Patent Application
20080068209
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Turning now to the drawings where like numerals indicate like parts,
Notwithstanding such a harsh operating environment, scientists need to make scientific and technical borehole measurements and record significant quantities of formation and borehole data to insure a successful drilling operation and subsequent production of oil and/or gas from a subterranean formation.
In order to accomplish this data collection a well logging service vehicle 20 is driven to the site and delivers a logging tool 22 which is lowered via the derrick 10 and a traveling block 24 into the borehole suspended from a wireline 26. The wireline is paid out from a reel typically mounted on the service vehicle 20. The surface vehicle also usually carries data memory and computer processing to examine certain down hole well data on a real time basis.
The logging tool 22 is often composed of a triple or a combination of three tools 30, 32 and 34 which are selected by scientists to perform a variety of functions as discussed above. At the top of the logging tool 22 is a cartridge 36 which carries electronic components on PCBs and a power supply for the various tool functions.
In operation the logging tool 22 is lowered down to a production formation 18 and then withdrawn taking incremental measurements as the tool is raised toward the surface. Critical real time data can be delivered via the wireline or a fiber optic cable to the service vehicle 20 for immediate processing.
As explained above, however, it is often appropriate to use, for example, MWD tools in which data is recorded and stored within the tool casing. This data is retrieved from the tool, in response to a query, at the surface after the tool has been withdrawn. It is this system and process for recording and remotely and facilely accessing and retrieving high volumes of borehole and formation data that is the general subject of the instant invention.
Referring now to
Integrated circuit based devices, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags 48 and 50, having silicon chips, enable storing data in a buffer and exchange radio-frequency communication with an RFID transceiver. Unfortunately, in a logging tool environment it is necessary that the tool is encased within a cylinder of high strength steel 40 to function downhole and radio frequency communication is not feasible through such thick walled steel cylinders.
The subject invention addresses this transmission limitation by the provision of an internal antenna circuit 52 (note particularly
In addition to the loop antennas positioned adjacent to the radio frequency identification tags on the printed circuit boards, a radio frequency identification tag 60 is mounted on the logging tool chassis 42. This radio frequency identification tag 60 in turn is coupled to the antenna circuit 52 by a loop antenna 62.
The internal antenna circuit 52 extends to a forward end 64 of the logging tool component 36 and extends through the end of the logging tool component into an induction loop antenna 66 outside of the tool casing 36. The tool component 36 has an extended section 68 which has internal threads 70 at an open end. The open end of the tool component is in turn operable to intimately receive a smart end cap 72. The smart end cap internally carries an active induction antenna loop 74 which opposes or is in parallel with the induction loop antenna 66. The antenna loop 74 is connected to a transceiver 80 which provides a reader-writer function to read data from the component antenna loop 66 and transmit data to the component antenna loop 66 from an external source.
A farther antenna 82 extends out of the smart end cap and may be, generally speaking, a wireless LAN antenna as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Turning now more specifically to
The invention is also designed to be integrated into a wider scope of oilfield operations. An example is illustrated in
Taken together, the various systems illustrated in
Loop antennas made of, for example, wire are located adjacent to each RFTag and an extension antenna provides a transmission link so that RFTag positioning is not necessary to align with the reader-writer antenna. The loops may be connected with twisted pair cable. The antenna extension may be made with suitable wire so as to make it withstand high temperatures and pressure.
The number of loop antennas is not limited. More than two loops can be located for communication with multiple RFTags simultaneously by using anti-collision RFTags and, as discussed above, precise orientation of the RFTags and reader-writer antenna is not required by use of the extension antenna. Multiple RFTags may be located on a single loop of extension. Only two conductors are required to go through the metal bulkhead of the housing resulting in a system having a simple design.
Methods are provided for real-time tracking and monitoring of tools so that tool utilization is optimized, and job down time by tool hardware trouble during logging is decreased. Other applications include asset management; tool tracking and monitoring; improvements in tool reliability; tool quality control; operational cost savings; manufacturing process management.
Also disclosed herein are mechanisms for assessing hardware diagnostics status and tool operation history without connecting the tools, supplying power to the tools, or setting up any surface acquisition systems. Hardware information and tool operation history data is stored on the RFTags during acquisition of the data, and end users are able to access the latest and historical data directly from the RFTag's wireless interface. As a consequence, operation down time is drastically reduced, from several hours down to less than a few minutes because telemetry systems and acquisition systems do not need to be set up.
Tool data, such as hardware equipment information including diagnostics results, tool operation history, as well as tool and tool part identification data may be accessed at any time by storing the data on RFTags, which are mounted on the tool with the component electronics (as depicted in
The various aspects of the invention were chosen and described in order to best explain principles of the invention and its practical applications. The preceding description is intended to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and aspects and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. For example, the above loop antenna may be replaced with a dipole antenna or other antennas known in the prior art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims.
This application relates to and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of applicants' U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/825,721 entitled “Methods and Systems Utilizing Devices With Radio Frequency Communication Capabilities,” filed Sep. 15, 2006. The disclosure of this Provisional Application is hereby incorporated by reference as though set forth at length.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60825721 | Sep 2006 | US |
