Annulus pressure operated well monitoring

• US 20030151523A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Schultz, Roger L., Fripp, Michael L., Skinner, Neal G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/855.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B

Abstract

A method is provided for monitoring a well. In a described embodiment, the method uses annulus pressure to communicate between a downhole system and a remote location. The method may use intermittent electrical power generated by changes in annulus pressure to power the downhole system. Various sensors and well tools may be monitored and actuated by the downhole system, and acquired data may be transmitted to the remote location.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a downhole system and a remote location using intermittent electrical power, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving in the downhole system a series of spaced apart transmissions of electrical power, the system being powered by the electrical power transmissions;

setting a first telemetry bit to indicate a first bit value of a first byte of data in response to a first one of the electrical power transmissions;

communicating the first bit value to the remote location;

setting a second telemetry bit to indicate a second bit value of the first byte of data in response to a second one of the electrical power transmissions; and

communicating the second bit value to the remote location.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first bit value communicating step is performed in response to the first one of the electrical power transmissions, and wherein the second bit value communicating step is performed in response to the second one of the electrical power transmissions.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of generating the first one of the electrical power transmissions in response to a first pressure manipulation, and generating the second one of the electrical power transmissions in response to a second pressure manipulation.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first electrical power transmission generating step further comprises performing the first pressure manipulation in an annulus formed between a tubular string and a wellbore, and wherein the second electrical power transmission generating step further comprises performing the second pressure manipulation in the annulus.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first bit value communicating step is performed in response to a third one of the electrical power transmissions, and wherein the second bit value communicating step is performed in response to a fourth one of the electrical power transmissions.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of incrementing a count value in response to each of the electrical power transmissions.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of storing the count value between electrical power transmissions.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the storing step further comprises storing the count value in a nonvolatile memory which is not powered between the electrical power transmissions.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of resetting the count value when a preselected number of bit values of the first byte are communicated to the remote location.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of communicating bit values of a second byte of data after the resetting step.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telemetry bit setting step further comprises selecting a mode of actuation of a valve device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first telemetry bit communicating step further comprises selectively accepting and rejecting fluid flow through the valve device in response to the mode of actuation selecting step.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the selectively accepting and rejecting fluid flow step further comprises selectively accepting and rejecting fluid flow between the downhole system and an annulus surrounding the system.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of taking a reading from a downhole sensor to acquire the first byte of data.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the reading taking step is performed in response to a third one of the electrical power transmissions.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telemetry bit setting and second telemetry bit setting steps are performed in response to separate ones of a series of pressure increases.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first bit value communicating and second bit value communicating steps are performed in response to separate ones of a series of pressure decreases alternating with the pressure increases.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first telemetry bit setting and first bit value communicating steps are performed in response to a first one of the pressure increases, and wherein the second telemetry bit setting and second bit value communicating steps are performed in response to a second one of the pressure increases.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telemetry bit setting and second telemetry bit setting steps are performed in response to separate ones of a series of pressure decreases.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first bit value communicating and second bit value communicating steps are performed in response to separate ones of a series of pressure increases alternating with the pressure decreases.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first telemetry bit setting and first bit value communicating steps are performed in response to a first one of the pressure decreases, and wherein the second telemetry bit setting and second bit value communicating steps are performed in response to a second one of the pressure decreases.

22. A method of communicating between a downhole system and a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a series of pressure changes in a well;

acquiring into the downhole system at least one byte of data from a downhole sensor; and

transmitting to the remote location individual bits of the byte in response to respective separate ones of the series of pressure changes.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the acquiring step is performed in response to one of the series of pressure changes.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the transmitting step further comprises selectively altering a characteristic of the series of pressure changes.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively changing a volume of fluid needed to produce a corresponding pressure change in the well.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively changing a pressure needed to produce a corresponding volume change in the well.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively admitting and rejecting fluid flow into the system.

28. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of communicating multiple bytes of data from the downhole system to the remote location by performing the acquiring and transmitting steps for each of the bytes.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the generating step further comprises generating a spaced apart series of electrical power transmissions in response to the series of pressure changes.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the acquiring step further comprises utilizing the power generated in the generating step to acquire the byte of data from the downhole sensor.

