The Sounds Well Measurement System
Water hammers commonly are observed at wellheads and often are considered a potential hazard that should be avoided. Nevertheless, there are a few situations in which water hammers provide very valuable information about a well. A comprehensive data-acquisition and water-hammer analysis system called “Sounds Well” has been developed by Brouard Consulting and Ecole Polytechnique. Potential applications of this system are:
- Detection & location of damaged/broken tubings or casings
- Detection & location of a plug
- Measurement of an interface depth between two fluids
The Sounds Well system has several advantages:
- This is a non–intrusive wireless system that is very quick to set up.
- The wellhead is kept closed and, thus, safe.
- Measurements can be taken within a few minutes only.
- Permanent monitoring is possible: a measure every minute is possible.
- Measurement while leaching is possible.
- The system works even with strongly deviated wells.
- The system works in very deep wells.
- There is no issue related to the use of radioactive tools.
This system has already been tested at various locations.
- A permanent monitoring system for the detection of broken casings has been installed at Vauvert facility (operated by Kem One, formerly Arkema). The system was presented during the SMRI Spring Meeting in Regina, Canada (Brouard et al., 2012a).
- The measurement of a nitrogen/brine interface has been tested successfully at the Manosque facility (operated by Geosel, subsidiary of Geostock) and presented during the SMRI Fall Meeting in Bremen, Germany (Brouard et al., 2012b). It was tested again successfully at Manosque in July 2013.
- The measurement of diesel/brine level has been successfully tested in June 2013 at Bad Ischl (operated by Salinen Austria).
- In July 2013, measurement of gas/brine levels in an annulus was tested successfully at Jemgum and Kiel in Germany, and at Zuidwending in the Netherlands.
- In December 2013, feasibility tests were performed at Mont Belvieu in Texas.
- In April 2014, a ATEX-certified monitoring system has been delivered to the TIGF company at Lussagnet Facility (France), where the Sounds Good system is now used to determine the depth of interfaces between natural gas and water in aquifer wells (see movie below).
The pdf file below shows suitable configurations.