text:
A downhole, extendable testing apparatus and methods of use are described and claimed herein. In one embodiment, an extendable sample device is connected to a draw down piston assembly. A position indicator may be used to show the position of the draw down piston during movement, and the draw down piston may be stopped and re-started, and moved at different rates. A filter may be used to clean fluids drawn into the extendable sample device. In another embodiment, the extendable sample device may connected to a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit may include accumulators for accumulating fluid pressures and operating the apparatus. Further apparatus and methods are disclosed herein.
1. A downhole apparatus comprising:
a drill collar having an outer surface for interaction with an earth formation;
an extendable sample device having a bore and recessed beneath said outer surface in a first position to extend beyond said outer surface to a second position;
a first draw down chamber slidably retaining a first draw down piston, said first draw down piston actuatable between a first position and a second position and said first draw down chamber in fluid communication with said extendable sample device;
a flow line between said extendable sample device and said first draw down chamber, said bore and said flow line to receive at least formation fluid from the earth formation; and
a second draw down chamber slidably retaining a second draw down piston, said second draw down chamber in fluid series with said first draw down chamber and said extendable sample device.
2. The apparatus of
3. The apparatus of
4. A downhole apparatus comprising:
a drill collar having an outer surface for interaction with an earth formation;
an extendable sample device having a bore and recessed beneath said outer surface in a first position to extend beyond said outer surface to a second position;
a draw down chamber slidably retaining a draw down piston, said draw down piston actuatable between a first position and a second position and said draw down chamber in fluid communication with said extendable sample device;
a flow line between said extendable sample device and said draw down chamber, said bore and said flow line to receive at least formation fluid from the earth formation; and
a position indicator in communication with said draw down chamber to signal a position of said draw down piston.
5. The apparatus of
6. The apparatus of
7. The apparatus of
a solenoid valve;
a shutoff valve; and
wherein said controller communicates with said valves to command said draw down piston.
8. The apparatus of
9. The apparatus of
a hydraulic circuit in fluid communication with said extendable sample device and said draw down chamber; and
said hydraulic circuit including an accumulator to communicate fluid with at least one of said extendable sample device and said draw down chamber.
10. The apparatus of
11. The apparatus of
12. The apparatus of
a hydraulic circuit having a fluid pressure; and
a hydraulic reservoir accumulator, said hydraulic reservoir accumulator in fluid communication with an annulus surrounding said drill collar and said hydraulic circuit such that said reservoir accumulator communicates an annulus fluid pressure to said hydraulic circuit.
13. The apparatus of
a body having an internal cylinder;
a piston slidingly retained within said cylinder, wherein a first side of said piston communicates with said hydraulic circuit and a second side of said piston communicates with said annulus;
a spring retained within said cylinder between a cylinder end and said second piston side, said spring exerting a pressure on said piston; and
wherein said piston communicates said annulus pressure and said spring pressure to said hydraulic circuit.
14. The apparatus of
15. The downhole apparatus of
16. A method of operating a downhole apparatus comprising:
disposing a drill collar in a borehole, the drill collar comprising an extendable sample device, a hydraulic circuit and a draw down piston assembly;
extending a sampling member from the extendable sample device beyond the drill collar;
moving a piston of the draw down piston assembly;
drawing a fluid into the extendable sample device and a flow line connecting the extendable sample device and the draw down piston assembly;
accumulating a fluid pressure in the hydraulic circuit;
diverting a hydraulic fluid from a retract side of the sampling member;
directing the fluid to the extend side of the sampling member; and
providing an additional extending force to the extend side of the sampling member.
17. The method of
18. The method of
19. The method of
disposing an equalizer valve in the drill collar, the equalizer valve in fluid communication with the flow line;
opening the equalizer valve; and
pumping the fluid in the flow line out through the equalizer valve to clean the flow line.
20. The method of
21. The method of
22. The method of
23. The method of
stopping the draw down piston at a third position; and
re-starting movement of the draw down piston.
24. The method of
25. The method of
purging a fluid from the extendable sample device; and
cleaning debris from the extendable sample device.
26. The method of
using an extend accumulator in the hydraulic circuit to accumulate a fluid pressure; and
providing an additional extending force to the extendable sample device.
27. The method of
using a retract accumulator in the hydraulic circuit to accumulate a fluid pressure; and
providing a retract force to the extendable sample device.
28. The method of
using a drawdown accumulator in the hydraulic circuit to accumulate a fluid pressure; and
providing a force to the draw down piston assembly.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/573,293, filed May 21, 2004, entitled Formation Tester Tool Assembly and Methods of Use, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Not applicable.
During the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells, it may be necessary to engage in ancillary operations, such as monitoring the operability of equipment used during the drilling process or evaluating the production capabilities of formations intersected by the wellbore. For example, after a well or well interval has been drilled, zones of interest are often tested to determine various formation properties such as permeability, fluid type, fluid quality, formation temperature, formation pressure, bubblepoint and formation pressure gradient. These tests are performed in order to determine whether commercial exploitation of the intersected formations is viable and how to optimize production.
Wireline formation testers (WFT) and drill stem testing (DST) have been commonly used to perform these tests. The basic DST test tool consists of a packer or packers, valves or ports that may be opened and closed from the surface, and two or more pressure-recording devices. The tool is lowered on a work string to the zone to be tested. The packer or packers are set, and drilling fluid is evacuated to isolate the zone from the drilling fluid column. The valves or ports are then opened to allow flow from the formation to the tool for testing while the recorders chart static pressures. A sampling chamber traps clean formation fluids at the end of the test. WFTs generally employ the same testing techniques but use a wireline to lower the test tool into the well bore after the drill string has been retrieved from the well bore, although WFT technology is sometimes deployed on a pipe string. The wireline tool typically uses packers also, although the packers are placed closer together, compared to drill pipe conveyed testers, for more efficient formation testing. In some cases, packers are not used. In those instances, the testing tool is brought into contact with the intersected formation and testing is done without zonal isolation the axial span of the circumference of the borehole wall.
WFTs may also include a probe assembly for engaging the borehole wall and acquiring formation fluid samples. The probe assembly may include an isolation pad to engage the borehole wall. The isolation pad seals against the formation and around a hollow probe, which places an internal cavity in fluid communication with the formation. This creates a fluid pathway that allows formation fluid to flow between the formation and the formation tester while isolated from the borehole fluid.
In order to acquire a useful sample, the probe must stay isolated from the relative high pressure of the borehole fluid. Therefore, the integrity of the seal that is formed by the isolation pad is critical to the performance of the tool. If the borehole fluid is allowed to leak into the collected formation fluids, a non-representative sample will be obtained and the test will have to be repeated.
With the use of WFTs and DSTs, the drill string with the drill bit must be retracted from the borehole. Then, a separate work string containing the testing equipment, or, with WFTs, the wireline tool string, must be lowered into the well to conduct secondary operations. Interrupting the drilling process to perform formation testing can add significant amounts of time to a drilling program.
DSTs and WFTs may also cause tool sticking or formation damage. There may also be difficulties of running WFTs in highly deviated and extended reach wells. WFTs also do not have flowbores for the flow of drilling mud, nor are they designed to withstand drilling loads such as torque and weight on bit.
