U.S. patent application number 15/310811 was filed with the patent office on 2017-03-30 for surface communication through a well tool enclosure.
The applicant listed for this patent is Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.. Invention is credited to Burkay Donderici, Sushovon Singha Roy.
Application Number | 20170089194 15/310811 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54935946 |
Filed Date | 2017-03-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170089194 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Donderici; Burkay ; et
al. |
March 30, 2017 |
SURFACE COMMUNICATION THROUGH A WELL TOOL ENCLOSURE
Abstract
A well tool assembly residing outside of a well includes a power
source component and a measurement component coupled to the power
source component. A transmitter in a housing assembly of the well
tool assembly is used to generate a transmission penetrating a wall
of the housing assembly to an exterior of the well tool
assembly.
Inventors: |
Donderici; Burkay; (Houston,
TX) ; Roy; Sushovon Singha; (Houston, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54935946 |
Appl. No.: |
15/310811 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
June 20, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2014/043499 |
371 Date: |
November 14, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 47/14 20130101;
E21B 47/16 20130101; E21B 47/12 20130101; E21B 47/13 20200501; E21B
47/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21B 47/16 20060101
E21B047/16; E21B 47/12 20060101 E21B047/12 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: with a well tool assembly residing outside
of a well, the well tool assembly comprising a power source
component and a measurement component coupled to the power source
component, transmitting, using a transmitter in an external housing
assembly of the well tool assembly, a status communication
penetrating a wall of the external housing assembly to an exterior
of the well tool assembly, the status communication regarding a
status of the measurement component.
2. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the status
communication comprises transmitting a status communication after
the measurement component is coupled to the power source component,
the status communication regarding status of the power source to
measurement component coupling.
3. The method of claim 2, comprising transmitting a second
communication penetrating the wall of the external housing assembly
to an exterior of the well tool assembly, the second communication
regarding contents of a memory in the housing assembly.
4. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the status
communication penetrating the wall of the external housing assembly
comprises generating a transmission representing the communication
using the measurement component.
5. The method of claim 4, where generating the transmission
representing the communication using the measurement component
comprises generating a transmission representing the communication
using at least one of an electromagnetic transmitter of a fluid
resistivity measurement device or an acoustic transmitter of a pipe
or cement evaluation device.
6. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the status
communication through the wall of the external housing assembly
comprises transmitting an acoustic, electromagnetic, or thermal
communication signal.
7. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the status
communication through the wall of the external housing assembly
comprises transmitting a tactile communication signal.
8. The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving the communication
at a receiver outside of the well; and displaying information in a
visual form based on the communication.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at a
receiver within the exterior housing assembly of the well tool a
transmission from exterior of the well tool assembly having
penetrated the wall of the housing assembly.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising generating the transmission
from exterior of the well tool assembly using an external
transmitter unit.
11. The method of claim 9, comprising generating the transmission
from exterior of the well tool assembly by tapping on the wall of
the housing assembly.
12. A well tool assembly, comprising: a power source; a measurement
component coupled to the power source; a sealed housing assembly
enclosing the power source and the measurement component; and an
at-surface transmitter in the housing assembly that produces, while
the well tool assembly is outside of a well, a transmission that
penetrates a wall of the housing assembly to an exterior of the
well tool assembly.
13. The well tool assembly of claim 12, comprising a receiver in
the housing assembly, the receiver tuned to receive a transmission
generated by tapping on the housing assembly.
14. The well tool assembly of claim 12, where the transmitter is
coupled to the measurement component to use an aspect of the
measurement component in generating the transmission.
15. The well tool assembly of claim 12, where the transmitter
generates a transmission in the form of tapping on the sealed
housing or a thermal signal.
16. The well tool assembly of claim 12, where well tool assembly is
a wire conveyed well tool assembly.
17. A system, comprising: a well tool assembly comprising one or
more measurement components in a housing assembly; and a
transmitter in the housing assembly coupled to the measurement
components, the transmitter being of a type that produces a
transmission that penetrates a wall of the housing assembly.
18. The system of claim 17, comprising a receiver in the housing
assembly tuned to receive a transmission from exterior the housing
assembly that penetrates the housing assembly.
19. The system of claim 17, where the transmitter is coupled to a
measurement component to use the component in generating the
transmission.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to hydrocarbon recovery
operations, and specifically to surface communications through a
well tool enclosure.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Well tools may be used in a variety of contexts during a
hydrocarbon recovery operation. Certain types of tools can be
conveyed into a borehole within a subterranean formation and
suspended by wire or tubing. Example wires and tubing include
wireline, slickline, monofilament wire, and braided wire rope.
