WELLBORE CONDITION MONITORING SENSORS
Disclosed is an apparatus for estimating a downhole property of interest. The apparatus includes a carrier configured to be conveyed in a borehole penetrating an earth formation and carry a releasable sensor. The sensor is configured to be released by the carrier into drilling fluid and to sense the property. The sensor includes a memory to store sensed property data. The data can be downloaded from the memory wirelessly with the sensor in the drilling fluid or by retrieving the sensor from the drilling fluid.
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In wellbore operations, the condition of a wellbore, a downhole tool, a reservoir, or fluid in the wellbore is typically measured by sensors in proximity to the drill bit and transmitted to the surface of the earth by a downhole telemetry system. Alternatively, the condition information is stored in memory disposed in a downhole tool and accessed by downloading the data upon retrieval of the tool from the wellbore. While a downhole telemetry system can transmit sensor data generally continuously, the overall transmission of data may be slow due to limited bandwidth. Similarly, while downloading data from a retrieved downhole tool may be performed with high bandwidth transmission, it can take from a few hours to days in order to retrieve the tool. Both methods may be ultimately too slow when downhole conditions are rapidly changing. Hence, it would be appreciated in the drilling industry if data obtained from downhole sensors could be provided to drilling operators in a timely manner.
BRIEF SUMMARYDisclosed is an apparatus for estimating a downhole property of interest. The apparatus includes a carrier configured to be conveyed in a borehole penetrating an earth formation and carry a releasable sensor. The sensor is configured to be released by the carrier into drilling fluid and to sense the property. The sensor includes a memory to store sensed property data.
Also disclosed is a method for estimating a downhole property of interest. The method includes: conveying a carrier through a borehole penetrating the earth; releasing a sensor into drilling fluid; sensing the property of interest using the sensor; and downloading data sensed by the sensor at a location uphole from the sensing.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
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After a sensor 9 is released, it can perform one or more measurements of a property of interest. Non-limiting examples of the property of interest include temperature, pressure, density, viscosity, compressibility, acoustic property, magnetic property, chemical composition and material characteristic of the formation, fluid in the formation, drill string components, and drilling fluid. Applications using the sensed property of interest include detection of corrosion, scaling, asphaltenes and waxes. The property of interest can be an ambient condition (e.g., temperature or pressure) experienced by the sensor 9 or a characteristic of a downhole material such as the formation or formation fluid at the borehole 2. Measurement data is generally stored in a memory in the sensor 9.
Sensors 9 that are released travel uphole (i.e., up the borehole from the downhole tool 10 towards the surface of the earth) in the annulus 13 towards the surface of the earth 3. In one or more embodiments, the sensors 9 are buoyant in the drilling fluid 13 and thus are able to float in the drilling fluid 13 to the surface of the earth 3. Alternatively, or in addition to buoyancy, the sensor 9 may also contain a mechanism to power the sensor 9 to the surface. Non-limiting embodiments of the mechanism include piezo-actuated flappers, tails, or propellers powered by battery or energy harvesters, which in one or more embodiments can harvest energy from the drilling fluid flow, vibration, or temperature differentials.
In one or more embodiments, upon reaching the surface of the earth 3, the released sensors 9 are retrieved from the drilling fluid 13 by a receiving device such as a sieve or screen 15. After a released sensor 9 is retrieved, the stored measurement data can be downloaded from the sensor 9 either at the well site or offsite in a laboratory.
In one or more embodiments, the stored measurement data from a released sensor 9 is received by the receiving device as radio frequency (RF) energy via a receiver 16 and a hoop antenna 17 at the surface while the sensor 9 is still immersed in the drilling fluid 8. Alternatively, or in combination, the receiver 16 can represent a receiver and a transducer configured to receive magnetic, acoustic or optical signals.
In one or more embodiments, the sensors 9 can be interrogated and then reset to store multiple layers of information through different runs where they can run or circulate continuously with the drilling fluid without being filtered out of the drilling fluid. As circulating sensors, these sensors 9 can act as drilling fluid monitors, monitoring properties of the drilling fluid throughout a drilling run.
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It can be appreciated that the sensors 9 can be used to detect a condition of the drill bit 6 when the sensors 9 are released into the internal conduit 14. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the sensors 9 can be used to detect a condition or property of the drilling fluid 8, formation fluid disposed in the borehole 2, the formation 4 at a wall of the borehole 2, or the BHA 7. It can be appreciated that the use the plurality of sensors 9 provides for multiple measurements of the same property of interest, which can be combined or averaged to provide a measurement having increased accuracy or precision versus a single measurement by a single sensor 9. In addition, measurements obtained by the sensors 9 can be stacked over a period of time.
It can be appreciated that hundreds of the sensors 9 can be fabricated at low cost using semiconductor fabrication technology and that hundreds of the sensors 9 may be deployed during a drilling operation where the downhole tool 10 is not removed from the borehole 2. It can be appreciated that when a plurality of the sensors 9 is released into the borehole 2, the sensors 9 can be configured to be self-actuating upon detection of the drilling fluid 8 electrically or optically as non-limiting examples.
It can be appreciated that the sensor 9 can be made on silicon, glass, ceramic, metal, polymer, plastic and other substrates using conventional and semiconductor processing/fabrication methods not limited to CMOS batch fabrication, ink printing, screen printing, embossing and other methods known in the art. In one or more embodiments, the sensor 9 can be built on a tape such as a polyimide tape. In one or more embodiments, the sensor 9 can be encapsulated in hard abrasion resistant materials such as ceramics and/or in hard high temperature capable polymers such as PEEK to avoid physical damage to sensor components.
