PARTIALLY REFLECTIVE MATERIALS AND COATINGS FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION IN A WELLBORE

• US 20180045041A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Stark, Daniel Joshua, Maida, John L., Barfoot, David Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,612,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/135 using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7773 Reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/554 detecting the surface plasmon resonance of nanostructured metals, e.g. localised surface plasmon resonance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/80 Indicating pH value
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4415 Cables for special applications G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission

Abstract

Methods and systems for the use of partially reflective materials and coatings for optical communications in a wellbore environment are provided. In one embodiment, methods for remote communication in a wellbore comprise: positioning an optical fiber in the wellbore, wherein at least a portion of the optical fiber comprises a partially reflective coating; transmitting an output optical signal from an optical source through the optical fiber; and receiving a reflected optical signal from the optical fiber at an optical detector, wherein at least one optical property of the reflected optical signal is indicative of a downhole condition.

Claims

1. A method for remote communication in a wellbore comprising:

positioning an optical fiber in the wellbore, wherein at least a portion of the optical fiber comprises a partially reflective coating;

transmitting an output optical signal from an optical source through the optical fiber; and

receiving a reflected optical signal from the optical fiber at an optical detector, wherein at least one optical property of the reflected optical signal is indicative of a downhole condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the output optical signal is a broadband light wave.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective coating is selected from the group consisting of:

Ag, Au, Cu, Ti, Rd, Cr, TiO₂, MgF₂, SiO, SiO₂, a dielectric, a dichroic, a nanoparticle, a polarizer, a depolarizer, a nanoscale material, a metamaterial, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the optical fiber further comprises a protective coating selected from the group consisting of:

a room temperature vulcanizing silicone, a fiber optic shrink protector, a polyimide microtube, sulfur, potassium sulfide, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the optical fiber is not otherwise insulated or protected from the wellbore environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an optical modulator modulates at least one of the reflected optical signal and the output optical signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is coupled to at least one sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical property is selected from the group consisting of:

amplitude, phase, polarization, frequency of the optical signal, and any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is coupled to a spectrometer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective coating is applied by a chemical, evaporative, sputtering, or chemical vapor deposition process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the downhole condition is a condition selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, strain, temperature, pressure, salinity, lithology, porosity, pH, vibration, acoustics, gas cut, nuclear magnetic resonance, resistivity, spectrographic conditions, chromatographic conditions, and any combination thereof.

12. A wellbore sensing system, comprising:

a concatenated optical fiber comprising a plurality of junctions, wherein at least one of the junctions comprises a partially reflective material;

at least one optical source coupled to the concatenated optical fiber; and

at least one optical detector coupled to the concatenated optical fiber capable of detecting an optical signal that reflects from the at least one junction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the partially reflective material is selected from the group consisting of:

a silver nanoparticle, a gold nanoparticle, a nanoscale material, a metamaterial, Ag, Au, Cu, Ti, Rd, Cr, TiO₂, MgF₂, SiO, SiO₂, a dielectric, a dichroic, a polarizer, a depolarizer, and any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to the concatenated optical fiber.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the optical signal that reflects from the at least one junction is indicative of a downhole condition.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising an optical modulator coupled to the optical fiber.

17. A method for determining a downhole condition in a subterranean formation, comprising:

positioning a concatenated optical fiber comprising a plurality of junctions in a wellbore, wherein at least one of the plurality of junctions comprises a partially reflective material;

transmitting one or more output optical signals from an optical source to the concatenated optical fiber; and

receiving one or more reflected optical signals at an optical detector coupled to the concatenated optical fiber, wherein at least one optical property of the one or more reflected optical signals is indicative of a downhole condition.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the partially reflective material is selected from the group consisting of:

a silver nanoparticle, a gold nanoparticle, a nanoscale material, a metamaterial, Ag, Au, Cu, Ti, Rd, Cr, TiO₂, MgF₂, SiO, SiO₂, a dielectric, a dichroic, a polarizer, a depolarizer, and any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the concatenated optical fiber is coupled to at least one sensor.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein an optical modulator modulates at least one of the one or more output optical signals and the one or more reflected optical signals.