Logging-while-tripping system and methods

• US 10,329,856 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Prammer, Manfred G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US15/155,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20160340987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/003 with electrically conducting or insulating means E21B17/028 and E21B17/023 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/113 using electrical indications; using light radiations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/26 Storing data down-hole, e.g. in a memory or on a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits

Abstract

A downhole communication system has a plurality of repeaters adapted to store segments of logging-while-tripping (LWT) data during tripping. The LWT data are transmitted to the repeaters during tripping and then read out from the repeaters at the surface. The segments and repeaters are read using one or more surface communication devices, such as a rack board, a stand verifier, a box cap, or a pin cap, each adapted to access and test segments of wired drill pipe each having one or more repeaters. The rack board includes an array of communication couplers that are each adapted to exchange signals with a pin coupler of a pipe segment. In turn, each communication coupler is connected with communication equipment adapted to process and display data stored in the one or more repeaters of the pipe segments during tripping. The stand verifier includes a communication coupler and is connected to communication equipment adapted to (1) verify the functionality of communication circuitry of the pipe segment before run-in and/or after trip-out, and/or (2) download after trip-out logging-while-tripping data stored in the one or more repeaters of the pipe segment during tripping, and/or (3) download parameters stored in the one or more repeaters of the pipe segment.

Claims

1. A downhole communication system to provide logging-while-tripping data during tripping operations, comprising:

surface communication equipment and downhole communication equipment that are not in communication with each other during said tripping operations;

a plurality of repeaters, each of the plurality of repeaters to store data segments of the logging-while-tripping data, comprising a first group of the plurality of repeaters receiving the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment and storing first data segments in their respective memories while deployed along a drill string in a well;

wherein the surface communication equipment comprising one or more surface communication devices that concurrently with said tripping operations read out second data segments of the logging-while-tripping data from a second group of said repeaters that are cut off from the downhole communication equipment; and

wherein said surface communication equipment arranges said second data segments read out from said second group of repeaters to provide said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment concurrently with said tripping operations;

wherein a logging-while-tripping memory in the plurality of repeaters is periodically overwritten to store a new data segment of said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment.

2. The downhole communication system of claim 1, wherein said repeaters are located on or in wired drill pipe that extends from the surface to a bottom hole assembly.

3. The downhole communication system of claim 2, wherein segments of the wired drill pipe have rotary connections and at least some of said rotary connections are to house at least one of said repeaters.

4. The downhole communication system of claim 2, wherein the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment is used by said surface communication equipment to monitor borehole conditions in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted.

5. The downhole communication system of claim 2, wherein the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment is used by said surface communication equipment to perform measurements in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted.

6. The downhole communication system of claim 2, wherein the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment is used by said surface communication equipment to perform time lapse logging in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted.

7. The downhole communication system of claim 2, wherein the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment is used by said surface communication equipment to optimize tripping speed for said wired drill pipe.

8. The downhole communication system of claim 1, wherein said each of said repeaters is responsive to radiofrequency signals in a HF-to-UHF frequency range.

9. The downhole communication system of claim 1, wherein the downhole communication equipment broadcasts said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment to said repeaters in parallel.

10. The downhole communication system of claim 1, wherein the downhole communication equipment broadcasts said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment to selected repeaters.

11. The downhole communication system of claim 1, wherein said one or more surface communication devices read out said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment using radiofrequency signals in a HF-to-UHF frequency range.

12. A method of collecting logging-while-tripping data from a downhole communication system during tripping operations, comprising:

transmitting with downhole communication equipment the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment;

receiving and storing, with each of a plurality of repeaters, wherein a first group of the plurality of repeaters receiving and storing first data segments of said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment; and

reading out second data segments of said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment from a second group of said plurality of repeaters that are cut off from the downhole communication equipment with one or more surface communication devices that are not in communication with said downhole communication equipment during said tripping operations; and

arranging said second data segments read out from said second group of repeaters and providing said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment concurrently with said tripping operations with surface communications equipment comprising said one or more surface communication devices;

storing and periodically overwriting the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment in logging-while-tripping memories in the plurality of repeaters to store a new data segment of said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising locating said repeaters on or in wired drill pipe that extends from the surface to a bottom hole assembly.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said locating said repeaters on or in said wired drill pipe comprises housing at least some of said repeaters in rotary connections of segments of said wired drill pipe.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring borehole conditions in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted using the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment read by said one or more surface communication devices.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing measurements in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted using the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment read by said one or more surface communication devices.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing time lapse logging in a borehole in which said wired drill pipe is inserted using the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment read by said one or more surface communication devices.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising optimizing tripping speed for said wired drill pipe using the logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment read by said one or more surface communication devices.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said each of said repeaters receives said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment as radiofrequency signals in a HF-to-UHF frequency range.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting of said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment by said downhole communication equipment comprises broadcasting said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment to said repeaters in parallel.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting of said logging-while-tripping data by said downhole communication equipment comprises broadcasting said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment to selected repeaters.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein said one or more surface communication devices reading out said logging-while-tripping data from said repeaters at the surface comprises said one or more surface communication devices reading out said logging-while-tripping data using radiofrequency signals in a HF-to-UHF frequency range.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising said surface communication equipment merging said logging-while-tripping data generated by said downhole communication equipment from the plurality of repeaters at the surface.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more surface communication devices reading out said logging-while-tripping data generated by

said downhole communication equipment from said repeaters at the surface comprises exchanging signals with a pin coupler or a box coupler of a wired drill pipe segment that includes comprising said each repeater while said wired drill pipe segment is positioned proximal a communication coupler of the one or more surface communication devices, said communication coupler reading the logging-while-tripping data from said each repeater of said wired drill pipe segment via said pin coupler or said box coupler.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising placing the wired drill pipe segment on a seating guide to ensure that the pin coupler of the wired drill pipe segment is located above the communication coupler.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising a pressure and/or optical sensor indicating a presence or absence of a drill pipe segment in a pin seat of said seating guide.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing wired or wireless communications from said one or more surface communication devices to other surface communication equipment.

28. The method of claim 24, said communication coupler communicating with the pin coupler of said wired drill pipe using radiofrequency signals in a HF-to-UHF frequency range.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising said surface communication equipment communicating with said communication coupler and testing functionality of a repeater in the wired drill pipe segment and/or functionality of the wired drill pipe segment itself.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising said surface communication equipment indicating functionality of a first repeater in the wired drill pipe segment and/or functionality of the wired drill pipe segment comprising said first repeater.

31. The method of claim 30, said surface communication equipment further providing an indication that said first repeater has a depleted or nearly depleted battery.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising a visual indicator indicating various conditions of a position proximal of said surface communication equipment including at least one of vacant, occupied, tests passed, tests failed, access in progress, and access completed.