Further, the formation pressure measurement accuracy of drill stem tests and, especially, of wireline formation tests may be affected by filtrate invasion and mudcake buildup because significant amounts of time may have passed before a DST or WFT engages the formation. Mud filtrate invasion occurs when the drilling mud fluids displace formation fluids. Because the mud filtrate ingress into the formation begins at the borehole surface, it is most prevalent there and generally decreases further into the formation. When filtrate invasion occurs, it may become impossible to obtain a representative sample of formation fluids or, at a minimum, the duration of the sampling period must be increased to first remove the drilling fluid and then obtain a representative sample of formation fluids. The mudcake is made up of the solid particles that are deposited on the side of the well as the filtrate invades the near well bore during drilling. The prevalence of the mudcake at the borehole surface creates a "skin." Thus there may be a "skin effect" because formation testers can only withdraw fluids from relatively short distances into the formation, thereby distorting the representative sample of formation fluids due to the filtrate. The mudcake also acts as a region of reduced permeability adjacent to the borehole. Thus, once the mudcake forms, the accuracy of reservoir pressure measurements decreases, affecting the calculations for permeability and producibility of the formation.
Another testing apparatus is the measurement while drilling (MWD) or logging while drilling (LWD) tester. Typical LWD/MWD formation testing equipment is suitable for integration with a drill string during drilling operations. Various devices or systems are provided for isolating a formation from the remainder of the wellbore, drawing fluid from the formation, and measuring physical properties of the fluid and the formation. With LWD/MWD testers, the testing equipment is subject to harsh conditions in the wellbore during the drilling process that can damage and degrade the formation testing equipment before and during the testing process. These harsh conditions include vibration and torque from the drill bit, exposure to drilling mud, drilled cuttings, and formation fluids, hydraulic forces of the circulating drilling mud, and scraping of the formation testing equipment against the sides of the wellbore. Sensitive electronics and sensors must be robust enough to withstand the pressures and temperatures, and especially the extreme vibration and shock conditions of the drilling environment, yet maintain accuracy, repeatability, and reliability.
For a more detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.
In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to . . . ". Also, the terms "couple," "couples", and "coupled" used to describe any electrical connections are each intended to mean and refer to either an indirect or a direct electrical connection. Thus, for example, if a first device "couples" or is "coupled" to a second device, that interconnection may be through an electrical conductor directly interconnecting the two devices, or through an indirect electrical connection via other devices, conductors and connections. Further, reference to "up" or "down" are made for purposes of ease of description with "up" meaning towards the surface of the borehole and "down" meaning towards the bottom or distal end of the borehole. In addition, in the discussion and claims that follow, it may be sometimes stated that certain components or elements are in fluid communication. By this it is meant that the components are constructed and interrelated such that a fluid could be communicated between them, as via a passageway, tube, or conduit. Also, the designation "MWD" or "LWD" are used to mean all generic measurement while drilling or logging while drilling apparatus and systems.
To understand the mechanics of formation testing, it is important to first understand how hydrocarbons are stored in subterranean formations. Hydrocarbons are not typically located in large underground pools, but are instead found within very small holes, or pore spaces, within certain types of rock. Therefore, it is critical to know certain properties of both the formation and the fluid contained therein. At various times during the following discussion, certain formation and formation fluid properties will be referred to in a general sense. Such formation properties include, but are not limited to: pressure, permeability, viscosity, mobility, spherical mobility, porosity, saturation, coupled compressibility porosity, skin damage, and anisotropy. Such formation fluid properties include, but are not limited to: viscosity, compressibility, flowline fluid compressibility, density, resistivity, composition and bubble point.
Permeability is the ability of a rock formation to allow hydrocarbons to move between its pores, and consequently into a wellbore. Fluid viscosity is a measure of the ability of the hydrocarbons to flow, and the permeability divided by the viscosity is termed "mobility." Porosity is the ratio of void space to the bulk volume of rock formation containing that void space. Saturation is the fraction or percentage of the pore volume occupied by a specific fluid (e.g., oil, gas, water, etc.). Skin damage is an indication of how the mud filtrate or mud cake has changed the permeability near the wellbore. Anisotropy is the ratio of the vertical and horizontal permeabilities of the formation.
Resistivity of a fluid is the property of the fluid which resists the flow of electrical current. Bubble point occurs when a fluid's pressure is brought down at such a rapid rate, and to a low enough pressure, that the fluid, or portions thereof, changes phase to a gas. The dissolved gases in the fluid are brought out of the fluid so gas is present in the fluid in an undissolved state. Typically, this kind of phase change in the formation hydrocarbons being tested and measured is undesirable, unless the bubblepoint test is being administered to determine what the bubblepoint pressure is.
In the drawings and description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The present invention is susceptible to embodiments of different forms. Specific embodiments are described in detail and are shown in the drawings, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that illustrated and described herein. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. The various characteristics mentioned above, as well as other features and characteristics described in more detail below, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
It should also be understood that, even though formation tester 10 is shown as part of drill string 5, the embodiments of the invention described below may be conveyed down borehole 8 via wireline technology, as is partially described above, or via a rotary steerable drill string that is well known to one skilled in the art. Further context and examples for methods of use of the embodiments described herein may be obtained from U.S. Patent Application entitled "Downhole Probe Assembly," having Ser. No. 11/133,643; U.S. Patent Application entitled "Methods for Using a Formation Tester," having Ser. No. 11/132,475; and U.S. Patent Application entitled "Methods for Measuring a Formation Supercharge Pressure," having U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/069,649; each hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring now to
As best shown in
The details of a first embodiment of formation probe assembly 50 are best shown in
Stem 92 includes a circular base portion 105 with an outer flange 106 having stem holding screw 97 (shown in
Adapter sleeve 94 includes inner end 111 that engages flange 106 of stem 92. Adapter sleeve 94 is secured within aperture 90 by threaded engagement with collar 12 at segment 110. The outer end 112 of adapter sleeve 94 may extend to be substantially flushed with recess 55 formed in collar 12 for receiving cover plate 51. Outer end 112 also includes flange 158 for engaging recess 162 of cover plate 51. Adapter sleeve 94 includes cylindrical inner surface 113 having reduced diameter portions 114, 115. A seal 116 is disposed in surface 114.
Piston 96 is slidingly retained within adapter sleeve 94 and generally includes cylindrical outer surface 141 having an increased diameter base portion 118. A seal 143 is disposed in increased diameter portion 118. Just below base portion 118, piston 96 may rest on flange 106 of stem base portion 105 while formation probe assembly 50 is in the fully retracted position as shown in
Referring to
Seal pad 180 is preferably made of an elastomeric material. Seal pad 180 seals and prevents drilling fluid or other contaminants from entering the formation probe assembly 50 during formation testing. More specifically, seal pad 180 may seal against the filter cake that may form on a borehole wall. Typically, the pressure of the formation fluid is less than the pressure of the drilling fluids that are injected into the borehole. A layer of residue from the drilling fluid forms a filter cake on the borehole wall and separates the two pressure areas. Seal pad 180, when extended, may conform its shape to the borehole wall and/or mud cake and forms a seal through which formation fluids can be collected and/or formation properties measured.
