Closed-loop conveyance systems for well servicing

• US 6,868,906 B1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Chitwood, James E., Vail, William Banning III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsay, Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/162,302
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.01, 166/250.15, 166/373, 166/53, 166/65.1, 166/66.7, 166/77.2, 166/313, 166/52, 166/369, 340/853.3, 340/854.6, 340/855.3
• US Class Current: 166/250.01
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/206 with conductors, e.g. electrical, optical
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/10 Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems
• 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 23/001 Self-propelling systems or apparatus, e.g. for moving tools within the horizontal portion of a borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1243 with inflatable sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/126 with fluid-pressure-operated elastic cup or skirt E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/14 for cementing casings into boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/16 using plugs for isolating cement charge; Plugs therefor stage cementing E21B33/146; spacer compositions C09K8/424
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/04 Electric drives E21B4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/18 Anchoring or feeding in the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/103 of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/068 drilled by a down-hole drilling motor down-hole drives per se E21B4/00, E21B7/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes

Abstract

A closed-loop system is used to perform a variety of well services. The well services include well completion services, production and maintenance services, and enhanced recovery services. A closed-loop system to complete an oil and gas well is an automated system under computer control that executes a sequence of programmed steps, but those steps depend in part upon information obtained from at least one downhole sensor that is communicated to the surface to optimize and/or change the steps executed by the computer to complete the well. A tractor conveyor with a Retrieval Sub is a tractor deployer that may be used to deploy completion devices and other devices within the wellbore to perform well services. The tractor deployer may be operated from a wireline, or from an umbilical. The umbilical may be made from composite materials and it may be a neutrally buoyant in any well fluids present. The umbilical provides power and data communications downhole. The umbilical may also be coiled tubing possessing electrical conductors. Other conveyance systems are provided to deploy completion devices and other devices within the wellbore to perform well services. The closed-loop system may also be used to monitor and control production of hydrocarbons from the wellbore.

Claims

1. An automated well servicing system for producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore in the earth that is substantially under the control of a computer system that executes a sequence of programmed steps comprising:

(a) at least one computer system located on the surface of the earth;

(b) at least one tractor conveyance means to convey at least one completion device into said wellbore under the automated control of said computer system;

(c) at least one sensor means located within said tractor conveyance means;

(d) first communications means that provides commands from said computer system to said tractor conveyance means;

(e) second communications means that provides information from said sensor means to said computer system,

whereby the execution of the programmed steps of said computer system to control said tractor conveyance means takes into account information received from said sensor means to optimize the steps executed by the computer system to service the well.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 that is used to perform completion services on a well.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 that is used to perform production and maintenance services on a well.

4. The apparatus in claim 1 that is used to perform enhanced recovery services on a well.

5. The apparatus in claim 1, whereby said tractor conveyance means is connected to said automated well servicing system by a wireline.

6. The apparatus in claim 5, whereby said wireline provides electrical power to said tractor conveyance means.

7. The apparatus in claim 6, whereby said wireline provides said first and second communications means.

8. The apparatus in claim 1, whereby said tractor conveyance means is connected to said automated well servicing system by an umbilical.

9. The apparatus in claim 8, whereby said umbilical is substantially neutrally buoyant in any well fluids present in the well.

10. The apparatus in claim 9, whereby said umbilical provides electrical power to said tractor conveyance means.

11. The apparatus in claim 9, whereby said umbilical provides said first and second communications means.

12. The apparatus in claim 11 whereby said first and second communications means are combined into a single bidirectional communications system means.

13. The apparatus in claim 12, whereby said first and second communications means are one optical fiber disposed within the umbilical.

14. The apparatus in claim 11, whereby said first and second communications means are two or more electrical wires within said umbilical.

15. The apparatus in claim 8, whereby said umbilical provides a conduit for fluids.

16. The apparatus in claim 8 whereby said umbilical is made from materials that includes at least one composite material.

17. The apparatus in claim 16 whereby said composite material is a carbon-based composite material.

18. The apparatus in claim 17 whereby said composite material encapsulates a volume containing silica microspheres that are embedded in syntactic foam material, whereby said volume is used to adjust the buoyancy of the umbilical.

19. The apparatus in claim 1, whereby said tractor conveyance means is connected to said automated well servicing system by an umbilical means.

20. The apparatus in claim 19 whereby said umbilical means is a coiled tubing.

21. The apparatus in claim 20 whereby said coiled tubing is made from steel.

22. The apparatus in claim 21 whereby one or more electrical conductors are disposed within the interior of said steel coiled tubing.

23. The apparatus in claim 21 whereby a wireline is disposed within the interior of said steel coiled tubing.

24. The apparatus in claim 20 whereby said coiled tubing is made from a composite material.

25. The apparatus in claim 24 whereby one or more electrical conductors are disposed within the interior of said coiled tubing made from composite material.

26. The apparatus in claim 24 whereby one or more electrical conductors are disposed within the walls of said coiled tubing that is made from said composite material.

27. The apparatus in claim 24 whereby a wireline is disposed within the interior of the coiled tubing that is made from said composite material.

28. The apparatus in claim 1, whereby said tractor conveyance means is connected to said automated well servicing system by any tubular means possessing at least one electrical conductor.

29. The apparatus in claim 1, whereby said tractor conveyance means is connected to said automated well servicing system by an umbilical means having at least one electrical conductor.