Other types of tools may be conveyed into the borehole by a drill
string into which the well tool is coupled. Some tools, such as
those conveyed by slickline, may include sensors, power sources,
and other mechanisms that are sealed within separate housings. The
housings may couple together to protect the internal mechanisms
from the temperatures and pressures experienced in the well, but in
doing so may block most high-frequency acoustic and/or
electromagnetic waves. Accordingly, communicating with the
components within the well tool may be difficult, particularly
where the element by which the well tool will be conveyed into the
borehole does not include a conductor.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example well tool at a
well site in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0004] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example well tool in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0005] FIGS. 3A and 3B are block diagrams illustrating an example
operation for transmitting from a well tool in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0006] FIGS. 4A and 4B are block diagrams illustrating an example
operation of transmitting into a well tool in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0007] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] The concepts herein relate to communicating with wire or
tubing conveyed well tool assemblies while outside of a well. The
well tool assembly has provisions for transmitting, using a
transmitter in the coupled housings of the well tool assembly
components, communications through a wall of the housing assembly
and to an exterior of the well tool assembly. The transmissions are
of a type that can penetrate the wall of the housing.
[0009] FIG. 1 depicts a well site 100 with a well tool assembly
102, outside of a well 104, and coupled to a conveyance 106. In
certain instances, the well site 100 is one where the well 104 is
being drilled, completed, and/or treated. The well 104 can be a
well used for recovery of hydrocarbons, such as oil and/or gas,
from one or more subterranean zones of interest and/or for
injection of fluids to one or more subterranean zones of
interest.
[0010] The conveyance 106 will be used in lowering the well tool
assembly 102 into the well 104 during operation of the well tool
assembly 102. The conveyance 106 can be wireline, eline, slickline,
braided wire rope and/or other type of wire; however, the concepts
herein are particularly useful in types of wire that do not have
provisions for transmission of power and/or communications with the
well tool assembly 102. The conveyance 106 can be coiled tubing,
drill string, jointed tubing and/or other type of tubing; however
the concepts herein are particularly useful for tubing that does
not have provisions for transmission of power and/or
communications. In certain instances, the well tool assembly 102 is
of a type that does not have onboard telemetry.
[0011] The well tool assembly 102 is made up of multiple components
108 coupled together. As shown in FIG. 2, the components 108 are
housed in separate housings 110, where some housings can entirely
contain one component and others can entirely contain multiple
components. The housings 110 are sealingly coupled together (e.g.,
threadingly and/or otherwise) to define a sealed enclosure, i.e.,
exterior housing assembly 112 of the well tool assembly 102. The
housings 110 define the exterior surface of the well tool assembly
102 and are designed to protect the internals of the well tool
assembly components 108 from the temperatures and pressures
experienced in the well. The housings 110 are typically (although
not necessarily) metal.
[0012] The components 108 include a head 108a that couples the well
tool assembly 102 to the conveyance 106. The components 108 can
also include a power source 108b, such as a battery and/or other
type of power source, that is coupled to one or more measurement
components 108c of the assembly to supply power to the measurement
components 108c. The measurement components 108c are the components
of the well tool assembly 102 that operate in performing the
functions of the well tool assembly 102. While there are many
examples of measurement components 108c, some examples include
sensor components such as for making fluid resistivity
measurements, pressure measurements, temperature measurements, and
other measurements. Some additional examples include sample
collection components that can be operated to collect fluid samples
from in the well. Further examples include pipe or cement
evaluation components, including those that that have acoustic
generators/receivers that generate and receive acoustic signals to
evaluate the thickness of casing, liners and other pipe and bonds
of cement. Many other examples exist. In certain instances, one or
more of the measurement components 108c includes a memory 126 to
log information generated by the measurement components 108c and/or
store instructions used to operate the measurement components
108c.
[0013] The well tool assembly 102 also includes an at-surface
transceiver 114, configured as one or more separate stand-alone
transmitters and stand-alone receivers or as one or more combined
transmitter-receivers, in the housing assembly 112 and communicably
coupled to one or more of the measurement components 108c. In
certain instances, only a transmitter or only a receiver can be
provided, for example, for one way communication. The transceiver
114 is an at-surface transceiver in that it is configured to
communicate while the well tool assembly 102 is at the surface,
outside of the well. The transceiver 114 can be powered by the
power source 108b or from another power source. The transmitter
aspect of the transceiver 114 can encode communications from the
measurement components 108c into a transmission. In certain
instances, the communications include information about the
operational status of the measurement components 108c and/or other
information. In one example, the communications include
communications regarding status of the power source connection to
the measurement component 108c (e.g., has the connection been
established and is the component receiving power) and a system
diagnostic check. In another example, the communications include
communications regarding the contents of a memory (e.g., a control
plan) in a measurement component 108c. Similarly, the receiver
aspect of the transceiver 114 can decode a communication received
from exterior of the well tool assembly 102. In one example, the
communication can include a query or trigger to cause the
transceiver 114 to reply back with specified information (e.g.,
status or system diagnostic). In another example, the communication
can include a command to modify system parameters, such as those
related to operation of a measurement component 108c. In certain
instances, the transceiver 114 can be triggered to send a
predefined transmission, such as a power source connection status
and/or a system diagnostic check, upon coupling of the power source
component 108b to the measurement components 108c. The transceiver
114 includes a processor 122 coupled to a memory 124. The memory
124 includes instructions on a non-transient computer readable
medium operable by the processor 122 to control the transceiver 114
in encoding and decoding communications and in interfacing with the
measurement components 108c.
