Underground formation testing is beneficial and is performed during drilling and geotechnical investigation of underground formations. Testing of such underground formations is important as the results of such examinations may determine, for example, if a driller proceeds with drilling and/or extraction. Since drilling operations are extremely expensive on a per day basis, excessive drilling impacts the overall economic viability of drilling projects. There is a need, therefore, to minimize the amount of drilling and to obtain accurate information from the underground formations.
Different types of information may be obtained from the underground formations. One of the primary forms of information is obtained using actual samples of fluid, from underneath the ground surface. Such samples, when they are obtained, are analyzed to determine the constituents of the underground formation.
Determination of the underground fluid constituents is important in the exploration for trapped hydrocarbon reserves. Determination of oil, gas or mixtures of oil and gas are of primary importance in many areas of the world, and correct determination of the presence of these constituents is valuable.
Difficulty often arises, however, in sampling of the oil and gas from these formations. Many formations may be under tremendous underground pressures that hamper the recovery efforts. To limit the amount of pressure from traveling uphole, operators may use specific engineering control methods, such as installing a device called a “packer” that limits the flow of fluid to the uphole environment. These packers are conveyed inside the formation by various methods and then expanded/inflated at a point of interest. The expansion limits the fluid, or in some instances, eliminates fluid penetration to the uphole environment from the packer installation through the obstruction caused by the packer. Packers use drains/ports for sampling formation fluid. Oftentimes, mud, rock and other debris may become clogged in and/or caked on drains. This clogging may lead to problems, such as, for example, inaccuracies in sample intake and/or measurement.
A need exists for providing system and/or method that allows for more accurate sampling of underground fluids without the clogging problems experienced by conventional systems.