Methods and systems for detecting RFID tags in a borehole environment

• US 10,358,914 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Roberson, Mark W., Goodwin, Scott, Bartee, Charles, Roddy, Craig W., Ravi, Krishna M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US14/316,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/005 Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/01 Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/10 Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

Sensor assemblies are deployed in a borehole for a well, such as an oil well or other hydrocarbon recovery well. The sensor assemblies may be coupled to a casing string (e.g., the exterior of the casing), and detect RFID tags or other properties of material (e.g., fluids) in an annulus surrounding the casing string. During cementing or other operations, RFID tags may be used to track fluids. RFID detection circuits may be used to scan at different frequencies, and corresponding results may be compared by various means and processes to determine the presence of RFID tags.

Claims

1. A method of detecting radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags in a borehole, comprising:

scanning for the RFID tags at a plurality of frequencies in at least a portion of an annulus surrounding an exterior of a casing string in the borehole, wherein the RFID tags are embedded in a wellbore composition within the annulus;

receiving a plurality of corresponding results from the RFID tags, wherein each corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results corresponds to a different one of the plurality of frequencies;

comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another, wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results comprises digitizing the plurality of corresponding results at a rate faster than a sweep time of said each of the plurality of corresponding results to create digitized signals, and

wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results comprises performing background correction by comparing the digitized signals of multiple sweeps to provide a background corrected signal; and

determining whether one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus based on the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of the plurality of corresponding results comprises an analog value that indicates a power level reflected from a scan of the portion of the annulus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining whether the one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus comprises:

determining a physical position corresponding with a dip in the power level; and

determining that the one or more of the RFID tags are present based on the physical position.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another, applying a bandpass filter to said each of the plurality of corresponding results to dampen environmental noise above and below a pair of respective threshold frequencies.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at a first time, storing a first corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results in an analog sample/hold circuit; and

retrieving the first corresponding result from the analog sample/hold circuit at later time; and

wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results further comprises subtracting one of a pair comprising the first corresponding result and a second corresponding result from the other of the pair comprising the first corresponding result and the second corresponding result.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein said each corresponding result of the corresponding results for each of the plurality of frequencies comprises a voltage level;

and

wherein said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another further comprises comparing a first voltage level corresponding to a first result to a second voltage level corresponding to a second result using at least one of;

an analog subtraction circuit, an analog multiplication circuit, a digital subtraction circuit and a digital multiplication circuit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining whether the one or more of RFID tags are present comprises,

converting an output of the analog subtraction circuit to a digital value;

and

using a digital circuit to determine if the digital value exceeds a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning at a series of successively faster frequencies;

and

wherein said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another further comprises subtracting a result of scanning at a relatively lower frequency from a result of scanning at a frequency.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning at a series of successively slower frequencies;

and

wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises comparing a result of scanning at relatively higher frequency to a result of scanning at a relatively lower frequency.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first one of the plurality of corresponding results by averaging results from said scanning for the RFID tags multiple times at a first frequency of the plurality of frequencies; and

determining a second one of the plurality of corresponding results by averaging results from said scanning for the RFID tags multiple times at a second frequency of the plurality of frequencies.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning one or more frequencies below a target frequency and scanning one or more frequencies above the target frequency.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the one or more RFID tags are present comprises determining if a threshold value is exceeded by both:

a result of subtracting a second corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results from a first corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results; and

a result of subtracting the second corresponding result from a third result of the plurality of corresponding results.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of frequencies comprises at least three frequencies, and

wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results further comprises comparisons between at least three frequencies of the plurality of frequencies.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein said each one of the plurality of corresponding results comprises a voltage level;

and

wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises using a subtraction circuit to subtract a first voltage level of a second result from a second voltage level of a first result.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein said each one of the plurality of corresponding results comprises a voltage level;

and

wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises using a multiplication circuit to compare a first voltage level of a second result to a second voltage level of a first result.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein the scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies is performed through use of a first antenna, and

wherein the receiving of the plurality of corresponding results for each frequency of the plurality of frequencies is performed through use of a second antenna.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement slurry.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising pumping the wellbore composition from a surface at a top of the borehole into the annulus.

19. A method of detecting radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags in a borehole, comprising:

scanning for the RFID tags, at first, second, and third frequencies, in at least a portion of an annulus surrounding an exterior of a casing string in the borehole, wherein the RFID tags are embedded in a wellbore composition within the annulus;

receiving first, second, and third results from the RFID tags for the first, second, and third frequencies;

generating result comparisons, wherein said generating the result comparisons comprise comparing the first result with the second result, and the second result with the third result, and wherein said generating the result comparisons comprises digitizing each of the first result second result and third result at a rate faster than a sweep time corresponding to said each of the first result, second result and third result to create digitized signals, and wherein said generating the result comparisons comprises performing background correction by comparing the digitized signals of multiple sweeps to provide a background corrected signal; and

based on the result comparisons, determining whether one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein the first, second, and third results are each analog signals;

wherein said comparing the first result with the second result comprises calculating a fourth result by a first analog subtraction of the second result from the first result; and

wherein said comparing the second result with the third result comprises calculating a fifth result by a second analog subtraction of the second result from the third result.

21. The method of claim 20,

wherein each of the first, second, and third results comprises a respective voltage measured by an RFID detection circuit and is indicative of a level of power reflected by a scan of the portion of the annulus;

and

wherein said determining whether the one or more RFID tags are present comprises;

creating first and second digitized result values respectively from the fourth and fifth results using a sampling circuit; and

respectively comparing the first and second digitized result values to a threshold value.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement slurry.

23. A downhole assembly, comprising:

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) detection circuit to operate while the downhole assembly is coupled to a casing string, and to scan for RFID tags at a plurality of frequencies in at least a portion of an annulus surrounding the casing string in a borehole, the scanning for the RFID tags including receiving a corresponding scan result for each of the plurality of frequencies, wherein the RFID tags are embedded in a wellbore composition within the annulus;

an analog monitoring circuit to measure a voltage across a resistor in the RFID detection circuit, the voltage indicating a level of power reflected from the portion of the annulus during the scanning at the plurality of frequencies; and

a digital comparator circuit to;

convert an analog value to a digital value at a rate faster than a corresponding sweep time of the analog value, the analog value corresponding to a voltage difference between two voltage measurements taken by the analog monitoring circuit;

performing background correction on the digital value by comparing the digital value to a plurality of digitized signals of multiple sweeps to provide a background corrected signal; and

determine whether one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus by

determining whether the digital value exceeds a threshold value.

24. The downhole assembly of claim 23, further comprising an analog subtraction circuit to calculate the voltage difference between the two voltage measurements taken by the analog monitoring circuit.

25. The downhole assembly of claim 24, further comprising:

an analog bandpass filter to filter frequencies lower than a first threshold and higher than a second threshold for a voltage signal measured by the analog monitoring circuit;

an analog scaling circuit to scale signals output by the analog subtraction circuit; and

an analog amplification circuit to generate amplified signals output by the analog scaling circuit, and to provide the amplified signals output to the digital comparator circuit for digital conversion.

26. The downhole assembly of claim 23, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement slurry.

27. The downhole assembly of claim 23, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a fluid pumped from a surface at a top of the borehole into the annulus.