Patent Application
20250027406
The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for wirelessly configuring bottom hole assemblies for use in coiled tubing well operations.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as an admission of any kind.
To facilitate oil and gas well operations, a well string may include a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”), which may include a drill bit, one or more downhole well tools (e.g., which may include various sensors, sampling tools, and so forth). Such BHAs are often configured for particular types of downhole well operations. However, it may be advantageous to configure such BHAs for specific expected downhole well conditions. Unfortunately, configuring BHAs for specific expected downhole well conditions may be relatively difficult insofar as BHAs can be relatively large and, sometimes, may be suspended in locations that are not easily reachable by engineers.
A summary of certain embodiments described herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for wirelessly configuring bottom hole assemblies (BHAs) for use in coiled tubing well operations. For example, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method that includes wirelessly communicatively coupling at least one user computing device to a wireless access point of a wireless access module of a BHA configured to be utilized to perform one or more coiled tubing well operations. The method also includes wirelessly receiving one or more command signals from the at least one user computing device via the wireless access point of the wireless access module of the BHA. The method further includes adjusting one more operating settings or procedures of one or more downhole tool components of the BHA based at least in part on the one or more command signals.
In addition, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a BHA having one or more downhole tool components configured to be used by the BHA to perform one or more coiled tubing well operations. The BHA also includes a wireless access module that includes a wireless access point configured to wirelessly communicatively couple to at least one user computing device external to the BHA. The wireless access module also includes one or more memory media configured to store instructions for operating the wireless access module and data collected from the one or more downhole tool components during performance of the one or more coiled tubing well operations. The wireless access module further includes one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the one or more memory media.
In addition, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a wireless access module configured to be installed within a BHA configured to be utilized to perform one or more coiled tubing well operations. The wireless access module includes a wireless access point configured to wirelessly communicatively couple to at least one user computing device external to the BHA. The wireless access module also includes one or more memory media configured to store instructions for operating the wireless access module and data collected from one or more downhole tool components of the BHA during performance of the one or more coiled tubing well operations. The wireless access module further includes one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the one or more memory media.
Various refinements of the features noted above may be undertaken in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter.
Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:
One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
As used herein, the terms “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” and “connecting” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more elements”; and the term “set” is used to mean “one element” or “more than one element.” Further, the terms “couple,” “coupling,” “coupled,” “coupled together,” and “coupled with” are used to mean “directly coupled together” or “coupled together via one or more elements.” As used herein, the terms “up” and “down,” “uphole” and “downhole”, “upper” and “lower,” “top” and “bottom,” and other like terms indicating relative positions to a given point or element are utilized to more clearly describe some elements. Commonly, these terms relate to a reference point as the surface from which drilling operations are initiated as being the top (e.g., uphole or upper) point and the total depth along the drilling axis being the lowest (e.g., downhole or lower) point, whether the well (e.g., wellbore, borehole) is vertical, horizontal or slanted relative to the surface.
In addition, as used herein, the terms “real time”, “real-time”, or “substantially real time” may be used interchangeably and are intended to describe operations (e.g., computing operations) that are performed without any human-perceivable interruption between operations. For example, as used herein, data relating to the systems described herein may be collected, transmitted, and/or used in control computations in “substantially real time” such that data readings, data transfers, and/or data processing steps occur once every second, once every 0.1 second, once every 0.01 second, or even more frequent, during operations of the systems (e.g., while the systems are operating). In addition, as used herein, the terms “automatic” and “automated” are intended to describe operations that are performed or are caused to be performed, for example, by a processing system (i.e., solely by the processing system, without human intervention). In addition, as used herein, the term “approximately equal to” may be used to mean values that are relatively close to each other (e.g., within 5%, within 2%, within 1%, within 0.5%, or even closer, of each other).
