Optical fiber cables for wellbore applications

• US 7,324,730 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Sait, Noor, Mydur, Ravicharan, Kunathikom, Sumitra, Darpi, Monica, Varkey, Joseph, Wijnberg, Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mooney; Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US10/931,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20060045442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-104, 385106-107
• US Class Current: 385/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4413 Helical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables

Abstract

A cable which includes conductor bundles prepared from at least one optical fiber positioned either centrally or helically about the center axis of the bundle, metallic conductors helically positioned around the bundles center axis, and a polymeric insulation material. A method of making a cable including forming a conductor bundle by placing helically positioned conductors and optical fibers about the periphery of a central optical fiber or metallic conductor, encasing the conductors, optical fibers, in a polymeric insulation material, and grouping the conductor bundles together.

Claims

1. A cable comprising a plurality of conductor bundles, wherein each of said conductor bundles comprises:

at least one optical fiber positioned either centrally or helically about the center axis of said conductor bundle;

at least one metallic conductor helically positioned around said center axis of said conductor bundle; and

one or more polymeric insulation materials disposed about said optical fiber and metallic conductor.

2. A cable according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is either single-mode fiber or multiple-mode fiber.

3. A cable according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is hermetically coated.

4. A cable according to claim 1, wherein said metallic conductors are copper conductors.

5. A cable according to claim 1, further comprising one or more helically positioned optical fibers dispersed about the cable.

6. A cable according to claim 1, further comprising one or more interstitial fillers.

7. A cable according to claim 1, further comprising at least one flat shaped metallic conductor.

8. A cable according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said conductor bundles has a central metallic conductor positioned centrally upon the center axis of said conductor bundle.

9. A cable according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said conductor bundles has a central optical fiber positioned centrally upon the center axis of said conductor bundle, and at least one optical fiber positioned helically about the center axis of said conductor bundle.

10. A cable according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said conductor bundles further comprises a jacket placed around the outer periphery of said metallic conductors and/or optical fibers.

11. A cable according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said conductor bundles further comprises a jacket encasement placed around the outer periphery of said polymeric insulating material.

12. A cable according to claim 1 as deployed downhole in oilfield wireline operations.

13. A cable according to claim 1 as deployed in seismic operations.