[0014] The transceiver 114 produces a transmission that is directed
into the wall of the housing 110, to penetrate through the material
of the wall, to an exterior the well tool assembly 102. Multiple
transmitters and/or receivers can be used, operating in the same
transmission domain or different domains, to diversify the
communication channel and create multiple paths. The transmission
is in an acoustic, electromagnetic, thermal and/or other
transmission domain with characteristics that enable the
transmission to efficiently penetrate the wall of the housing 110
with low attenuation. In certain instances of an electromagnetic
transmission, one or more of the housings 110 (or portions thereof)
in the housing assembly 112 may be made from a non-magnetic
material or electromagnetically saturated with a strong magnet to
reduce interference caused by the housing 110 and increase
bandwidth. In certain instances of an electromagnetic or acoustic
transmission, the frequency of the transmission is 500 Hz or lower.
In certain instances of an acoustic transmission, the frequency can
be in a range that is audible to a human. The underlying
communication can be encoded and optimized to be transmitted
through the wall of the housing assembly and optimized for the
domain of transmission. In certain instances, the transmission is
encoded as an amplitude and/or frequency modulated signal with a
low carrier frequency. In certain instances, the transmission is a
pulsed signal, including Morse code and/or other type of pulsed
signal.
[0015] The transceiver 114 can include the transmission generation
components necessary to generate the transmission. For example, the
transceiver 114 can include an acoustic transmission source such as
a rotational, impact, piezoelectric and/or other source. In another
example, the transceiver 114 can include an electromagnetic
transmission source and/or receiver such as a dipole (e.g., wire
antenna), magnetic dipole (e.g., induction coil), electrodes and/or
other source or receiver. In certain instances, the electromagnetic
receiver is a magnetometer. In yet another example, the transceiver
114 can include a thermal transmission source such as a stationary
or moving resistor and/or other thermal source. In certain
instances, the transceiver 114 can use an aspect of a measurement
component 108c to generate the transmission. For example, the
transceiver 114 may use the electromagnetic components of the fluid
resistivity measurement component to generate (and/or receive) an
electromagnetic transmission. In another example the transceiver
114 may use the acoustic components of a pipe or cement evaluation
component to generate (and/or receive) an acoustic transmission. In
another example the thermal source can be part of another component
or part of the memory system. In certain instances, the transceiver
114 can use an aspect of a measurement component 108c to receive
transmissions from outside of the well tool assembly 102.
[0016] An external unit 116 with a transceiver 118, or just a
receiver, can be provided, external to the well tool assembly 102,
to communicate with the transceiver 114 of the well tool assembly
102. In certain instances, the transceiver 114 of the well tool
assembly 102 produces a transmission that requires the external
unit 116 to be placed against the outer surface of the housing
assembly 112 to receive the transmission. In certain instances, the
transceiver 114 of the well tool assembly 102 produces
transmissions that can propagate outward from the housing assembly
112, through the air, a short distance and the external unit 116
can receive the transmissions without direct contact to the housing
assembly 112. For example, an electromagnetic transmission could
readily be received a short distance from the housing assembly 112.
The external unit 116 decodes the transmission and communicates the
communication to a user, for example, by a display 120, an audible
sound and/or in another manner. Similarly, the external unit 116
can generate a transmission to the transceiver 114 in the well tool
assembly 102, for example, as discussed above.