The embodiments described herein enable a battery powered coiled tubing bottom hole assembly (BHA) to be wirelessly configured and/or to download data at a field location. For example, as described in greater detail herein, the BHA may be equipped with a wireless access point that facilitates remote communication with the BHA. This enables field users to communicate with a downhole well tool of the BHA without physically connecting a data cable to the BHA, thereby eliminating health, safety, and environment (HSE) risks if the BHA is disposed at locations (e.g., stored at a height) of the field location that are not easily accessible by the field users between downhole runs. In certain embodiments, if the wireless access point of the BHA is routed to a cloud gateway, this would enable remote access and configuration of downhole well tools of the BHA, which would be a novel capability for a battery powered coiled tubing BHA.
With the foregoing in mind,
In certain embodiments, a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) 26 may be run inside the casing 18 by the coiled tubing 20. As illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the coiled tubing 20 may also be used to deliver fluid 32 to the drill bit 30 through an interior of the coiled tubing 20 to aid in the drilling process and carry cuttings and possibly other fluid or solid components in return fluid 34 that flows up the annulus between the coiled tubing 20 and the casing 18 (or via a return flow path provided by the coiled tubing 20, in certain embodiments) for return to the surface facility 22. It is also contemplated that the return fluid 34 may include remnant proppant (e.g., sand) or possibly rock fragments that result from a hydraulic fracturing application, and flow within the oil and gas well system 10. Under certain conditions, fracturing fluid and possibly hydrocarbons (oil and/or gas), proppants and possibly rock fragments may flow from the fractured formation 16 through perforations in a newly opened interval and back to the surface 24 of the oil and gas well system 10 as part of the return fluid 34. In certain embodiments, the BHA 26 may be supplemented behind a rotary drill by an isolation device such as, for example, an inflatable packer that may be activated to isolate the zone below or above it and enable local pressure tests.
As such, in certain embodiments, the BHA 26 may include a downhole well tool 36 that is moved along the wellbore 14 via the coiled tubing 20. In certain embodiments, the downhole well tool 36 may include a variety of drilling/cutting tools coupled with the coiled tubing 20 to provide a coiled tubing string 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the downhole well tool 36 includes the drill bit 30, which may be powered by the downhole motor 28 (e.g., a positive displacement motor (PDM), or other hydraulic motor) of the BHA 26. In certain embodiments, the wellbore 14 may be an open wellbore or a cased wellbore defined by the casing 18. In addition, in certain embodiments, the wellbore 14 may be vertical or horizontal or inclined. It should be noted that the downhole well tool 36 may be part of various types of BHAs 26 coupled to the coiled tubing 20.
As also illustrated in
In certain embodiments, data from the downhole sensors 40 may be relayed uphole to a surface processing system 42 (e.g., a computer-based processing system) disposed at the surface 24 and/or other suitable location of the oil and gas well system 10. In certain embodiments, the data may be relayed uphole in substantially real time (e.g., relayed while it is detected by the downhole sensors 40 during operation of the downhole well tool 36) via a wired or wireless telemetric control line 44, and this real-time data may be referred to as edge data. In certain embodiments, the telemetric control line 44 may be in the form of an electrical line, fiber-optic line, or other suitable control line for transmitting data signals. In certain embodiments, the telemetric control line 44 may be routed along an interior of the coiled tubing 20, within a wall of the coiled tubing 20, or along an exterior of the coiled tubing 20. In addition, as described in greater detail herein, additional data (e.g., surface data) may be supplied by surface sensors 46 and/or stored in a memory location 48. By way of example, historical data and other useful data may be stored in the memory location 48 such as a cloud storage 50.
In addition, as described in greater detail herein, the BHA 26 may include a wireless access point 60 that enables field users to communicate with components of the BHA 26 (e.g., the downhole well tool 36, the downhole sensor package 38, the downhole hydraulic motor 28, and so forth) for the purpose of configuring these components between downhole runs of the BHA 26 into various wellbores 14.