31. A method of communicating between a downhole system and a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:

selectively altering an effective volume in a well, thereby indicating a corresponding value of a bit of a byte of data to be transmitted;

changing pressure in the well;

detecting at the remote location the effective volume of the well in response to the pressure changing step, thereby receiving the corresponding bit value at the remote location; and

repeating the selectively altering, pressure changing and detecting steps for each bit of the byte of data, thereby transmitting the byte of data to the remote location.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively operating a valve device of the downhole system.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively providing fluid communication with a chamber in the downhole system.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively providing fluid transfer between a volume of the downhole system and an annulus formed between a tubular string and a wellbore of the well.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the detecting step further comprises determining a change in fluid volume which produces a certain change in pressure.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein the detecting step further comprises determining a change in pressure which produces a certain change in fluid volume.

37. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of generating electrical power in response to the pressure changing step.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the selectively altering step is performed in response to the electrical power generating step.

39. The method according to claim 31, wherein the selectively altering step further comprises selectively operating a valve device of the downhole system and, wherein the changing pressure step further comprises changing pressure in an annulus formed between a tubular string and a wellbore of the well, and wherein the detecting step further comprises monitoring pressure and fluid volume changes in the annulus to thereby determine whether the valve is open or closed.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the valve device is a solenoid valve.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the valve device includes a magnetorheological fluid.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the selectively operating step further comprises selectively applying a magnetic field to the magnetorheological fluid.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the selectively operating step further comprises selectively solidifying the magnetorheological fluid in a passage, thereby selectively restricting flow of the magnetorheological fluid through the passage.

44. A method of communicating between a remote location and a downhole system in a well, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first predetermined pressure change in the well to a corresponding first bit value;

assigning a second predetermined pressure change in the well to a corresponding second bit value; and

selectively changing pressure in the well to thereby transmit a succession of bits having the corresponding first and second values.

45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising the step of successively receiving the transmitted bits into a shift register.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising the step of comparing the bits received into the shift register with a series of codes.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein a least one of the codes is a command code, and further comprising the step of executing a corresponding command when the bits received into the shift register match the command code.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein the successively receiving step further comprises successively removing from the shift register bits previously stored therein.

49. The method according to claim 44, further comprising the step of generating electrical power in response to the selectively changing pressure step.

50. The method according to claim 44, wherein the selectively changing pressure step further comprises selectively changing pressure in an annulus formed between a tubular string and a wellbore of the well.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the selectively changing pressure step further comprises applying pressure to the annulus at the remote location, thereby transmitting the bits from the remote location.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising the step of sensing pressure in the annulus at the downhole system, thereby receiving the transmitted bits at the downhole system.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising the steps of comparing pressure changes sensed in the annulus to the first and second predetermined pressure changes to thereby determine the first and second values of the respective transmitted bits.

54. The method according to claim 53, further comprising the steps of storing the transmitted bits in a shift register of the downhole system, and comparing the bits stored in the shift register with a series of predetermined codes.

55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising the step of executing a programmed function when the bits stored in the shift register match one of the codes.

56. The method according to claim 44, wherein at least one of the first and second pressure changes is a pressure increase.

57. The method according to claim 44, wherein at least one of the first and second pressure changes is a pressure decrease.

58. A method of communicating between a remote location and a downhole system in a well, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a first predetermined pressure change at the remote location to an annulus formed between a tubular string and a wellbore of the well, the first pressure change being indicative of a first bit value;

applying a second predetermined pressure change at the remote location to the annulus, the second pressure change being indicative of a second bit value; and

selectively repeating the first and second pressure change applying steps to thereby transmit a succession of the first and second bit values to the downhole system.

59. The method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of monitoring annulus pressure change at the downhole system, comparing the monitored annulus pressure changes to the first and second pressure changes, and determining when the monitored annulus pressure change indicates that one of the first and second bit values has been transmitted.

60. The method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of storing the succession of bit values in a shift register of the downhole system, comparing the stored bit values to at least one preselected code, and performing a function in response to the stored bit values matching the preselected code.

61. The method according to claim 60, wherein the function performing step further comprises operating a flow control device in the well.

62. The method according to claim 60, wherein the function performing step further comprises taking a reading from a sensor in the well.

63. The method according to claim 58, wherein at least one of the first and second pressure changes is a pressure increase.

64. The method according to claim 58, wherein at least one of the first and second pressure changes is a pressure decrease.