In an alternative embodiment of the seal pad 180, the seal pad 180 may have an internal cavity such that it can retain a volume of fluid. A fluid may be pumped into the seal pad cavity at variable rates such that the pressure in the seal pad cavity may be increased and decreased. Fluids used to fill the seal pad may include hydraulic fluid, saline solution or silicone gel. By way of example, the seal pad may be emptied or unpressured as the probe extends to engage the borehole wall. Depending on the contour of the borehole wall, the seal pad may be pressured by filling the seal pad with fluid, thereby conforming the seal pad surface to the contour of the borehole wall and providing a better seal.
In yet another embodiment of the seal pad, the seal pad may be filled, either before or after engagement with the borehole wall, with an electro-rheological fluid. An electro-rheological fluid may be an insulating oil containing a dispersion of fine solid particles, for example, 5 μm to 50 μm in diameter. Such an electro-rheological fluid is well known in the art. When subjected to an electric field, theses fluids develop an increased shear stress and an increased static yield stress that make them more resistant to flow. This change of fluid properties is evident, for example, as an increase in viscosity, most notably the plastic viscosity, when the electric field is applied. The fluid in the seal pad may effectively become semi-solid. The semi-solid effect is reversed when the fluid is no longer subjected to the electric field. In the absence of the electric field, the electro-rheological fluid that may fill the seal pad becomes less viscous, causing the seal pad to conform to the contour of a borehole wall. Once the seal pad has conformed to the borehole wall, an electric field may be applied to the electro-rheological fluid inside the seal pad, causing an increase in fluid viscosity, a stiffening of the seal pad, and a better seal.
Still referring to
Threaded to the bottom of base portion 125 of snorkel 98 is scraper tube keeper 152 having a circular base portion 154 with flange 153, a tubular extension 156 having a central passageway 155 and a central aperture 157 for receiving stem extension 107. Just below scraper tube keeper 152 is retainer ring 159, which provides seated engagement with snorkel 98 such that the movement of snorkel 98 is limited in the retract direction. Scraper tube keeper 152 supports scraper tube 150 when scraper tube 150 is in the retracted position shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the scraper 160 within the screen 100, the actuation of scraper 160 may be a rotational movement around the longitudinal axis of scraper 160. This rotational movement may be in place of the reciprocal movement, or in addition to the reciprocal movement.
As shown in
Referring first to
Referring now to
Referring now to
With reference to
Formation probe assembly 50 typically begins in the retracted position, as shown in
The continued force from the hydraulic fluid in reservoir 54 causes snorkel assembly 98 to extend such that the outer end of snorkel extension 126, inlet end 131 of screen 100 and the top of scraper 160 extend beyond seal pad surface 183 through seal pad aperture 186. This snorkel extending force must overcome the retract force being applied on the retract side of snorkel base portion 125 facing piston shoulder 172. Previously, the retract force, provided by retract accumulator 424 and the retract valves, was greater than the extend force, thereby maintaining snorkel 98 in the retract position. However, the extend force continues to increase until it overcomes the retract force at, for example, 900 p.s.i. Snorkel assembly 98 stops extending outward when snorkel base portion 125 comes into contact with shoulder 172 of piston 96. Scraper tube 150 and scraper 160 are still in the extended position, as is best shown with the snorkel assembly and piston configuration of
Alternatively, if snorkel assembly 98 comes into contact with a borehole wall before snorkel base portion 125 comes into contact with shoulder 172 of piston 96, continued force from the hydraulic fluid pressure in reservoir 54 is applied up to the previously mentioned maximum pressure. The maximum pressure applied to snorkel assembly 98, for example, may be 1,200 p.s.i. Preferably, the snorkel and seal pad will contact the borehole wall before either piston 96 or snorkel 98 shoulders at full extension. Then, the force applied on the seal pad is reacted by stabilizer 36, or other similar device disposed on or near probe collar 12.
If, for example, seal pad 180 had made contact with the borehole wall 16 before being fully extended and pressurized, then seal pad 180 should seal against the mudcake on borehole wall 16 through a combination of pressure and seal pad extrusion. The seal separates snorkel assembly 98 from the mudcake, drilling fluids and other contaminants outside of seal pad 180. As the snorkel assembly extends, snorkel extension 126, screen inlet end 131 and the top of scraper 160 pierce the mudcake that has been sealed off, and preferably go through the entire mudcake layer and into formation 9.
With screen 100 and scraper 160 extended, the piston 96 and snorkel 98 assembly configuration looks similar to the piston and snorkel configuration shown in
To retract formation probe assembly 50, forces, or pressure differentials, may be applied to snorkel 98 and piston 96 in opposite directions relative to the extending forces. Simultaneously, the extending forces may be reduced or ceased to aid in probe retraction. A hydraulic force is applied to snorkel base portion 125 at shoulder 172 to push snorkel assembly 98 down until flange 153 of scraper tube keeper 152 sits on retainer ring 159, thereby fully retracting snorkel assembly 98. Concurrently, a hydraulic force is applied downward on piston base portion 118 at shoulder 170 until base portion 118 bottoms out on stem base portion 105, thereby fully retracting formation probe assembly 50. When piston 96 contacts stem base portion 105, probe retract switch 176 is triggered as described above, signaling a successful retraction of formation probe assembly 50. Scraper 160 may be extended to its original position at any time during retraction. When the extend pressure on the probe assembly, which provides the retract pressure for the scraper assembly because the probe assembly extend portions are hydraulically coupled to the scraper assembly retract portions, falls below the extend pressure on the scraper assembly, scraper 160 is extended.
Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Telescoping probe assembly 200 generally includes stem plate 210, stem 212, a generally cylindrical threaded adapter sleeve 220, an outer piston 230 adapted to reciprocate within adapter sleeve 220, a piston 240 adapted to reciprocate within outer piston 230, and a snorkel assembly 260 adapted for reciprocal movement within piston 240. Probe collar 202 includes an aperture 204 for receiving telescoping formation probe assembly 200. Cover plate 206 fits over the top of probe assembly 200 and retains and protects assembly 200 within probe collar 202. Formation probe assembly 200 is configured to extend through aperture 208 in cover plate 206.