In support of the teachings herein, various analysis components may be used, including a digital and/or an analog system. For example, the downhole electronics 11, the surface computer processing 12, or the processing unit 31 may include the digital and/or analog system. The system may have components such as a processor, storage media, memory, input, output, communications link (wired, wireless, pulsed mud, optical or other), user interfaces, software programs, signal processors (digital or analog) and other such components (such as resistors, capacitors, inductors and others) to provide for operation and analyses of the apparatus and methods disclosed herein in any of several manners well-appreciated in the art. It is considered that these teachings may be, but need not be, implemented in conjunction with a set of computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, including memory (ROMs, RAMs), optical (CD-ROMs), or magnetic (disks, hard drives), or any other type that when executed causes a computer to implement the method of the present invention. These instructions may provide for equipment operation, control, data collection and analysis and other functions deemed relevant by a system designer, owner, user or other such personnel, in addition to the functions described in this disclosure.
Further, various other components may be included and called upon for providing for aspects of the teachings herein. For example, a power supply (e.g., at least one of a generator, a remote supply and a battery), cooling component, heating component, magnet, electromagnet, sensor, electrode, transmitter, receiver, transceiver, antenna, controller, optical unit, electrical unit or electromechanical unit may be included in support of the various aspects discussed herein or in support of other functions beyond this disclosure.
The term “carrier” as used herein means any device, device component, combination of devices, media and/or member that may be used to convey, house, support or otherwise facilitate the use of another device, device component, combination of devices, media and/or member. Other exemplary non-limiting carriers include drill strings of the coiled tube type, of the jointed pipe type and any combination or portion thereof. Other carrier examples include casing pipes, wirelines, wireline sondes, slickline sondes, drop shots, bottom-hole-assemblies, drill string inserts, modules, internal housings and substrate portions thereof.
Elements of the embodiments have been introduced with either the articles “a” or “an.” The articles are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the elements listed. The conjunction “or” when used with a list of at least two terms is intended to mean any term or combination of terms. The terms “first” and “second” are used to distinguish elements and are not used to denote a particular order. The term “couple” relates to coupling a first component to a second component either directly or indirectly through an intermediate component.
It will be recognized that the various components or technologies may provide certain necessary or beneficial functionality or features. Accordingly, these functions and features as may be needed in support of the appended claims and variations thereof, are recognized as being inherently included as a part of the teachings herein and a part of the invention disclosed.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications will be appreciated to adapt a particular instrument, situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for estimating a downhole property of interest, the apparatus comprising:
- a carrier configured to be conveyed in a borehole penetrating an earth formation and carry a releasable sensor; and
- a sensor configured to be released by the carrier into drilling fluid and to sense the property;
- wherein the sensor comprises a memory to store sensed property data.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is configured to release the sensor external to the carrier and into the borehole where the sensor travels uphole in the drilling fluid.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, where the carrier is configured to release the sensor internal to the carrier where the sensor exits a drill bit into the borehole where the sensor travels uphole in the drilling fluid.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving device configured to receive the sensor from the borehole fluid or the sensed memory data from the sensor that has been released from the carrier.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the receiving device comprises a screen configured to entrap the sensor.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the receiving device comprises a magnet configured to attract the sensor in the borehole fluid.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the receiving device comprises a first transducer configured to receive signals from the sensor.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first transducer comprises an antenna and the signals are electromagnetic signal.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor further comprises a second transducer configured to transmit the signals to the receiving device in order to transmit the sensed property data.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second transducer comprises an antenna and the signals are electromagnetic signals.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensor further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the sensed property data using the second transducer.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second transducer is configured to transmit acoustic, magnetic or optical signals.
13. The apparatus according to claim 4, the sensor comprising a connector configured to receive data from the carrier or download data to the receiving device.
14. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a beacon configured to emit a signal to activate or deactivate the receiving device.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is encapsulated in a protective coating.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a thermocouple configured to measure temperature.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a flexural mechanical resonator configured to measure a property of a downhole fluid.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the flexural mechanical resonator comprises a plurality of flexural mechanical resonators with each resonator tuned to a specific range of measurements.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a processor configured to operate the sensor to obtain the sensed property data and to store the sensed property data in the memory.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processor comprises a clock configured to provide a time at which each measurement is performed.
21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a power source configured to power the sensor.
22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure transducer configured to measure depth in the borehole at which each measurement is performed.
23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one of temperature, pressure, density, viscosity, compressibility, acoustic property, magnetic property, chemical composition and material characteristic of the formation, fluid in the formation, drill string components, and drilling fluid.
24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is conveyed by a drill string or coiled tubing.
25. A method for estimating a downhole property of interest, the method comprising:
- conveying a carrier through a borehole penetrating the earth;
- releasing a sensor into drilling fluid;
- sensing the property of interest using the sensor; and
- downloading data sensed by the sensor at a location uphole from the sensing.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein downloading comprises retrieving the sensor from the drilling fluid or receiving transmitted sensed data from the sensor.
27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sensing is performed before the releasing.
28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein two or more sensors in the plurality are configured to sense a same property.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 15, 2011
Publication Date: May 16, 2013
Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Sunil KUMAR (Celle)
Application Number: 13/296,755
International Classification: E21B 47/00 (20120101);