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Real-time well surveillance using a wireless network and an in-wellbore tool

  • US 10,408,047 B2
  • Filed: 10/23/2015
  • Issued: 09/10/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of transmitting data along a wellbore up to a surface, comprising:

  • placing two or more downhole sensors engaged with a tubular positioned within the wellbore, the two or more sensors proximate a depth of a subsurface formation, the subsurface formation containing hydrocarbon fluids, the tubular extending between the surface and the subsurface formation within the wellbore;

    generating sensor signals at the downhole sensors that are indicative of one or more subsurface conditions;

    providing one or more sensor communications nodes along the tubular proximate the subsurface formation, each of the one or more sensor communications nodes having an acoustic transceiver in acoustic contact with the tubular for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals along the tubular for transmitting the data corresponding to the generated sensor signals as acoustic data signals along the tubular, wherein each sensor of the downhole sensors and said each sensor communications node of the one or more sensor communications nodes is secured to a joint of production casing, to a base pipe of a sand screen, or to a sliding sleeve device;

    configuring the one or more sensor communications nodes to receive the generated sensor signals and transforming the received generated sensor signals into the acoustic data signals;

    acoustically transmitting the acoustic data signals along the tubular using at least one of the one or more sensor communications nodes;

    providing a memory node comprising a memory, the memory node in communication with the at least one of the one or more sensor communications nodes to retain the acoustic data signals in the memory, the memory being accessible to a memory wireless transmission transceiver;

    running a downhole tool into the tubular using a working string, the downhole tool having an associated signal receiver;

    transmitting the acoustic data signals from the memory to the associated signal receiver by means of the memory wireless transmission transceiver as the associated signal receiver is positioned by the working string within an effective wireless transmission range to said each of the sensor communications nodes within the wellbore;

    transmitting the acoustic data signals received by the associated signal receiver from the memory along the working string to the surface; and

    receiving the acoustic data signals from the associated signal receiver at the surface;

    further comprising a plurality of intermediate communications nodes, wherein at least one intermediate communications node of the intermediate communications nodes intermediately positioned between one of the one or more sensor communication nodes and the memory to transmit the acoustic data signals acoustically between the one of the one or more sensor communication nodes and the memory;

    wherein an intermediate transceiver in each of the intermediate communications nodes receives acoustic waves at a first frequency, and re-transmits the acoustic waves to a next intermediate communications node at a second different frequency; and

    the intermediate transceiver in said at least one intermediate communications node listens for the acoustic waves generated at the first frequency for a longer time than the time for which the acoustic waves were generated at the first frequency by a previous intermediate communications node.

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