Sampling tools

Reservoir fluid sampling tools capture hydrocarbon at depth or at the separator and move it into a sample cylinder without changing composition or phase. The three tools in this range cover the chain from well to laboratory: a bottom hole sampler, a transfer bench for moving the sample into a piston cylinder, and a surface kit for separator oil and gas. The cylinders are listed in the neighboring categories Bottom hole sample cyl. and Surface sample cylinders.

What the range covers

• Bottom hole sampler
• Downhole sampling transfer bench
• PVT surface sampling kit

Related sample cylinders: High-Pressure Piston, Lightweight Titanium, Micro High-Pressure and Single-Phase Sample Cylinders for bottom hole service; Gas Shipping, Low-Pressure Piston and Flow-Through Sample Cylinders for surface samples; and heating mantles for restoring a cylinder to reservoir temperature.

Engineering features

The bottom hole sampler is a positive displacement tool run on slickline or wireline. A floating piston separates a hydraulic fluid chamber from a 600 cc sample chamber, a mechanical clock with 5 hour running time triggers the closing mechanism at depth, and the tool is rated 15,000 psi (1,000 bar) and 200 °C. Wetted parts are H2S-resistant stainless steel, titanium and brass alloy in a 43 mm outside diameter body about 3.71 m long. The design is mercury free.

The downhole sampling transfer bench clamps the sampler horizontally beside a piston-type sample cylinder. An air-driven hydraulic pump at 100 psi supply pressure displaces the sample with glycol-water drive fluid while two precision gauges track pressure, and the same bench serves the bubble point check. It is rated 15,000 psi and 150 °C with stainless steel wetted parts.

The PVT surface sampling kit connects oil and gas cylinders to the separator. It includes an oil manifold to 350 bar, a gas manifold to 200 bar, a vacuum pump, a 500 cc graduated burette for transferred oil volume, 2 m flexible hoses rated 350 bar and 90 °C, adapter sets for LP, MP, HP, NPT and type E connections, a temperature sensor and labeling supplies in a carrying case.

Selecting a configuration

The tool set follows the well program and the fluid pressure. Coretest configures samplers, benches and cylinders from these inputs:

• Sampling point: bottom hole by slickline or wireline, or separator oil and gas
• Maximum reservoir pressure and temperature, and whether single-phase transport is required
• Sample volume per point and number of cylinders per job
• Fluid corrosivity: H2S or CO2 content, which sets stainless steel or titanium wetted parts
• Cylinder connections and adapters at the wellsite and in the laboratory

Typical applications

• Bottom hole sampling for PVT studies on exploration and appraisal wells
• Separator sampling for recombination to live fluid
• Sample transfer and bubble point validation at the wellsite
• Single-phase transport of fluids with asphaltene or wax risk
• Gas shipping for compositional analysis

Reference values above describe the product family. Guaranteed performance, included hardware, exclusions, interfaces and acceptance criteria are stated only in the project-specific technical proposal and approved datasheet.