[0017] Alternately, the transceiver 114 of the well tool assembly
102 produces transmissions that manifest as tactile or audible
transmissions on the exterior of the housing assembly 112. For
example, the transceiver 114 can produce acoustic or thermal
transmissions with characteristics that allow the transmissions to
be felt and interpreted by a user touching the housing assembly
112. In one example of an acoustic transmission, the transmission
can be one or a series of taps that can be felt on the exterior of
the housing assembly 112. The communication can be encoded in the
number and/or duration of taps (e.g., Morse code). In one example
of a thermal transmission, the transmission can be a stationary or
moving hotspot that develops on the exterior the housing assembly
112. The location of the hotspot and/or whether it is stationary or
moving can communicate different information, and the communication
appropriately encoded. The transceiver 114 of the well tool
assembly 102 can be tuned to receive tactile communications, for
example, produced by a user tapping on the exterior of the housing
assembly 112.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the components 108 of the well
tool assembly 102 are coupled together at the surface, outside of
the well. If so configured, upon coupling the power source
component 108b to the measurement components 108c, at operation
302, a communication from inside the well tool assembly 102 is
automatically generated. Alternately, the transceiver 114 readies
to a receiving state and listens for a transmission from an
exterior of the well tool assembly 102 to prompt the transceiver
114 to react. Upon receipt of the transmission, at operation 302,
the communication from inside the well tool assembly 102 is
generated. In certain instances, the transmission into the well
tool assembly 102 can be generated by an external unit 116 and/or
the transmission into the well tool assembly 102 can be generated
by a user, for example, tapping on the exterior of the housing
assembly 112.
[0019] At operation 304, the communication is encoded and the
transceiver 114 generates a transmission that penetrates through
the wall of the housing assembly 112 to an exterior of the well
tool assembly 102. As noted above, the encoding and/or the domain
of the transmission can be optimized to penetrate through the wall
of the housing assembly 112. Depending on the type of transmission,
it may be necessary to place an external unit 116 against or near
the well tool assembly 102 to receive the transmission (operation
306b) and decode the transmission and display it to a user
(operation 308). If the transmission is in an audible or tactile
form, the user can listen for or touch the housing assembly 112 to
receive the transmission (operation 306b) and decode it themselves
(operation 308b).
[0020] In certain instances, and depending on the configuration of
the transceiver 114, a communication is encoded and a transmission
into the well tool assembly 102 generated by the external unit 116
(FIG. 4A, operation 402a) and/or the communication can be encoded
and the transmission into the well tool assembly 102 generated by a
user, for example, tapping on the exterior of the housing assembly
112 (FIG. 4B, operation 402b). At operation 404, the transceiver
114 in the well tool assembly 102 receives the transmission and
decodes it. As discussed above, the transmission into the well tool
assembly 102 can be as simple as a command to prompt the
transceiver 114 to reply with predefined information or the
transmission into the well tool assembly 102 can inform the
transceiver 114 what information to reply with.
[0021] In view of the above, it follows that certain aspects
encompass a method of operating a well tool assembly residing
outside of a well. The well tool assembly includes a power source
component and a measurement component coupled to the power source
component. A transmitter in a housing assembly of the well tool
assembly is used to transmit, a communication penetrating a wall of
the housing assembly to an exterior of the well tool assembly.
[0022] Certain aspects encompass a well tool assembly having a
power source component and a measurement component coupled to the
power source component. A housing assembly encloses the power
source component and the measurement component. An at surface
transmitter resides in the housing assembly to produce, while the
well tool assembly is outside of a well, a transmission that
penetrates a wall of the housing assembly to an exterior of the
well tool assembly.
[0023] Certain aspects encompass a system with a well tool assembly
that has one or more measurement components in a housing assembly.
A transmitter in the housing assembly is coupled to the measurement
components. The transmitter produces a transmission that penetrates
a wall of the housing assembly.
[0024] The features above can include some, none or all of the
following features. In certain instances, transmitting a
communication includes transmitting a communication after the
measurement component is coupled to the power source component. The
communication is a communication regarding status of the power
source to measurement component coupling. In certain instances, a
second communication is transmitted, penetrating the wall of the
housing assembly to an exterior of the well tool assembly. The
second communication is a communication regarding contents of a
memory in the housing assembly.
[0025] In certain instances a transmission representing the
communication is generated using the measurement component. For
example, the transmission is generated using an electromagnetic
transmitter of a fluid resistivity measurement measurement
component or operating an acoustic transmitter of a pipe or cement
evaluation measurement component.
[0026] In certain instances, the communication penetrating a wall
of the housing assembly to an exterior of the well tool assembly is
an acoustic, electromagnetic, or thermal transmission. In certain
instances, the communication is a tactile transmission that can be
felt by a person touching the exterior of the well tool
assembly.
[0027] A receiver exterior of the well tool assembly can be used to
receive the communication and display information in a visual form
based on the communication. Similarly, a receiver in the housing
assembly can receive a transmission from exterior the well tool
assembly after the transmission has penetrated the wall of the
housing assembly. The transmission from exterior the well tool
assembly can be generated using an external transmitter unit or can
be generated by tapping on the wall of the housing assembly.
[0028] A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless,
it will be understood that various modifications may be made.
Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *