Downhole tool with navigation system

• US 20050241825A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Fripp, Michael L., Hales, John H., Rodgers, John, Towers, Darrin N., Schwendemann, Kenneth L., Burris, Wesley J. II, Starr, Phillip M., Goiffon, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/255.100
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/10 Tools specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/04 Measuring depth or liquid level

Abstract

A downhole tool for use in a well bore comprises an onboard navigation system for determining the location of the tool within the well bore, wherein the tool is moved along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force. A method of locating a downhole tool in a well bore comprises deploying the tool along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force, and self-determining the location of the tool without receiving communications from the surface. In an embodiment, the tool is a well bore zonal isolation device.

Claims

1. A downhole tool for use in a well bore comprising:

an onboard navigation system for determining the location of the tool within the well bore;

wherein the tool is moved along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the navigation system senses at least one parameter and determines the location of the tool based on the sensed parameters.

3. The downhole tool of claim 2 wherein the navigation system comprises an analog circuit, a digital electrical circuit, a mechanical circuit, or a combination thereof.

4. The downhole tool of claim 2 wherein the navigation system applies a Markov decision process, a Kalman filter, a neural-networks filter, or a combination thereof to improve the accuracy or resolution of the sensed parameters.

5. The downhole tool of claim 2 wherein the navigation system comprises:

a casing collar locator, an odometer, a hydrostatic pressure transducer, a dynamic pressure transducer, a curb feeler, an accelerometer, a chronometer, an optical transducer, a flow meter, a magnetometer, a logging tool, a gravimeter, a sonar device, an inclinometer, a thermometer, a fluid property sensor, a Doppler velocity meter, a Doppler interferometer, or a combination thereof.

6. The downhole tool of claim 2 wherein the navigation system senses two or more parameters to determine the location of the tool.

7. The downhole tool of claim 6 wherein the navigation system comprises at least one discrete sensor that provides an indication of a structure in the well bore and at least one continuous sensor that provides an indication of a location of the tool within the well bore.

8. The downhole tool of claim 7 wherein the at least one discrete sensor comprises at least one giant magneto-resistive element and the at least one continuous sensor comprises at least one pressure transducer.

9. The downhole tool of claim 6 wherein the navigation system comprises two or more identical types of sensors.

10. The downhole tool of claim 6 wherein the navigation system comprises two or more sensors disposed axially along the tool.

11. The downhole tool of claim 6 wherein the navigation system comprises two or more sensors disposed radially around the tool.

12. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the navigation system is operable to determine an azimuth orientation of the tool within the well bore.

13. The downhole tool of claim 12 further comprising at least one rotator to azimuthally orient the tool within the well bore.

14. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising at least one activator for activating a functional component of the tool at one or more locations within the well bore.

15. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the one or more locations is sensed by the navigation system.

16. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the at least one activator responds to the navigation system to activate the tool.

17. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the at least one activator responds to communication from the surface to activate the tool.

18. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the at least one activator responds to communication from another downhole component to activate the tool.

19. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the at least one activator activates the tool via a mechanical operation, a chemical operation, an electrical operation, a hydraulic operation, an explosive operation, a timer-controlled operation, or a combination thereof.

20. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the functional component provides one or more functions comprising:

slowing the tool, stopping the tool, holding the tool in the well bore, perforating a well bore casing, evaluating the formation, evaluating a well bore assembly, isolating a well bore segment, releasing the tool in the well bore, releasing a component of the tool, or a combination thereof.

21. The downhole tool of claim 14 wherein the functional component comprises a brake operable to slow the tool, stop the tool, release the tool, or a combination thereof.

22. The downhole tool claim 21 wherein the brake comprises a fluid drag component, a pressure differential component, an eddy current component, a generator component, a rotary component, a mechanical component, a magnetic component, an adhesive component, a suction component, an inflatable component, a variable buoyancy component, or a combination thereof.

23. The downhole tool of claim 21 wherein the brake is operable to set the tool against a casing or against an open hole wall in the well bore.

24. The downhole tool of claim 23 wherein the brake is releasable to unset the tool from the casing or the open hole wall.

25. The downhole tool of claim 23 wherein the brake comprises a frangible component that is fragmented to unset the tool.

26. The downhole tool of claim 23 wherein the brake comprises a dissolvable component that is dissolved to unset the tool.

27. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the external force comprises gravity, hydraulic pressure, a wireline, a slick line, a coiled tubing, a pipe string, or a combination thereof.

28. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the tool comprises a frac plug, a bridge plug, a packer, a logging tool, a casing patch, a formation tester, a perforating gun, a whipstock, a marker setting tool, a tool servicing device, or a combination thereof.

29. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is retrievable.

30. The downhole tool of claim 29 wherein the tool is operable to alter its buoyancy and is retrieved by floating to the surface of the well bore.

31. The downhole tool of claim 29 wherein the tool is retrieved via a connection to the surface.

32. The downhole tool of claim 29 wherein the tool is flowable and is retrieved by circulating the tool to the surface in a fluid flowing in the well bore.

33. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is disposable.

34. The downhole tool of claim 33 wherein the tool comprises drillable materials, millable materials, or both.

35. The downhole tool of claim 33 wherein the tool comprises an effective amount of biodegradable material such that the tool desirably decomposes when exposed to a well bore environment.

36. The downhole tool of claim 33 wherein the tool comprises an effective amount of dissolvable material such that the tool desirably decomposes when exposed to a chemical solution.

37. The downhole tool of claim 36 wherein the dissolution rate of the tool may be increased by exposing the tool to another chemical solution.

38. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the tool has no mechanical connection to the surface.

39. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein the location of the tool in the well bore is referenced to a well bore feature, a formation feature, or a combination thereof.

40. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a detachable component of the tool operable to detach from the tool within the well bore.

41. The downhole tool of claim 40 wherein the detachable component holds a fluid sample, a core sample, a consumable component of the downhole tool, or a combination thereof.

42. The downhole tool of claim 40 wherein the detachable component comprises the navigation system or a portion thereof.

43. The downhole tool of claim 40 wherein the detachable component is a memory component.

44. The downhole tool of claim 43 wherein the memory component is returnable to the surface of the well bore after detaching from the tool.

45. The downhole tool of claim 44 wherein the memory component is buoyant.

46. The downhole tool of claim 44 wherein the memory component is retrieved via a connection to the surface.

47. The downhole tool of claim 44 wherein the memory component is flowable and is circulated to the surface in a fluid flowing in the well bore.

48. A well bore zonal isolation device comprising:

a navigation system for onboard determination of the location of the device within a well bore;

wherein the device is moved along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force.

49. The device of claim 48 wherein the navigation system senses at least one parameter and determines the location of the device based on the sensed parameters.

50. The device of claim 48 further comprising an activator for activating a functional component of the device at one or more locations within the well bore.

51. The device of claim 50 wherein the one or more locations within the well bore are sensed by the navigation system.

52. The device of claim 50 wherein the one or more locations are predetermined.

53. The device of claim 50 wherein the functional component is a brake operable to slow, stop, release the device, or combinations thereof.

54. The device of claim 48 further comprising a check valve operable to prevent flow downwardly through the device, and selectively operable to either allow flow upwardly through the device or prevent flow upwardly through the device.

55. The device of claim 54 wherein the device is operable to flow back to the surface of the well bore when the check valve prevents flow upwardly through the device.

56. The device of claim 48 wherein the device is reusable.

57. The device of claim 48 wherein the device is disposable.

58. A method of locating a downhole tool in a well bore comprising:

deploying the tool along at least a partial length of the well bore via an external force; and

self-determining the location of the tool without receiving communications from the surface.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the tool is a zonal isolation device.