Patent Application
20190145243
One of the major requirements for hydrocarbon production is to obtain data from inside the well in real time. The ability to send information and commands in the well is also very important for the industry to optimize hydrocarbon production and for well integrity evaluation.
Wireless communications have been attempted inside wells with limited success. The use of batteries has limited the operating temperature of the communications system and also limited the life of the system as well the amount of data that could be transmitted to the surface. The elimination of the batteries as the primary source of power inside a well is one the most important development for the acceptance of wireless communications in wells.
Downhole power generation has also been attempted with little success. The main objection is the placement of the generator in the flow stream path in the well. The generator can fail, leading to a build-up of debris which can decrease production. The power generator in the flow stream can prevent workover tools from being deployed below the generator through the tubing. The ability to monitor the status of the cement and the casing in real time has great benefits to the operators to have advanced warning of casing collapse and cement cracks.
The major problem in placing electronics and sensors in the casing area is the short life of the power source such as batteries. The ability to have continuous power at the casing will allow for long term monitoring of the cement and casing.
Being able to communicate in real time wirelessly between the downhole and surface will allow for the production, casing and cement to be monitored in real time.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the system will become better understood with regard to the follow description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Referring now to
Referring additionally to
Downhole parameter sensor packages 11 typically comprise one or more sensors, generally referred to as “50,” such as sensors adapted to sense data related to life expectancy of well 100, sensors adapted to sense data related to water encroachment into a production stream, sensors adapted to sense data related to reservoir status, sensors deployed as part of cement present in well 100 or in the cement, sensors monitoring status of casing 101, or the like, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, sensors 50 may comprise cement status measuring sensor, casing status sensor, or the like, or a combination thereof. Although given the same callout, one of ordinary skill will understand that these sensors 50 may be similar or dissimilar.
In certain embodiments, casing module 10 further comprises one or more batteries 15, by way of example rechargeable batteries and/or supercapacitors, operatively in communication with casing module wireless data short hop transceivers 12. Typically, batteries 15 are cooperatively configured to provide power with or in lieu of power from wireless power receivers 13.
Referring still to
One or more power generators 25 (
As will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in electronic communications arts, it will also be noted that the various transceivers, e.g. casing module wireless data short hop transceivers 12, casing module wireless power receivers 13, tubing module wireless short hop data transceivers 22, tubing module wireless power transmitters 23, and surface data transceivers 24, typically comprise one or more antennae (not shown in the figures).
In embodiments, mule shoe 26 is a mechanical module that aligns tubing module 20 with or within casing module 10 and that, as part of the alignment, may be used to make sure that various of these various antennae, such as for power and communications transfer, align between tubing module 20 within casing module 10. As will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in these arts, other similar devices can be used as a stop/alignment tool such as a key and slot arrangement where one of casing module 10 or tubing module 20 comprises a key protrusion and the other comprises a complimentary slot adapted to receive the key protrusion and, in cases, guide the two modules until they are aligned.
In certain embodiments, antenna window 27, which may comprise a ceramic, may be present in tubing module mandrel 20b and allow visual access to tubing module wireless short hop data transceivers 22 and/or wireless power transmitters 23.
Referring back to
In some embodiments, second data processing system 40 is present and operatively in communication with first data processing system 30 such as by wired connections, e.g. Ethernet, wireless communications, or the like, or a combination thereof. Second data processing system 40, if present, typically contains software useful for further processing of data received from tubing module 20.
In the operation of exemplary embodiments, referring generally to
One or more tubing modules 20 and power generators 25 are typically deployed as part of tubing string 210 where tubing string 210 is typically deployed within, and sometimes through, casing string 200 and where tubing module 20 and power generator 25 are as described above. Tubing module 20 is typically deployed through casing module 10 until tubing module 20 gets close enough to casing module 10 to effect the wireless transmission of data and power, as described below. As noted above, power generator 25 is typically deployed in close proximity to tubing module 20 and can either be upstream or downstream from tubing module 20. As also noted above, power generator 25 is operatively in communication with tubing module 20 so as to provide power to tubing module 20.
Once deployed, tubing module 20 is aligned with casing module 10 via use of mule shoe 26 or the like when tubing module 20 gets close enough to or within casing module 10 to effect the wireless transmission of data and power, such as when tubing module 20 is proximate upper mandrel portion 10b of casing module 10.
In embodiments, sensors 16 are disposed in well 100 at first predetermined location downhole 101 in cement, casing string 200, or tubing string 210 present downhole in well 100.
Power generator 25 is used to generate power downhole such as by fluid flow within well 100 and the generated power operatively provided from power transmitter 25 to tubing module 20. As noted above, although illustrated at a downhole position in tubing string 210, power generator 25 may be placed anywhere along or as part of tubing string 210 or tubing module 20 to be operative.
Once operational, data may be communicated from and/or between casing module wireless data short hop transceiver 12 and tubing module wireless short hop data transceiver 22 where, as noted above, these data are related to the predetermined set of downhole parameters related to downhole status of well 100. In most embodiments, communicating data from casing module wireless data short hop transceiver 12 to tubing module wireless short hop data transceiver 22 is accomplished at low power, e.g. around 30 milliwatts. These data may further comprise data related to life expectancy of well 100, water encroachment into a production stream in well 100, cement status, reservoir status, or the like, or a combination thereof.
These data may then be communicated from surface data transceiver 24 to a surface location where this data transfer may comprise bidirectional real time communication from surface data transceiver 24 to the surface location. Surface system 30 may be used to gather the data and process the data into information that can be transferred to other computers, e.g. second system 40, or to communications modules to be provided to a well operator.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the inventions are illustrative and explanatory. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the exemplary embodiments contained herein.
