Outward venting of inflow tracer in production wells

Abstract

A localized inflow tracer ( 112 ) may be flushed from a gravel pack ( 104 ) surrounding a base pipe ( 102 ) of a production well by outwardly venting the inflow tracer. The base pipe ( 102 ) may include a non-perforated section ( 106 ) disposed adjacent to one or more perforated sections ( 108 ). A tracer carrier ( 110 ) may be disposed circumferentially about at least a portion of the non-perforated section ( 106 ) of the base pipe ( 102 ). An inflow tracer ( 112 ) may be released from the tracer carrier ( 110 ) into production fluid within the gravel pack ( 104 ) proximate to the non-perforated section ( 106 ) of the base pipe ( 102 ) such that the inflow tracer is flushed from the gravel pack ( 104 ) into individual ones of the one or more perforated sections ( 108 ) of the base pipe ( 102 ) and transported with the production fluid. The inflow tracer ( 112 ) may be prevented from being flushed directly from the tracer carrier ( 110 ) into the base pipe ( 102 ) due to a lack of permeability of the non-perforated section of the base pipe ( 102 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system configured to facilitate outward venting of inflow tracer such that inflow tracer is prevented from being communicated directly into a base pipe of a production well from a tracer medium configured to emit the inflow tracer, the system comprising:
 a base pipe configured to be disposed within a gravel pack, the base pipe including a non-perforated section disposed adjacent to one or more perforated sections, individual ones of the one or more perforated sections being configured to communicate production fluid from the gravel pack into the base pipe to facilitate transporting the production fluid to Earth's surface; and   a tracer carrier configured to be disposed circumferentially about at least a portion the non-perforated section of the base pipe, the tracer carrier being further configured to carry a tracer material, the tracer material being configured to release inflow tracer into production fluid within the gravel pack proximate to the non-perforated section of the base pipe such that, during production, the inflow tracer is flushed from the gravel pack into individual ones of the one or more perforated sections of the base pipe and transported with the production fluid, wherein the non-perforated section of the base pipe substantially prevents release of the tracer directly from the tracer carrier to within the base pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inflow tracer is prevented from being flushed directly from the tracer carrier into the base pipe due to a lack of permeability of the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inflow tracer flushed into the base pipe and transported with the production fluid is detectable to determine one or more characteristics associated with the production well. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the production well include one or more of identification of contributing zones of a reservoir, reservoir depletion, reservoir permeability, production fluid properties, expected operating conditions, contributing length, inflow profile of production fluid, location of water breakthrough, reservoir performance, or waterflood performance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracer material is wrapped around the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracer carrier comprises a perforated shroud configured to be disposed circumferentially about at least a portion of the non-perforated section of the base pipe, a gap being formed between an inner diameter of the perforated shroud and the non-perforated section of the base pipe, the tracer material being disposed within the gap, the perforated shroud being further configured to communicate the inflow tracer from the tracer material into the production fluid within the gravel pack proximate to the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the production fluid includes one or both of oil or water. 
     
     
         8 . A method for constructing a system configured to facilitate outward venting of inflow tracer such that inflow tracer is prevented from being communicated directly into a base pipe of a production well from a tracer medium configured to emit the inflow tracer, the method comprising
 disposing a tracer material circumferentially about at least a portion a non-perforated section of a base pipe configured to be disposed within a gravel pack, the non-perforated section of the base pipe being adjacent to one or more perforated sections of the base pipe, individual ones of the one or more perforated sections being configured to communicate production fluid from the gravel pack into the base pipe to facilitate transporting the production fluid to Earth's surface, the tracer material being configured to release an inflow tracer; and   surrounding the tracer material with a perforated shroud configured to communicate the inflow tracer from the tracer material into production fluid within the gravel pack proximate to the non-perforated section of the base pipe such that, during production, the inflow tracer is flushed from the gravel pack into individual ones of the one or more perforated sections of the base pipe and transported with the production fluid.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the inflow tracer is prevented from being flushed directly from the tracer carrier into the base pipe due to a lack of permeability of the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein disposing the carrier material circumferentially about at least the portion of the non-perforated section of the base pipe includes wrapping the carrier material around at least the portion of the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         11 . A method for outwardly venting inflow tracer such that inflow tracer is prevented from being communicated directly into a base pipe of a production well from a tracer medium configured to emit the inflow tracer, the method comprising:
 installing a base pipe such that the base pipe is disposed within a gravel pack, the base pipe including a non-perforated section disposed adjacent to one or more perforated sections, individual ones of the one or more perforated sections being configured to communicate production fluid from the gravel pack into the base pipe to facilitate transporting the production fluid to Earth's surface, the base pipe having a tracer carrier disposed circumferentially about at least a portion of the non-perforated section of the base pipe, the tracer carrier being configured to carry a tracer material, the tracer material being configured to release an inflow tracer;   during production, flushing the inflow tracer within the gravel pack into individual ones of the one or more perforated sections of the base pipe; and   transporting the production fluid with the flushed inflow tracer toward the Earth's surface via the base pipe.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inflow tracer is prevented from being flushed directly from the tracer carrier into the base pipe due to a lack of permeability of the non-perforated section of the base pipe. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, during shut in of the production well, allowing the inflow tracer to become concentrated in the gravel pack proximate to the non-perforated section of the base pipe such that, when the inflow tracer is flushed from the gravel pack during production, a high tracer concentration shot is transported with the production fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising detecting the inflow tracer transported with the production fluid to determine one or more characteristics associated with the production well. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the production well include one or more of identification of contributing zones of a reservoir, reservoir depletion, reservoir permeability, production fluid properties, expected operating conditions, contributing length, inflow profile of production fluid, location of water breakthrough, reservoir performance, or waterflood performance.