Claims
- 1. A method of managing power in a control system for the control and monitoring of a plurality of zones in at least one production well, the control system including a plurality of downhole modules which require power and are addressable, comprising:
- permanently deploying a downhole module which requires power and is addressable in each of the plurality of zones, each downhole module being operatively associated with at least one downhole device for controlling the downhole device;
- continuously maintaining each downhole module in a dormant, low power consumption mode until activation is desired; and
- selectively activating one or more downhole modules when activation is desired wherein the activated downhole modules will change state from a dormant, low power consumption mode to an active, higher power consumption mode.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein each downhole module is interconnected by a cable from the surface and including:
- transmitting addressable signals from the surface downhole through the cable to a downhole module having a matching address to thereby activate such downhole module.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more downhole devices comprise downhole tools, and one or downhole modules include an electromechanical control device for controlling the downhole tools.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the downhole tools are selected from the group consisting of sliding sleeves, packers, pumps, fluid flow devices and valves.
- 5. A system for managing power in a control system for the control and monitoring of a plurality of zones in at least one production well, the control system including:
- a plurality of downhole modules which require power and are addressable permanently deployed in the plurality of zones for controlling a plurality of downhole devices;
- said downhole modules being normally in a dormant, low power consumption mode; and
- a communications interface associated with each downhole module, said communications interface adapted to receive instructions for activating the downhole module and changing the state of the downhole module from a dormant, low power consumption mode to an active, higher power consumption mode.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein one or more downhole devices comprise downhole tools, and one or downhole modules include an electromechanical control device for controlling the downhole tools.
- 7. The system if claim 6 wherein the downhole tools are selected from the group consisting of sliding sleeves, packers, pumps, fluid flow devices and valves.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of Application Ser. No. 08/386,504 filed Feb. 9, 1995 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,896 on Jan. 13, 1998.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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Parent |
386504 |
Feb 1995 |
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