Fluid flow indicating method and apparatus for well bores

Claim 1

A METHOD OF DETERMINING THE IDENTITY, LOCATION, AND DIRECTION OF A FLUID FLOWING BETWEEN A WELL BORE AND A SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING IN SAID WELL BORE A PLURALITY OF KNOWN QUANTITIES OF A MATERIAL SOLUBLE IN SAID FLUID IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES IS KNOWN, EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY SEGREGATED FROM EACH OTHER AND ADJACENT TO A PORTION OF SAID FORMATION, ALLOWING SAID FLUID FLOWING BETWEEN SAID WELL BORE AND A PORTION OF SAID FORMATION TO FLOW THROUGH ONLY THE QUANTITY ADJACENT SAID PORTION, DETERMINING THE LOSS IN WEIGHT OF EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES AND THEREAFTER CORRELATING SAID WEIGHT LOSSES AS TO EACH PREDETERMINED GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF DETERMINING THE IDENTITY, LOCATION, AND DIRECTION OF A FLUID FLOWING BETWEEN A WELL BORE AND A SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING IN SAID WELL BORE A PLURALITY OF KNOWN QUANTITIES OF A MATERIAL SOLUBLE IN SAID FLUID IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES IS KNOWN, EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY SEGREGATED FROM EACH OTHER AND ADJACENT TO A PORTION OF SAID FORMATION, ALLOWING SAID FLUID FLOWING BETWEEN SAID WELL BORE AND A PORTION OF SAID FORMATION TO FLOW THROUGH ONLY THE QUANTITY ADJACENT SAID PORTION, DETERMINING THE LOSS IN WEIGHT OF EACH OF SAID QUANTITIES AND THEREAFTER CORRELATING SAID WEIGHT LOSSES AS TO EACH PREDETERMINED GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN A WELL BORE FOR DETERMINING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FLUID FLOW WITHIN A WELL BORE, COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A CONTINUOUS PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED LATERAL PORTS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID PASSAGE AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF FLUID-IMPERMEABLE BARRIERS COAXIALLY SPACED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THAT OF THE WELL BORE IN WHICH SAID APPARATUS IS EMPLOYED, SAID BARRIERS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLYLOCATED HOLES SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OUTER DIMENSION OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BARRIERS ARE FULLY SLIDABLE ON SAID TUBULAR MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF FLUID-IMPERMEABLE RADIAL SEPARATORS BETWEEN ADJACENT BARRIERS SUBSTANTIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID BARRIERS; AND A SHELL ALONG THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID BARRIERS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR MEMBERS, ONE MEMBER OF SAID SHELL EXTENDING FROM EACH OF SAID BARRIERS TO BARRIERS ADJACENT THERETO, SAID HELL, SEPARATORS AND BARRIERS FORMING A PLURALITY OF ISOLATED SECTIONS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PORTS, SAID SHELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERAL PORTS REGISTERING WITH SAID ISOLATED SECTIONS.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN A WELL BORE FOR DETERMINING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FLUID FLOW WITHIN A WELL BORE, COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A CONTINUOUS PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED LATERAL PORTS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID PASSAGE AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF FLUID-IMPERMEABLE BARRIERS COAXIALLY SPACED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THAT OF THE WELL BORE IN WHICH SAID APPARATUS IS EMPLOYED, SAID BARRIERS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLYLOCATED HOLES SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OUTER DIMENSION OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BARRIERS ARE FULLY SLIDABLE ON SAID TUBULAR MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF FLUID-IMPERMEABLE RADIAL SEPARATORS BETWEEN ADJACENT BARRIERS SUBSTANTIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID BARRIERS; AND A SHELL ALONG THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID BARRIERS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR MEMBERS, ONE MEMBER OF SAID SHELL EXTENDING FROM EACH OF SAID BARRIERS TO BARRIERS ADJACENT THERETO, SAID HELL, SEPARATORS AND BARRIERS FORMING A PLURALITY OF ISOLATED SECTIONS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PORTS, SAID SHELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERAL PORTS REGISTERING WITH SAID ISOLATED SECTIONS.