As illustrated, in certain embodiments, the coiled tubing 20 may be deployed by a coiled tubing unit 52 and delivered downhole via an injector head 54. In certain embodiments, the injector head 54 may be controlled to slack off or pick up the coiled tubing 20 so as to control the tubing string weight and, thus, the weight on bit (WOB) acting on the drill bit 30 (or the downhole well tool 36). In certain embodiments, the downhole well tool 36 may be moved along the wellbore 14 via the coiled tubing 20 under control of the injector head 54 so as to apply a desired tubing weight and, thus, to achieve a desired rate of penetration (ROP) as the drill bit 30 is operated. Depending on the specifics of a given application, various types of data may be collected downhole, and transmitted to the surface processing system 42 in substantially real time to facilitate improved operation of the downhole well tool 36. For example, the data may be used to fully or partially automate downhole operations, to optimize the downhole operations, and/or to provide more accurate predictions regarding components or aspects of the downhole operations.
In certain embodiments, fluid 32 may be delivered downhole under pressure from a pump unit 56. In certain embodiments, the fluid 32 may be delivered by the pump unit 56 through the downhole hydraulic motor 28 to power the downhole hydraulic motor 28 and, thus, the drill bit 30. In certain embodiments, the return fluid 34 is returned uphole, and this flow back of the return fluid 34 is controlled by suitable flowback equipment 58. In certain embodiments, the flowback equipment 58 may include chokes and other components/equipment used to control flow back of the return fluid 34 in a variety of applications, including well treatment applications.
As described in greater detail herein, the coiled tubing unit 52, the injector head 54, the pump unit 56, and the flowback equipment 58 may include advanced surface sensors 46, actuators, and local controllers, such as PLCs, which may cooperate together to provide sensor data to, receive control signals from, and generate local control signals based on communications with, respectively, the surface processing system 42. In certain embodiments, as described in greater detail herein, the surface sensors 46 may include flow rate, pressure, and fluid rheology sensors 46, among other types of sensors. In addition, as described in greater detail herein, the actuators may include actuators for pump and choke control of the pump unit 56 and the flowback equipment 58, respectively, among other types of actuators.
In certain embodiments, surface sensors 46 of the coiled tubing unit 52 may be configured to detect positions of the coiled tubing 20, weights of the coiled tubing 20, and so forth. In addition, in certain embodiments, surface sensors 46 of the injector head 54 may be configured to detect wellhead pressure, and so forth. In addition, in certain embodiments, surface sensors 46 of the pump unit 56 may be configured to detect pump pressures, pump flow rates, and so forth. In addition, in certain embodiments, surface sensors 46 of the flowback equipment 58 may be configured to detect fluids production rates, solids production rates, and so forth.
In certain embodiments, the computer-executable instructions of the one or more analysis modules 64, when executed by the one or more processors 66, may cause the one or more processors 66 to generate one or more models described in greater detail herein. Such models may be used by the surface processing system 42 to predict values of operational parameters that may or may not be measured (e.g., using gauges, sensors) during well operations.
In certain embodiments, the one or more processors 66 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a processor module or subsystem, a programmable integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, a digital signal processor (DSP), or another control or computing device. In certain embodiments, the one or more processors 66 may include machine learning and/or artificial intelligence (AI) based processors. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may be implemented as one or more non-transitory computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may include one or more different forms of memory including semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic or static random access memories (DRAMs or SRAMs), erasable and programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) and flash memories; magnetic disks such as fixed, floppy and removable disks; other magnetic media including tape; optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs); or other types of storage devices. Note that the computer-executable instructions and associated data of the analysis module(s) 64 may be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium of the storage media 68, or alternatively, may be provided on multiple computer-readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a large system having possibly plural nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium or media are considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture), which may refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may be located either in the machine running the machine-readable instructions, or may be located at a remote site from which machine-readable instructions may be downloaded over a network for execution.
