Apparatus for testing earth formations

Claim 2

Formation-testing apparatus adapted for suspension in a borehole traversing earth formations and comprising: a body having a first fluid passage adapted to receive connate fluids; fluid-admitting means on said body and including a fluidsampling member having a tubular forward portion adapted to be engaged with a borehole wall for isolating a surface thereof from well bore fluids; means selectively operable for positioning said fluid-sampling member against a borehole wall to establish communication wiTh earth formations therebeyond; first means adapted for limiting the entrance of plugging materials into said first fluid passage including a second fluid passage in said fluid-sampling member and coupled to said first fluid passage, and filtering means cooperatively arranged on a wall of said fluid-sampling member between said second fluid passage and with tubular forward portion for retaining plugging materials within said fluid-sampling member as filtered connate fluids pass through said filtering means and enter said second fluid passage; second means adapted for controlling the entrance of plugging materials and connate fluids into said fluid-sampling member and including a valve member coaxially arranged in said fluidsampling member for movement between an advanced position within said tubular forward portion blocking communication into said fluid-sampling member and a retracted position to the rear of said tubular forward portion for uncovering said filtering means and defining a space for receiving plugging materials entering said tubular forward portion; and valve-control means cooperatively arranged for selectively moving said valve member back and forth between its said advanced and retracted positions.

Claim 3

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second fluid passage includes an annular chamber formed around an intermediate interior wall portion of said fluid-sampling member between said advanced and retracted positions of said valve member; and said filtering means include a tubular screen coaxially mounted in said fluid-sampling member around said annular chamber.

Claim 4

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 1 further including: sealing means cooperatively arranged on said fluid-admitting means around said tubular forward portion and adapted for packing-off a borehole wall around said tubular forward portion.

Claim 5

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 1 further including: means cooperatively mounting said fluid-sampling member on said body for movement relative thereto between a laterally-extended position and a retracted position; and control means cooperatively arranged for selectively moving said fluid-sampling member back and forth between its said extended and retracted positions.

Claim 6

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 1 further including: sample-receiving means on said body and adapted for receiving filtered connate fluids entering fluid passages; and control means cooperatively arranged for selectively coupling said sample-receiving means to said first fluid passage.

Claim 7

Formation-testing apparatus adapted for suspension in a borehole traversing earth formations and comprising: a body having a chamber adapted to receive connate fluids; fluid-admitting means on said body and including a tubular fluid-sampling member having a forward portion adapted to be engaged with a borehole wall for isolating a surface thereof from well bore fluids and receiving connate fluids from earth formations therebeyond; means selectively operable for positioning said fluid-sampling member against a borehole wall and including first piston means cooperatively arranged on said body for movement between a first position to engage said fluid-sampling member with a borehole wall and a second position to disengage said fluid-sampling member from a borehole wall; means coupling said fluid-sampling member to said chamber and including fluid-passage means between said chamber and an intermediate portion of said fluid-sampling member, and filtering means cooperatively arranged on said intermediate portion of said fluid-sampling member for limiting the entrance of loose materials into said fluid-passage means; means for controlling the admission of connate fluids and loose materials into said fluid-sampling member and including a valve member coaxially arranged in said fluid-sampling member for movement between an advanced position in said forward portion for blocking communication into saId fluid-sampling member and a retracted position to the rear of said intermediate portion for exposing said filtering means, and second piston means cooperatively coupled to said valve member and adapted for movement between a first position to place said valve member in its said advanced position and a second position to place said valve member in its said retracted position; and control means cooperatively coupled to said first and second piston means for selectively moving said first and second piston means back and forth between their respective positions.

Claim 8

Formation-testing apparatus adapted for suspension in a borehole traversing earth formations and comprising: a body having a chamber adapted to receive connate fluids; fluid-admitting means on said body and including a tubular fluid-sampling member having a forward portion adapted to be engaged with a borehole wall for isolating a surface thereof from well bore fluids and receiving connate fluids from earth formations therebeyond; means selectively operable for positioning said fluid-sampling member against a borehole wall and including first piston means cooperatively arranged on said body for movement between a first position to engage said fluid-sampling member with a borehole wall and a second position to disengage said fluid-sampling member from a borehole wall; means coupling said fluid-sampling member to said chamber and including fluid-passage means between said chamber and an intermediate portion of said fluid-sampling member, and filtering means cooperatively arranged on said intermediate portion of said fluid-sampling member for limiting the entrance of loose materials into said fluid-passage means; means for controlling the admission of connate fluids and loose materials into said fluid-sampling member and including a valve member coaxially arranged in said fluid-sampling member for movement between an advanced position in said forward portion for blocking communication into saId fluid-sampling member and a retracted position to the rear of said intermediate portion for exposing said filtering means, and second piston means cooperatively coupled to said valve member and adapted for movement between a first position to place said valve member in its said advanced position and a second position to place said valve member in its said retracted position; and control means cooperatively coupled to said first and second piston means for selectively moving said first and second piston means back and forth between their respective positions.

Claim 9

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 6 further including: pressure-monitoring means for providing indications at the surface indicative of the pressure of connate fluids in said chamber.

Claim 10

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 6 further including: valve means in said fluid-passage means and cooperatively coupled to said control means for selectively entrapping connate fluids in said chamber.

Claim 11

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 6 further including: a wall-engaging member movably mounted on said body on the opposite side thereof from said forward portion of said fluid-sampling member and cooperatively coupled to said first piston means for movement thereby between an extended wall-engaging position and a retracted position against said opposite body side.