Referring first to
Referring next to
Referring again to
Referring now to
At the top of extending portion 250 of piston 240 is a seal pad 280. As shown in
Referring now to
Threaded to the bottom of base portion 262 of snorkel 260 is scraper tube keeper 270 having a circular base portion 272 and retaining edge 273, a tubular extension 274 having a central passageway 275 and a central aperture 271 for receiving outer stem 219. Outer stem 219 includes central passageway 243. A retainer ring 277 is radially aligned and engageable with retaining edge 273, which limits the movement of snorkel 260 in the retract direction. After snorkel 260 has been extended, retainer ring 277 is disposed below scraper tube keeper 270 in piston surface 246, as can be seen in
Referring back to
Formation probe assembly 200 is assembled such that outer piston base 234 is permitted to reciprocate along surface 227 of adapter sleeve 220, and outer piston surface 232 is permitted to reciprocate along surface 226. Similarly, piston base portion 244 is permitted to reciprocate along outer piston inner surface 236, and piston surface 242 is permitted to reciprocate along outer piston surface 237. Snorkel base portion 262 is disposed within piston 240 and is adapted for reciprocal movement along surface 248 while retaining edge 273 of scraper tube keeper 270 reciprocates between retainer ring 277 and decreased diameter portion 248. Snorkel extension 266 is adapted for reciprocal movement along piston surface 241. Central passageway 264 of snorkel 260 is axially aligned with stem 212, outer stem 219, scraper tube keeper 270, scraper tube 278, scraper 288 and with screen 290. Formation probe assembly 200 is reciprocal between a fully retracted position, as shown in
With reference to
Upon an appropriate command to probe assembly 200, a force is applied to base portion 234 of outer piston 230, preferably by using hydraulic fluid. Outer piston 230 raises relative to adapter sleeve 220, with outer piston base portion sliding along sleeve surface 227. Retainer ring 256 and capture sleeve 254 force piston 240 upward along with outer piston 230 by pressing on piston base portion 244. As seen in
Before reaching the position shown in
As hydraulic fluid continues to be pumped through reservoirs 334, 336, snorkel 260 slides along surfaces 248, 241 as hydraulic fluid is directed into reservoir 338 and this snorkel extend force increases. This snorkel extending force must overcome the retract force being applied on the retract side of snorkel base portion 262 facing piston shoulder 352. Previously, the retract force, provided by retract accumulator 424 and the retract valves, was greater than the extend force, thereby maintaining snorkel 260 in the retract position. However, the extend force continues to increase until it overcomes the retract force at, for example, 900 p.s.i. Snorkel base portion 262 finally seats on piston shoulder 352, as shown in
As previously described, extending snorkel extension 266 into the mudcake and formation causes contaminants and debris to gather on screen 290, which can affect the sampling of formation fluids. Floating scraper 288 is used to clear the debris in a similar fashion to that described with respect to formation probe assembly 50. A downward force is applied to scraper tube 278, preferably by applying a hydraulic fluid force downward on flange 372 of scraper tube 278. The cavity formed by scraper tube 278 and inner snorkel surface 269 fills with hydraulic fluid as scraper tube 278 moves downward, until tube flange 372 seats on scraper tube keeper 270. As scraper 288 is drawn within snorkel extension 266 during this process, scraper 288 passes through screen 290, agitating and removing debris that has gathered on screen 290 through frictional engagement between scraper 288 and screen 290, as previously described. Also previously described was an alternative embodiment including a rotating screen 290, equally applicable here. When scraper tube 278 is fully retracted, apertures 289 radially align with screen outlet end 296 such that fluid communication is possible between screen bore 292 and passageway 279 of scraper tube 278. This scraper 288 action that removes debris is preferably performed as part of the formation probe assembly 200 retract sequence, as described below.
To retract probe assembly 200, forces, or pressure differentials, may be applied to probe assembly 200 in opposite directions relative to the extending forces. Simultaneously, the extending forces may be reduced or ceased to aid in probe retraction. First, and preferably, a pressure differential is applied across flange 372 of scraper tube 278 by increasing the hydraulic fluid pressure on the bottom of flange 372. This extends scraper tube 278 until scraper 288 is fully extended once again, wiping screen 290 clean as scraper 288 passes through it. Next, a hydraulic force is applied to snorkel base portion 262 at shoulder 352 to push snorkel assembly 260 down until retaining edge 273 of scraper tube keeper 270 sits on retainer ring 277, thereby fully retracting snorkel assembly 260. Next, a hydraulic force is applied downward on piston base portion 244 at shoulder 342 until base portion 244 seats on capture sleeve 254 and retainer ring 256 adjacent outer piston base portion 234. From this position, a hydraulic fluid is inserted at adapter sleeve shoulder 332 onto outer piston base portion 234 to force outer piston 230 downward. Outer piston 230 then seats on bottom 207 of aperture 204, and the piston 240/snorkel 260 assembly seats on stem plate 210, thereby fully retracting probe assembly 200. When piston 240 contacts stem plate 210, probe retract switch 276 is triggered as described above, signaling a successful retraction of assembly 200.
It is noted that formation probe assembly 50 may only extend the outer end of piston extending portion 119 past the outer end of sleeve 94 a distance that is less than the length of piston 96. The length of piston 96 is defined as the distance between the uppermost end of extending portion 119 and the lowermost end of base portion 118. In comparison, probe assembly 200 may extend the outer end of piston upper portion 250 past the outer end of sleeve 220 a distance that exceeds the length of piston 240. Therefore, the telescoping feature of probe assembly 200, i.e., the concentric pistons 230, 240, allows seal pad 280 to engage a borehole wall that is significantly further from collar 202 than the length of piston 240.
Referring now to
In an alternative embodiment of tool 10, formation probe assemblies 50, 200 may be located elsewhere in the tool. Referring now to
Even if formation probe assemblies 50, 200 are not disposed in stabilizer 36, the blades of stabilizer 36 are preferably used to back up the extending formation probe assemblies 50, 200. To provide a sufficient sealing force for the probe seal pad, a reactive force must be applied to the tool to counter the force of the extending probe. Alternatively, if a stabilizer is not used, centralizing pistons such as those illustrated and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/440,593, filed May 19, 2003 and entitled "Method and Apparatus for MWD Formation Testing," hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes, may be used.
With respect to any of the probe assembly embodiments described above, a probe assembly position indicator may be included in the probe assembly to measure the distance that the probe assembly has extended from its fully retracted position. Numerous sensors may be used to detect the position of the probe assembly as it extends. In one embodiment, the probe assembly position indicator may be a measure of the volume of hydraulic fluid used to extend the probe assembly. If the probe assembly is configured to use hydraulic fluid and pressure differentials to extend, as is described in the embodiments above, the volume of fluid pumped into the probe assembly may be measured. With known diameters for the adapter sleeves and pistons, the distance that the pistons have extended may be calculated using the volume of fluid that has been pumped into the probe assembly. To make this measurement more accurate, certain characteristics of the probe assembly may be accounted for, such as seal pad compression as it compresses against the borehole wall.
In another embodiment of the probe assembly position indicator, an optical or acoustic sensor may be disposed in the probe assembly, such as in an aperture formed in the piston surface 141 of formation probe assembly 50, or piston surface 242 of probe assembly 200. The optical or acoustic sensor may measure the distance the piston moves from a known reference point, such as the piston position when the probe assembly is fully retracted. Such devices are well known to one skilled in the art.
In yet another embodiment, a potentiometer, resistance-measuring device or other such device well known to one skilled in the art may be used to detect movement of the reciprocating portions of the probe assemblies through electrical means. The potentiometer or resistance-measuring device may measure voltage or resistance, and such information can be used to calculate distance.
The distance measurement gathered from the probe position indicator may be used for numerous purposes. For example, the borehole caliper may be calculated using this measurement, thereby obtaining an accurate measurement of the borehole diameter. Alternatively, multiple probes may be spaced radially around the drill string or wireline instrument, and measurements may be taken with the multiple probes to obtain borehole diameter and shape. Having an accurate borehole caliper measurement allows the driller to know where borehole breakout or collapse may be occurring. The caliper measurement may also be used to help correct formation evaluation sensors. For example, resistivity measurements are affected by borehole size. Neutron corrections applied to a neutron tool are also affected, as well as density corrections applied to a density tool. Other sensor tools may also be affected. An accurate borehole caliper measurement assists in correcting these tools, as well as any other drilling, production and completion process that requires borehole size characteristics, such as cementing.
In another embodiment, the probe position indicator may be used to correct for probe flow line volume changes. Flow lines, such as flow lines 91, 93 in
The embodiments of the position indicator described above may also be applied to the draw down piston assemblies, described in more detail below, for knowing where in the cylinder the draw down piston is located, and how the piston is moving. Volume and diameter parameters of the cylinder may be used to calculate the distance the piston has moved. With a known radius r of the cylinder and a known volume V of hydraulic fluid pumped into the cylinder from either side of the piston, the distance d the piston has moved may be calculated from the equation V=π(r2)(d). Alternatively, sensors may be used as described above, such as optimal sensors, acoustic sensors, potentiometers, or other resistance-measuring devices. Further, the steadiness of the draw down may be obtained from the position indicator. The rate may be calculated from the distance measured over a given time period, and the steadiness of the rate may be used to correct other measurements.
For example, to gain a better understanding of the formation's permeability or the bubble point of the formation fluids, a reference pressure may be chosen to draw down to, and then the distance the draw down piston moved before that reference pressure was reached may be measured by the draw down piston position indicator. If the bubble point is reached, the distance the piston moved may be recorded and sent to the surface, or to the software in the tool, so that the piston may be commanded to move less and thereby avoid the bubble point.
Sensors intended for other purposes may also be disposed in the probe assemblies. For example, a temperature sensor, known to one skilled in the art, may be disposed on the probe assembly for taking annulus or formation temperature. In one embodiment, the temperature sensor may be placed in the snorkel extensions 126, 266. In the probe assembly retracted position, the sensor would be adjacent the annulus environment, and the annulus temperature could be taken. In the probe assembly extended position, the sensor would be adjacent the formation, allowing for a formation temperature measurement. Such temperature measurements could be used for a variety of reasons, such as production or completion computations, or evaluation calculations such as permeability and resistivity. These sensors may also be placed adjacent the probe assemblies, such as in the stabilizer blades or centralizing pistons.
Referring back to
Endcap 508 houses a contact switch (not shown) having a contact that faces toward piston 506. A wire 515 is coupled to the contact switch. A plunger 511 is disposed in piston 506. When drawdown of piston assembly 70 is complete, as shown in
Referring to
Endcap 538 houses a contact switch 548 having a contact 550 that faces toward piston 536. A wire 545 is coupled to contact switch 548. A plunger 541 is disposed in piston 536. When drawdown of piston assembly 72 is complete, as shown in
It will be understood that the draw down pistons may vary in size such that their volumes vary. The pistons may also be configured to draw down at varying pressures. The embodiment just described includes two draw down piston assemblies, but the formation tester tool may include more or less than two.
The hydraulic circuit 400 used to operate formation probe assemblies 50, 200, equalizer valve 60 and draw down pistons 70, 72 is shown in
When controller 402 receives a command to initiate formation testing, the drill string has stopped rotating if tool 10 is disposed on a drill sting. As shown in
The operation of formation tester 10 is best understood with reference to
Formation probe assembly 50 extends, as previously described, from the position shown in
De-energizing solenoid valve 412 also closes equalizer valve 60, thereby isolating fluid passageway 93 from the annulus. In this manner, valve 412 ensures that valve 60 closes only after the seal pad 140 has entered contact with mud cake 49 which lines borehole wall 16. Passageway 93, now closed to the annulus 15, is in fluid communication with cylinders 512, 542 at the upper ends of cylinders 514, 544 in draw down piston assemblies 70, 72, best shown in
With extend solenoid valve 416 still energized, and the hydraulic circuit 400 at approximately 1,200 p.s.i., probe extend accumulator 430 has been charged and controller 402 energizes solenoid valve 414. Energizing valve 414 closes off the extend section of the hydraulic circuit, thereby maintaining the extend section at approximately 1,200 p.s.i. and allowing drawdown to begin. With valve 414 energized, pressure can be added to the draw down circuit, which generally includes draw down accumulator 432, solenoid valves 418, 420, 422 and draw down piston assemblies 70, 72.
Controller 402 now energizes solenoid valve 420 which permits pressurized fluid to enter portion 504 a of cylinder 504 causing draw down piston 70 to retract. When that occurs, plunger 510 moves within cylinder 514 such that the volume of fluid passageway 93 increases by the volume of the area of the plunger 510 times the length of its stroke along cylinder 514. The volume of cylinder 512 is increased by this movement, thereby increasing the volume of fluid in passageway 93. Preferably, these elements are sized such that the volume of fluid passageway 93 is increased by preferably 30 cc maximum as a result of piston 70 being retracted.
If draw down piston 70 is to be stopped due to, for example, the need for only a partial draw down or an unsuccessful partial draw down, controller 402 may energize solenoid valve 418 to pressurize the draw down shutoff valve assembly 74. Pressurizing valve assembly 74 causes draw down piston 70 to cease drawing down formation fluids. Now, valve assembly 74 and draw down piston 70 have been pressured up to approximately 1,800 p.s.i. This ensures that shutoff valve assembly 74 holds draw down piston 70 in its drawn down, or partially drawn down, position such that the drawn formation fluids are retained and not inadvertently expelled.
When it is desired to continue drawing down with draw down piston 70, solenoid valve 418 can be de-energized, thereby turning shutoff valve 74 off. Draw down with draw down piston 70 then commences until the volume of cylinder 514 filled. The draw down of draw down piston 70 may continue to be interrupted using valves 418 and 74. Such interruptions may be necessary to change draw down parameters, such as draw down rate and volume.
Controller 402 may be used to command draw down piston 70 to draw down fluids at differing rates and volumes. For example, draw down piston 70 may be commanded to draw down fluids at 1 cc per second for 10 cc and then wait 5 minutes. If the results of this test are unsatisfactory, a downlink signal may be sent using mud pulse telemetry, or another form of downhole communication, programming controller 402 to command piston 70 to now draw down fluids at 2 cc per second for 20 cc and then wait 10 minutes, for example. The first test may be interrupted, parameters changed and the test may be restarted with the new parameters that have been sent from the surface to the tool. These parameter changes may be made while formation probe assembly 50 is extended.
While draw down piston 70 is stopped, controller 402 may energize solenoid valve 422 which permits pressurized fluid to enter portion 534 a of cylinder 534 causing draw down piston 72 to retract. When that occurs, plunger 540 moves within cylinder 534 such that the volume of fluid passageway 93 increases by the volume of the area of the plunger 540 times the length of its stroke along cylinder 544. The volume of cylinder 542 is increased by this movement, thereby increasing the volume of fluid in passageway 93. Preferably, these elements are sized such that the volume of fluid passageway 93 is increased by 50 cc as a result of piston 72 being retracted. Preferably, draw down piston 72 does not have the stop and start feature of piston 70, and is able to draw down more fluids at a faster rate. Thus, draw down piston 72 may be configured to draw down fluids at rates of 3.8 or 7.7 cc per second, for example. However, it should be understood that either piston 70, 72 may be different sizes, and piston 72 may also be configured to have the stop and start feature via the shutoff valve assembly. Thus, hydraulic circuit 400 may be configured to operate multiple pistons 70 and/or multiple pistons 72. Also, pistons 70, 72 may be operated in any order.
The ability to control draw down pistons 70, 72 as described above also allows the operator to purge fluids in the draw down piston assemblies and probe flow lines. For example, if a pre-test volume of fluid has been drawn into the probe, it may be purged by actuating the draw down pistons in the opposite directions. This may be useful for cleaning out any accumulated debris in the flow lines and probe assembly.
Maintaining clean flow lines is important to protecting instruments in the testing tool, and to maintaining the integrity of the formation tests by purging old fluids left in the flow lines. Thus, in another embodiment for keeping the flow lines clean, a mechanical filter may be placed in the flow lines, such as anywhere along flow lines 91, 93 in
As draw down piston 70 is actuated, 30 cc of formation fluid will thus be drawn through central passageway 127 of snorkel 98 and through screen 100. The movement of draw down piston 70 within its cylinder 504 lowers the pressure in closed passageway 93 to a pressure below the formation pressure, such that formation fluid is drawn through screen 100 and into apertures 166, through snorkel 98, then through stem passageway 108 to passageway 91 that is in fluid communication with passageway 93 and part of the same closed fluid system. In total, fluid chambers 93 (which include the volume of various interconnected fluid passageways, including passageways in formation probe assembly 50, passageways 91, 93, the passageways interconnecting 93 with draw down pistons 70, 72 and draw down shutoff valve 74) preferably has a volume of approximately 63 cc. If draw down piston 72 is also activated, this volume should increase approximately 30 cc, up to approximately 90 cc total. Drilling mud in annulus 15 is not drawn into snorkel 98 because seal pad 180 seals against the mud cake. Snorkel 98 serves as a conduit through which the formation fluid may pass and the pressure of the formation fluid may be measured in passageway 93 while seal pad 180 serves as a seal to prevent annular fluids from entering the snorkel 98 and invalidating the formation pressure measurement.
Referring momentarily to
Screen 100 (and screen 290 of assembly 200) may be optimized for particular applications. For example, if prior knowledge of the formation is obtained, then the screen can be tailored to the type of rock or sediment that is present in the formation. One type of adjustable screen is a gravel-packed screen, which may be used instead of or in conjunction with the slotted screen 100. Generally, a gravel-packed screen is two longitudinal, cylindrical screens of different diameters. The screens are disposed concentrically and the annulus is filled with gravel pack sieve, or a known sand size.
Despite the type of formation encountered, the gravel pack may be tailored to have a 10-to-1 ratio of formation sand size to gravel pack size, which is the preferable formation particle size to gravel particle size ratio. With this ratio, it is expected that the gravel pack screen will have the ability to screen formation particles up to 1/10th the size of the nominal formation particle diameter size encountered. With this embodiment, the gravel pack sand size can be tailored to the specific intended application.
In yet another embodiment, the screens 100, 290 as they are illustrated in
In a further embodiment, the above mentioned adjustment of slot size may be accomplished real-time. In the previous embodiment, the slot size is set upon deployment of tool 10 into the borehole. The slot size remains unchanged while tool 10 is deployed. The slot size may be adjusted at the surface of the borehole by replacing screens 100, 290, or by manually adjusting the slot sizes, but may not be adjusted real-time, or while tool 10 is deployed downhole. In the current embodiment, detection of the type of formation actually intersected may be achieved via the various apparatus and methods disclosed herein. If the detected formation value, such as particle size, differs from a predetermined value, the slot size may be adjusted without tripping tool 10 out of the borehole. A command may be given from the surface of the borehole, or from tool 10, and slot size may be adjusted by moving two concentrically disposed slotted cylindrical members relative to each other, for example, or by adjusting shutter mechanisms adjacent the slots.
Referring again to
With the drawdown pistons 70, 72 in their fully, or partially, retracted positions and anywhere from one to 90 cc of formation fluid drawn into closed system 93, the pressure will stabilize enabling pressure transducers 426 b, 426 c to sense and measure formation fluid pressure. The measured pressure is transmitted to the controller 402 in the electronic section where the information is stored in memory and, alternatively or additionally, is communicated to the master controller 401 in the MWD tool 13 below formation tester 10 where it can be transmitted to the surface via mud pulse telemetry or by any other conventional telemetry means.
When drawdown is completed, pistons 70, 72 actuate their contact switches previously described. When the contact switch 550, for example, is actuated controller 402 responds by shutting down motor 404 and pump 406 for energy conservation. Check valve 436 traps the hydraulic pressure and maintains pistons 70, 72 in their retracted positions. In the event of any leakage of hydraulic fluid that might allow pistons 70, 72 to begin to move toward their original shouldered positions, drawdown accumulator 432 will provide the necessary fluid volume to compensate for any such leakage and thereby maintain sufficient force to retain pistons 70, 72 in their retracted positions.
During this interval, controller 402 continuously monitors the pressure in fluid passageway 93 via pressure transducers 426 b, 426 c. When the measured pressure stabilizes, or after a predetermined time interval, controller 402 de-energizes extend solenoid valve 416. When this occurs, pressure is removed from the close side of equalizer valve 60 and from the extend side of probe piston 96. Equalizer valve 60 will return to its normally open state and probe retract accumulator 424 will cause piston 96 and snorkel 98 to retract, such that seal pad 180 becomes disengaged with the borehole wall. Thereafter, controller 402 again powers motor 404 to drive pump 406 and again energizes solenoid valve 412. This step ensures that piston 96 and snorkel 98 have fully retracted and that the equalizer valve 60 is opened. Given this arrangement, the formation tool has a redundant probe retract mechanism. Active retract force is provided by the pump 406. A passive retract force is supplied by probe retract accumulator 424 that is capable of retracting the probe even in the event that power is lost. It is preferred that accumulator 424 be charged at the surface before being employed downhole to provide pressure to retain the piston and snorkel in housing 12.
It will be understood that the equalizer valve 60 may be opened in a similar manner at other times during probe engagement with the borehole wall. If the probe seal pad is in danger of becoming stuck on the borehole wall, the suction may be broken by opening equalizer valve 60 as described above.
After a predetermined pressure, for example 1800 p.s.i., is sensed by pressure transducer 426 a and communicated to controller 402 (indicating that the equalizer valve is open and that the piston and snorkel are fully retracted), controller 402 de-energizes solenoid valves 418, 420, 422 to remove pressure from sides 504 a, 534 a of drawdown pistons 70, 72, respectively. With solenoid valve 412 remaining energized, positive pressure is applied to sides 504 b, 534 b of drawdown pistons 70, 72 to ensure that pistons 70, 72 are returned to their original positions. Controller 402 monitors the pressure via pressure transducer 426 a and when a predetermined pressure is reached, controller 402 determines that pistons 70, 72 are fully returned and it shuts off motor 404 and pump 406 and de-energizes solenoid valve 412. With all solenoid valves returned to their original positions and with motor 404 off, tool 10 is back in its original condition.
The hydraulic circuit 400, as described and illustrated in
During extension of the probe assembly, using hydraulic circuit 400, it can be seen that the total volume of hydraulic fluid required to be displaced by pump 406, and hence the number of revolutions of motor 404, is reduced compared to a non-regenerative circuit. The regenerative nature of circuit 400 also allows the moveable wiper or scraper, such as scraper 160, to remain extended during extension of the probe assembly, especially as the snorkel assembly is penetrating the mudcake and formation and there is an extra force pushing back on the moveable scraper. As can be seen in
Further, as mentioned before, the regeneration of pressure in circuit 400 allows faster extension of the probe assembly. In addition, the regenerated pressure assists with control of equalizer valve actuation.
A hydraulic reservoir accumulator assembly 600 is disposed in probe collar 12 as shown in
Assembly 600 generally includes a body 602 having a top surface 632, bottom surface 634 (
Referring briefly to
Cylinder 646 of
Referring now to
Preferably, pistons 636, 656 reciprocate independently of each other while maintaining the pressure in the hydraulic system of the tool. Also, both pistons communicate with the entire tool hydraulic system.
Referring now to
To lock assembly 600 into place, a wedge 670 is placed into gap 678. The angled end 622 (illustrated in
Removing accumulator assembly 600 requires a process done in reverse of the process just described. While removing assembly 600, check valves 640, 642 close and maintain oil in the tool hydraulic system. Assembly 600 may then be cleaned and/or replaced. Check valves 640, 642 open again once assembly 600 is locked into position. Hydraulic fluid may then be added to make up for any fluid loss, and preferable fluid is added to the extent that pistons 636, 656 are pushed back to the position illustrated in
The uplink and downlink commands used by tool 10 are not limited to mud pulse telemetry. By way of example and not by way of limitation, other telemetry systems may include manual methods, including pump cycles, flow/pressure bands, pipe rotation, or combinations thereof. Other possibilities include electromagnetic (EM), acoustic, and wireline telemetry methods. An advantage to using alternative telemetry methods lies in the fact that mud pulse telemetry (both uplink and downlink) requires pump-on operation but other telemetry systems do not.
The down hole receiver for downlink commands or data from the surface may reside within the formation test tool or within an MWD tool 13 with which it communicates. Likewise, the down hole transmitter for uplink commands or data from down hole may reside within the formation test tool 10 or within an MWD tool 13 with which it communicates. In the preferred embodiment specifically described, the receivers and transmitters are each positioned in MWD tool 13 and the receiver signals are processed, analyzed and sent to a master controller 401 in the MWD tool 13 before being relayed to local controller 402 in formation testing tool 10.
The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. While the preferred embodiment of the invention and its method of use have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and teachings of the invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only, and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the invention and apparatus and methods disclosed herein are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above, but is only limited by the claims which follow, that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
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Full detailed profile on Alan-Michael Spaulding Played by Michael Dempsey on Guiding Light Daytime Soap Opera.
Michael Dempsey
Alan-Michael Spaulding
Actor: Michael Dempsey
Who played Alan-Michael Spaulding over the years
Michael Dempsey (November 2005 - May 10th 2007)
Useful information on Alan-Michael Spaulding
* Born in 1981 but birth revised to 1970 when he turned 17 in 1987. Revised again to 1966 due to Marina Cooper's age change.
Current: CEO of Spaulding Enterprises
Past: Executive at Spaulding Enterprises
Past: Executive at Spaulding Enterprises in France
Past: Co-owner of the Springfield Journal
Past: Partner at Jenna Bradshaw's hand-lotion company
Past: CEO of Spaulding Enterprises
Past: Co-owner of antique shop with Harley
Alan-Michael was raised by his mother after his parent's divorce. When 18, he returned to Springfield in search of a relationship with his father. Unfortunately, his place had been taken by Alan's adopted son Phillip. The siblings began a long and resentful relationship, with Alan-Michael always vowing to take the company as his rightful possession.
Spoiled and bored, he spent his youth riding his motorcycle and bouncing between Dinah and Harley. He got engaged to the latter at the age of 21 so that he could gain control of his trust fund. Despite Phillip's attempts to break them up and destroy Alan-Michael's stake in the company, the couple actually fell in love. The relationship was strained by jealousy and he went as far as kidnapping her estranged daughter Susan to bond them together. After a lengthy break up, where they fought bitterly for his money, he ended up marrying Phillip's conniving ex-wife Blake with whom he'd been having an affair. Almost instantly, he was abducted by one of her former beaus before being rescued by Roger and then accidentally shot by her, almost dying while she was put in a mental hospital. A quick divorce followed their stormy relationship which carried him through a series of backroom plots by which he attempted to take over Spaulding.
He became entranced by Greek beauty Eleni and had to engage in labyrinthine plotting to win her over. This included flying her half-way across the world and framing her betrothed, Frank Cooper, of having an affair before eventually marrying her at customs so that she could enter the country. His bid to keep her was complicated when one of his accomplices, Musette, continued to reappear with threats to expose him. Overreacting, he hired a deranged man named Pierre who blew up Towers in a bid to silence her. He fled with his new wife and tried to get her pregnant by replacing her birth control with placebos in a bid to keep her. She soon discovered his schemes and grew distant, though she refused to leave for the sake of her child. Their relationship eventually collapsed when he realized the baby she carried was actually Frank's. Still, he remained attached to her, even as he got involved with Frank's virginal sister Lucy.
Exiled for a time from his family, he sought out competitive opportunities and ended up battling his father's enemy Harry Jones. He again reached out to Alan, who, in turn, exploited him and pushed him out of the company. His feud with his father continued to intensify as he joined forces with most of his enemies, buoyed by the strength of his relationship with Lucy Cooper. This would peak when Alan-Michael disowned his father after Brent was supposedly found dead thanks to Alan's misdeeds. While he tried to send his father to jail, he failed and alienated himself further from the family. Remaining in control of the company, he found a new enemy in employee and psychopath Marion, who turned out to be Brent in disguise. While he was abducted and shot, he managed to survive to be rescued and continued to seek revenge on his father, ultimately siding with the Coopers against him.
Eventually, tired of the tribulations, he and Lucy left for Europe. He returned alone several years later, began dating his ex-wife's daughter and joined with his half-brother Gus in trying to bring Alan down again. More mischievous than ever, he managed to play all sides against each, manipulating Dinah, Harley and Alan, until he pushed himself into the CEO position. Dark, handsome and enigmatic, Alan-Michael has always been ruthlessly ambitious, but continues to act with apparent kindness, most recently to Ava Peralta in her search for her parents.
His relationship with Ava was rocky and never consummated. It served to distract him as his father tried to push himself back into the business. When Alan was shot, Alan-Michael played to looking out for his father's interests while surreptitiously attempting to usurp all of the power in the family. When this became apparent to Beth and Alexandra, they banded together against him. As his father recovered, he was pushed out of the business and to the margins of the community. He continued to desperately pursue Ava without luck and was even abducted and threatened by her parents to keep him away. As his behavior became erratic and he sought revenge, his own father finally forced him to leave town in shame to avoid prosecution for crimes he was alleged to have committed.