In certain embodiments, the processor(s) 66 may be connected to a network interface 70 of the surface processing system 42 to allow the surface processing system 42 to communicate with the multiple downhole sensors 40 and surface sensors 46 described herein, as well as communicate with the actuators 72 and/or PLCs 74 of the surface equipment 76 (e.g., the coiled tubing unit 52, the pump unit 56, the flowback equipment 58, and so forth) and of the downhole equipment 78 (e.g., the BHA 26, the downhole motor 28, the drill bit 30, the downhole well tool 36, and so forth) for the purpose of controlling operation of the oil and gas well system 10, as described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, the network interface 70 may also facilitate the surface processing system 42 to communicate data to the cloud storage 50 (or other wired and/or wireless communication network) to, for example, archive the data or to enable external computing systems 80 to access the data and/or to remotely interact with the surface processing system 42.
It should be appreciated that the well control system 62 illustrated in
As described in greater detail herein, the embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate the operation of well-related tools. For example, a variety of data (e.g., downhole data and surface data) may be collected to enable optimization of operations of well-related tools such as the downhole well tool 36 illustrated in
As described in greater detail herein, the embodiments of the present disclosure also enable a remote field user to configure and/or retrieve data from a battery powered BHA 26 by providing a wireless access point 60 within the BHA 26. Doing so enables the leveraging of edge processing power to analyze data relating to operation of the BHA 26. One of the challenges of utilizing BHAs 26 is obtaining data needed from jobs to improve services. Currently, field users are required to configure components of the BHAs 26 to obtain the correct data and upload configuration data. Wireless remote access enables the configuration of the components of the BHAs 26 for a specific study to obtain data spanning several different jobs. In certain situations, the minimum requirements for the components of the BHAs 26 may be obtained from a client. If there is remaining memory, it may then be configured to obtain additional data to help develop a model of different types of coiled tubing jobs in a controlled manner to obtain data that fills in gaps in the operating envelopes. It also lays the framework to be able to intervene and set up different types of data between sequential runs within different wellbores 14 to either address issues or configuration inefficiencies. Currently, these adaptations would not be possible if the data is not reviewed until after a job is complete.
It is common in some operations that the BHA 26 may be rigged up, but that the BHA 26 is not run into a wellbore 14 for several hours or even days. During such intervals where the BHA 26 is not being run into a wellbore 14, the BHA 26 may be disposed in a location at a field site 82 (e.g., the surface 24 of a oil and gas well system 10) where the BHA 26 is not easily physically accessible by a field user 84, for example, when the BHA 26 is currently stored at an elevated location on a rack 86 (or other structure, such as a manlift). The embodiments described herein enable the field user 84 to turn components of the BHA 26 on and off remotely (e.g., when the BHA 26 is not easily accessible, after rig up of the BHA 26, and so forth) to minimize battery usage of the BHA 26 and verify prognostics health status of the components of the BHA 26 before running the BHA 26 into a wellbore 14. For example, during long periods of inactivity, a burst mode may be configured for components of the BHA 26, so that they may wake up and send updated prognostic data at set intervals to ensure that the BHA 26 is prepared for a next job. The embodiments described herein also enable the battery powered BHA 26 to transmit and communicate data with various downhole well tools 36 of the BHA 26. This eliminates the need for a wired field joint between the battery powered BHA 26 and the other BHA products. This enables different tool families to be utilized together without the need for custom joints, adding to the modularity and reuse of tools.
As illustrated in
During operation, the various components of the BHA 26 may enable the collection of data relating to wellbore pressures and temperatures, loads (e.g., tension and compression loads), torques, accelerations, and so forth, being experienced by the BHA 26 during operation. In certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to acquire the data collected by the components of the BHA 26 at a particular sample rate. For example, the sample rate may be between about 10 Hz to about 2,000 Hz (e.g., allowing analysis of the data up to about 1,024 Hz). Additionally, or alternatively, in certain embodiments, up to approximately 60 hours of data may be stored locally within the BHA 26 by the wireless access module 90. In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to function at up to 350° F. It will be appreciated that these sampling rates, storage hours, and operational temperatures are merely exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, in other embodiments, different sampling rates, storage hours, and operational temperatures may be possible.
In certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 facilitates field users 84 to remotely configure myriad different operating settings and/or procedures (e.g., modes of operation, workflows to be followed during operation, and so forth) of various components of the BHA 26. For example, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 also facilitates field users 84 to send command signals to remotely configure (e.g., assign) specific communication channels and/or communication protocols of the components of the BHA 26 that are used to acquire specific types of data, for example, when the BHA 26 is located at the surface 24 of the oil and gas well system 10 (e.g., before the BHA 26 is deployed within a wellbore 14). As a further non-limiting example, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 also facilitates field users 84 to send command signals to remotely set timing triggers of the various components of the BHA 26 to define when the various components wake up (e.g., from low-power standby modes) at certain times to collect certain types of data. In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may facilitate field users 84 to send command signals to download data stored in the wireless access module 90 once the BHA 26 is retrieved at the surface 24 of the oil and gas well system 10 (e.g., after completion of a downhole job).
In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may facilitate field users 84 to send command signals to cause mechanical features of the various components of the BHA 26 to be physically manipulated (e.g., by changing positions, orientations, and so forth, of the mechanical features) to, for example, enable different operating modes of the components. For example, in certain embodiments, the command signals may be used to cause certain actuators associated with the components of the BHA 26 to physically manipulate valve positions, flow line routings, flow line restrictions, and so forth, of the components in response to the command signals.
Regardless of the types of operating settings and/or procedures of the various components of the BHA 26 that may be adjusted in response to the command signals wirelessly received by the wireless access module 90, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to confirm that the adjustments to the operating settings and/or procedures have been implemented and, in response to the confirmations, may transmit confirmation signals back to the user computing device 88 that wirelessly sent the command signals to the wireless access module 90. For example, in certain embodiments, in response to confirming that requested adjustments to operating settings and/or procedures of various components of the BHA 26 have been implemented, the wireless access module 90 may transmit a confirmation signal to the user computing device 88 that requested the adjustment to automatically launch an application on the user computing device 88 to provide a visual and/or audible notification that the requested adjustments have been implemented.
In yet another use case for the wireless access modules 90 of the BHAs 26, in certain embodiments, a particular BHA 26 may include two or more wireless access modules 90, and the plurality of wireless access modules 90 may communicate with each other while the BHA 26 is deployed within a wellbore 14, thereby enabling different portions of the BHA 26 to communicate with each other. For example, in certain situations, the wireless access modules 90 may be located a relatively large distance from each other along the BHA 26, or there may be physical features (e.g., tool components disposed between the wireless access modules 90 along the BHA 26) that impede direct communication between the wireless access modules 90. Having multiple wireless access modules 90 in the single BHA 26 may enable wireless communication throughout the BHA 26 that would otherwise not be impossible.
As also illustrated in
In certain embodiments, adjusting the one more operating settings or procedures of one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 may include assigning wireless communication channels and/or communication protocols utilized by the one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 to wirelessly communicate data relating to one or more coiled tubing well operations performed by the one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 to the wireless access point 60 of the wireless access module 90 of the BHA 26. In addition, in certain embodiments, adjusting the one more operating settings or procedures of one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 may include setting timing triggers that define when the one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 wake from low-power standby modes to collect data relating to the one or more coiled tubing well operations performed by the one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26. In addition, in certain embodiments, adjusting the one more operating settings or procedures of one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 may include causing mechanical features of the one or more downhole tool components of the BHA 26 to be physically manipulated.
In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 116 may include providing confirmation of adjustment of the one or more operating settings or procedures to the at least one user computing device 88. In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 116 may include wirelessly communicatively coupling the at least one user computing device 88 to the wireless access point 60 of the wireless access module 90 of the BHA 26 via a cloud access point 50.
The specific embodiments described above have been illustrated by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).
