above and below the water table) and reservoir development. Some specific uses are: 1) Single and cross-hole pneumatic and fluid testing in both transient and steady state. 2) Gas or liquid sampling from individual zones. 3) Tracer testing for transport studies. 4) Elimination of cross contamination by separation of different lithologies and pollutants by packing off the entire borehole.

8. KEY FEATURES • a) Distributed hardware and electronics (throughout packer system) • b) Programmable downhole logic • c) Downhole inflation and injection valves - each zone will be individually addressable. • d) Continuous borehole coverage - entire string is inflatable • e) Modular design - modules plug together to make needed length of packer string. • f) Built-in future expandability for temperature, humidity measurements etc. possible on extra channels on each module.

9. KEY FEATURES Injector/Sampler Control valves • Distributed hardware and electronics (throughout packer system) Inject/Sample Port On-Board Central Processor Inflation Port High-throughput conduit Relay Board Injector Control Supply Inflation Manifold High-throughput Injection/Sampling valve Packer Inflation Valves Inflation Supply Wiring harness has been removed for clarity Power and Data

10. KEY FEATURES • Programmable downhole logic On-Board Central Processor Relay Board

11. KEY FEATURES Manifold Supply Valve • Downhole inflation valves Inflation Supply Inflate Valve Inflation Port Manifold Manifold Exhaust Valve

12. KEY FEATURES • Each zone will be individually addressable

13. KEY FEATURES High Throughput Sample/Inject Conduit • Downhole injection valves Injector Control Air Supply Inject/Sample Port High Throughput Pinch Valve Pressure Transducer Injector/Sampler Control Valves

14. Continuous borehole coverage - entire string is inflatable

15. KEY FEATURES • Modular design - modules plug together to make needed length of packer string.

16. USES and CAPABILITIES • a) Gas or liquid sampling from individual zones • b) Single and cross-hole pneumatic testing both transient and steady state • c) Tracer testing for transport studies • d) Amenable to full automation and remote control • e) Elimination of cross contamination by separation of different lithologies and pollutants by packing off entire borehole.

17. BENEFITS • EFFICIENT FIELD OPERATIONS (resulting in reduced operation cost) • a) Modular system will assemble and setup with minimal installation and mobilization time. • b) Only three tubes and one six-wire cable needed to service each hole (a system currently needs 32 tubes for a 16 foot packer string). • c) Continuous borehole coverage and easily selectable study intervals mean that packers need not be moved once installed to alter study zones- reducing field time, wear on packer rubber. • d) Positioning is consistent from test to test because assembly requires no re-installation. • e) Ensures no ungainly controls valves or tubing at the surface and ensures protection from weather and intrusion. • f) Automation and remote control capability reduces field time needed for scientific study.

18. BENEFITS (contd) • IMPROVED DATA QUALITY • a) Downhole data acquisition allows data processing and digitization to be performed in parallel for highspeed operation to capture transient phenomena. • b) Downhole data averaging will improve signal quality - reduce transducer noise. • c) Entire borehole can be filled, reducing short-circuiting effects due to presence of boreholes, and reducing the effects of borehole storage on transient tests - elements can be inflated specifically to reduce borehole storage but still allow access to a borehole zone. • d) Electronics will be in a stable environment (steady temperature, low EMF's , housed in metal). • e) Sample rate will be independent of the number of transducers. • b) Hardware quality assurance easily verifiable with reduced number tubes to connect and leak, • c) Test repeatability enhanced by automation of testing and by precise depth control allowed because packers do not need to be moved once installed. • d) Each element can be individually inflated and monitored for leaks in situ.

19. Appendix