Harley_Davidson_Cooper_Aitoro (divorced)
Christina_Blake_Thorpe_Marler (divorced)
Eleni Andros (divorced)
Lucy Cooper (divorced)
Sarah Taggart (dated
Marcy Campbell (dated)
Dinah_Marler (dated)
Teja (dated)
Debbie Henderson (dated)
Christina_Blake_Thorpe_Marler (affair)
Stephanie (dated)
Sybil (dated)
Gillian "Gilly" Grant (dated)
Tangie Hill (dated)
Marina_Cooper (lovers)
Alan_Spaulding (father)
Hope Bauer (mother)
Phillip Spaulding (adopted half brother)
Gus_Aitoro (half-brother)
Brandon Spaulding (paternal grandfather - deceased)
Penelope Winthrop Spaulding (paternal grandmother - deceased)
Mike Bauer (maternal grandfather)
Julie Conrad Bauer (maternal grandmother - deceased)
William Edward "Bill" Bauer, Sr. (maternal great-grandfather - deceased)
Bert Miller Bauer (maternal great-grandmother - deceased)
Friedrich "Papa" Bauer (maternal great-great-grandfather - deceased)
(First name unknown) "Mama" Bauer (maternal great-great-grandmother - deceased)
Elsie Miller Franklin (maternal great-great-grandmother - deceased)
Elizabeth_Lizzie_Spaulding (niece)
Alan Cooper "Zach" Spaulding (nephew)
James Spaulding (nephew)
Emma Spencer Lewis (niece)
Sarah Randall (great-niece)
Alexandra_Spaulding (aunt)
Amanda Spaulding (aunt)
Victoria Spaulding (aunt)
Ed Bauer (great-uncle)
Hillary Bauer (great-aunt - deceased)
Meta Bauer (great-great-aunt)
Trudy Bauer Palmer (great-great-aunt)
Alma-Jean Miller (great-great-aunt - deceased)
Otto Bauer (great-great-great-uncle - deceased)
Brandon "Lujack" Luvonoczek (first cousin; - deceased)
Nick McHenry Spaulding (first cousin)
Vicky Spaulding (first cousin)
Dr_Frederick_Rick_Bauer(first cousin)
Michelle Bauer (first cousin)
Chuckie White (first cousin - deceased)
Robert Santos (second cousin)
Leah_Boudreau_Bauer (second cousin)
Jude Cooper Bauer (second cousin)
Hope Santos (second cousin)
Mary Bauer (first cousin)
Jack Bauer (first cousin)
Johnny Bauer (second cousin)
Lacey Bauer (second cousin)
Harley_Davidson_Cooper_Aitoro (sister-in-law)
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Phillip and Alex go to Spaulding to see Alan. Phillip agrees to take a seat on the board. Alan is thrilled and offers to call Lizzie. They call her over and fill her in. Before they can have a press conference, Phillip reads over the statement he is supposed to read. He realizes that it says he is supposed to seek the help of a psychologist. He's outraged. Alan tells him that he needs to do this to prove his sanity to his own daughter.
Buzz rushes back to his room and can barely look at the photos of Jeffrey and Olivia. Picking up the phone, he demands that Olivia be brought to him now. Meanwhile, Ava tells her mother that she will make a beautiful bride. Olivia hopes that she'll make an even more beautiful wife. Ava tells her that she and Buzz are perfect for each other. There's a knock at the door: It's an unshaven Coop with a message for Olivia: Buzz needs to see her now. When she leaves, Ava and Coop argue about whether whatever is going on inside Buzz's room is their business. Alan-Michael walks down the hall and tries to apologize to Ava for yesterday. Coop butts in and begins to rant at Alan-Michael. She gets fed up with them and walks away. Coop tells Alan-Michael that he doesn't belong there and Ava is finished with him. 'You won't get what you want as long as I'm around,' Coop threatens as he strides off. Alan-Michael barely blinks and grabs the waiter as he walks by. He bribes him to let him into Ava's room. He calls down to have the jet fuelled and ready for Paris.
Buzz finds Alan-Michael in Ava's room and punches him. Alan-Michael says that he should be thanking him. A tearful Buzz continues punching at him. Alan-Michael points out that, while he might have taken the pictures, that doesn't make them any less true. Buzz tells him that his days of hurting the people he cares about are over and he's no longer welcome in this town. Alan-Michael says that his family owns this town. Alan walks in and back Buzz up. He says that it's time for him to go, it doesn't matter where. Buzz says that he has to leave to save his marriage and Alan wishes him good luck. A bleeding Alan-Michael gives a mock toast as Buzz leaves. Alan-Michael still wants to fight but Alan tells him that tomorrow he will find a large sum of money in an offshore account. He's framing his son for embezzlement to keep him away, but he won't let him sink so low that he couldn't pull him back up. He's lost one son and won't lose another. Alan-Michael says that this is just about Alan trying to bully him and prove how powerful he is in the family. After he took care of him when he was in his coma, how can he do this to him? Alan tells his son that this is his opportunity to make a fresh start. Alan-Michael embraces his father tightly before almost collapsing. His father tries hard to keep himself cool as he walks out.
Olivia goes downstairs and angrily sits down. Jeffrey approaches her. She tells him that it's over. 'It's over because of me. Now what?' he asks. She begins to lash out at him and demand that he leave her alone. He refuses. They aren't kids anymore and they didn't make a mistake last night. She knows what she needs and it's not him. Buzz is everything that Jeffrey is not: He is good. 'I never felt anything for you and I never will' she screams. He grabs her hands and refuses to let go. They begin to kiss passionately as Buzz appears. She stops when she spots him. Tears fill her eyes. After a dead silence, Buzz says that 'if it weren't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all.' Olivia tells Jeffrey to leave. When he does, she moves to Buzz but he pushes away and beings kicking at the tables, demanding that she be honest with him. She admits that she kissed Jeffrey last night and kissed him again just now, but she doesn't know why. Falling in love with Buzz was easy, but part of her needs to have things more complicated and, with Jeffrey, everything is mixed up with hate, anger and resentment: She can't understand her feelings for him. Buzz tells her that whoever she is, he wants her, whether she changes for the better or the worse: His love for her is bigger than she knows. 'I can't marry you Buzz. I won't,' she states reluctantly. He takes her hand, but she lets go and tells him not to follow her. 'I won't,' he says. Alan comes out after watching this and takes Buzz off for a drink. Alan-Michael walks by without a word. Buzz tells Alan that Olivia played the oldest trick in the book. 'Even the biggest lie has a kernel of truth in it,' Alan says. Buzz laughs bitterly. Meanwhile, Olivia and Jeffrey have already found each other. 'Here we are,' he says.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
hey everyone... I am 17 years old and since my brother has seen me making gains since i started working out, he wants me to help him start lifting. He is 14 and has severe ADHD and bad motor skills (can barely write legibly). It took him 3 months to muster up enough courage to go to the gym, but he finally did on Sunday.
He doesn't have the strength to do highly assisted dips, deadhangs from the pullup bar, or even lift the bar off his chest on bench. He wasn't able to do some of the machines, but was able to lift a small amount of weight on others. He could do 8 pound curls/db bench, but after a few reps his arms started flailing a little bit. We agreed to do 2 days a week at the gym and 1 day a week at home. At home, i am going to have him do pushups on his knees and against the wall, lunges, squats, and some other exercises.
Does anyone have any advice on how to go about training him? I just got accepted into my #1 college and am going to be going away next year. My brother and I are really close, and it just hit me that even though I do my best to be a good brother (considering the circumstances), I have never gone above and beyond for him the way i wanted to. I feel like helping him lift would not only increase his strength (loves basketball), but also work wonders for his confidence.
Any suggestions/advice are much appreciated. Thanks!