Claim 12

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 6 further including: means cooperatively coupling said fluid-sampling member to said body for movement relative to one side thereof between a laterally-extended position and a retracted position; and means cooperatively coupling said fluid-sampling member to said first piston means for movement thereby between its said laterally-extended position and its said retracted position upon movement of said first piston means between said first and second positions thereof.

Claim 13

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 10 further including: a wall-engaging member movably mounted on said body on the opposite side thereof and cooperatively coupled to said first piston means for movement thereby between an extended wall-engaging position and a retracted position against said opposite body side upon movement of said first piston means between said first and second positions thereof.

Claim 14

Formation-testing apparatus adapted for suspension in a borehole traversing earth formations and comprising: a body having a chamber adapted to receive connate fluids; fluid-admitting means on said body and including a tubular fluid-sampling member cooperatively arranged for lateral movement in relation to said body between retracted and extended positions, fluid-passage means between said fluid-sampling member and said chamber, a tubular filter coaxially arranged on said fluid-sampling member covering said fluid-passage means for limiting the entrance of loose materials into said fluid-passage means, and first piston means coupled to said fluid-sampling member and cooperatively arranged for moving said fluid-sampling member back and forth between its said retracted and extended positions; means for controlling the admission of connate fluids and loose materials into said fluid-sampling member and including a valve member coaxially disposed in said fluid-sampling member and cooperatively arranged for movement through said tubular filter between an advanced closed position where said valve member is substantially sealingly engaged with the forward portion of said fluid-sampling member ahead of said tubular filter and a retracted open position to the rear thereof where said tubular filter is in communication with said forward portion, and second piston means coupled to said valve member and cooperatively arranged for moving said valve member back and forth between its said open and closed positions; and control means cooperatively arranged for selectively operating said first and second piston means to move said fluid-sampling member and said valve member between theIr respective said positions.

Claim 15

Formation-testing apparatus adapted for suspension in a borehole traversing earth formations and comprising: a body having a chamber adapted to receive connate fluids; fluid-admitting means on said body and including a tubular fluid-sampling member cooperatively arranged for lateral movement in relation to said body between retracted and extended positions, fluid-passage means between said fluid-sampling member and said chamber, a tubular filter coaxially arranged on said fluid-sampling member covering said fluid-passage means for limiting the entrance of loose materials into said fluid-passage means, and first piston means coupled to said fluid-sampling member and cooperatively arranged for moving said fluid-sampling member back and forth between its said retracted and extended positions; means for controlling the admission of connate fluids and loose materials into said fluid-sampling member and including a valve member coaxially disposed in said fluid-sampling member and cooperatively arranged for movement through said tubular filter between an advanced closed position where said valve member is substantially sealingly engaged with the forward portion of said fluid-sampling member ahead of said tubular filter and a retracted open position to the rear thereof where said tubular filter is in communication with said forward portion, and second piston means coupled to said valve member and cooperatively arranged for moving said valve member back and forth between its said open and closed positions; and control means cooperatively arranged for selectively operating said first and second piston means to move said fluid-sampling member and said valve member between theIr respective said positions.

Claim 16

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 12 further including: a wall-engaging member movably mounted on said body on the opposite side thereof from said fluid-admitting means and cooperatively arranged for movement between a retracted position against said opposite body side and an extended wall-engaging position for urging said fluid-admitting means against a borehole wall; and third piston means cooperatively coupled to said wall-engaging member and said control means for selectively moving said wall-engaging member between its said retracted and extended positions.

Claim 17

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 12 wherein said fluid-admitting means further include: packoff means cooperatively mounted on said body and around said forward portion of said fluid-sampling member for establishing sealing engagement with a borehole wall to isolate said forward portion of said fluid-sampling member from borehole fluids.

Claim 18

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 14 further including: a wall-engaging member movably mounted on said body on the opposite side thereof from said fluid-admitting means and cooperatively arranged for movement between a retracted position against said opposite body side and an extended wall-engaging position for urging said fluid-admitting means against a borehole wall; and third piston means cooperatively coupled to said wall-engaging member and said control means for selectively moving said wall-engaging member between its said retracted and extended positions.

Claim 19

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 14 further including: means including a movable member cooperatively coupling said packoff means and said fluid-sampling member to said body for movement relative to one side thereof between a laterally-extended position and a retracted position; and third piston means cooperatively coupled to said movable member and said control means for selectively moving said movable member between its said retracted and extended positions.

Claim 20

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 16 further including: a wall-engaging member movably mounted on said body on the opposite side thereof from said fluid-admitting means and cooperatively arranged for movement between a retracted position against said opposite body side and an extended wall-engaging position for urging said fluid-admitting means against a borehole wall; and fourth piston means cooperatively coupled to said wall-engaging member and said control means for selectively moving said wall-engaging member between its said retracted and extended positions.

Claim 21

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 17 wherein said control means are cooperatively arranged for operating said third and fourth piston means in unison.

Claim 22

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said forward portion of said fluid-sampling member projects outwardly beyond said packoff means in said retracted position of said fluid-sampling member for engaging a borehole wall in advance of said packoff means.

Claim 23

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 12 further including: pressure-monitoring means for providing indications at the surface indicative of the pressure of connate fluids in said chamber.

Claim 24

The formation-testing apparatus of claim 12 further including: valve means in said fluid-passage means and cooperatively coupled to said control means for selectively entrapping connate fluids in said chamber.