Electromagnetic detector apparatus and method for oil or gas well, and circuit-bearing displaceable object to be detected therein
First Claim
1. An object to be displaced in an oil or gas well, comprising:
- a body movable through a conduit of an oil or gas well; and
an electrical circuit connected to the body, the electrical circuit responsive to an externally generated alternating current electromagnetic signal such that the electrical circuit transmits a responsive electromagnetic signal for reception outside the object as the object moves through the conduit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An object to be displaced in an oil or gas well includes a body that is movable through a conduit of an oil or gas well and an electrical circuit that is connected to the body. The electrical circuit can include an active or passive radio frequency identification tag, at least the passive type of which is responsive to an externally generated alternating current electromagnetic signal such that the electrical circuit transmits a responsive signal for reception outside the object as the object moves through the conduit. A detector apparatus for an oil or gas well generally comprises: a body movable through a conduit of an oil or gas well; an electrical circuit connected to the body, the electrical circuit for transmitting an electromagnetic signal for reception away from the body as the body moves through the conduit; and a receiver disposed relative to the conduit and the body to receive the electromagnetic signal from the electrical circuit. The apparatus can further comprise a transmitter disposed relative to the conduit and the body to transmit into the conduit an alternating current electromagnetic signal, wherein the electrical circuit transmits its electromagnetic signal in response to the alternating current electromagnetic signal from the transmitter. Related methods are also described.
163 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object to be displaced in an oil or gas well, comprising:
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a body movable through a conduit of an oil or gas well; and
an electrical circuit connected to the body, the electrical circuit responsive to an externally generated alternating current electromagnetic signal such that the electrical circuit transmits a responsive electromagnetic signal for reception outside the object as the object moves through the conduit. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Detector apparatus for an oil or gas well, comprising:
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a body selected from the group consisting of a moveable plug, ball and dart movable through a conduit of an oil or gas well;
an electrical circuit carried by the body, wherein the electrical circuit transmits an electromagnetic signal for reception away from the body as the body moves through the conduit; and
a receiver disposed relative to the conduit and the body to receive the electromagnetic signal from the electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. Detector apparatus for an oil or gas well having a wellhead fixture at the mouth of the well, wherein the wellhead fixture has at least one entry passage into the well or at least one exit passage out of the well, comprising:
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a body movable through the wellhead fixture into or out of the oil or gas well;
a transmitter connected to the wellhead fixture to transmit into the wellhead fixture an alternating current electromagnetic signal;
an electrical circuit connected to the body, the electrical circuit responsive to the alternating current electromagnetic signal when the body is in the wellhead fixture such that the electrical circuit transmits a responsive electromagnetic signal for reception outside the body as the body moves in the wellhead fixture; and
a receiver connected to the wellhead fixture to receive the responsive signal from the electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. Detector apparatus for an oil or gas well having a wellhead fixture at the mouth of the well, wherein the wellhead fixture has at least one entry passage into the well or at least one exit passage out of the well, comprising:
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a body selected from the group consisting of a moveable plug, ball and dart movable through the wellhead fixture into or out of the oil or gas well;
an electrical circuit carried by the body, wherein the electrical circuit transmits an electromagnetic signal for reception outside the body as the body moves in the wellhead fixture; and
a receiver connected to the wellhead fixture to receive the electromagnetic signal from the electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of detecting an object moving in a conduit of an oil or gas well, comprising:
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providing a triggering electromagnetic signal from outside an object moving in a conduit of an oil or gas well;
generating, from an electrical circuit on the object moving in the conduit responding to the triggering electromagnetic signal, a responsive electromagnetic signal; and
detecting the responsive electromagnetic signal away from the moving object. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of detecting a plug moving in a plug container of an oil or gas well, comprising:
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generating an electromagnetic signal from an electrical circuit on the plug moving in the plug container; and
detecting the electromagnetic signal away from the moving plug.
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19. Detector apparatus for an oil or gas well having a plug container that connects at the mouth of the well to a tubing string extending in the well, comprising:
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a movable plug disposed in the plug container such that the plug is pumpable into the tubing string from the plug container;
an electrical circuit carried by the plug, wherein the electrical circuit provides at least one of a self-generated electromagnetic signal or a responsive electromagnetic signal;
an antenna mounted on the plug container so that an electromagnetic signal can be transmitted from the antenna to the electrical circuit or received by the antenna from the electrical circuit; and
a receiver connected to the antenna so that the receiver detects reception by the antenna of the self-generated or responsive electromagnetic signal from the electrical circuit when the plug is within an effective proximity of the antenna. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification