Well site communication system

• US 7,420,475 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Gay, Michael G., Adnan, Sarmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US10/926,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 340/854.7, 340/853.3, 340/854.9, 166/254.2, 166/336, 166/352
• US Class Current: 340/853.3
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/40 specially adapted for well-logging

Abstract

A well site communication system for providing communication from downhole devices to surface systems and from surface system to downhole systems, and methods of using are presented. The communication system is particularly applicable for use with spooled conveyances disposed on a reel. The communication system comprises a communication assembly that may be provided in the reel. The communication assembly may be used to process data or information received from devices disposed in a wellbore and the communication assembly may communicate wirelessly with surface or downhole devices.

Claims

1. A method of performing wellbore operations comprising

retrievably deploying a device downhole using a spooled conveyance disposed on a reel;

providing a telemetry link between the downhole device and the surface;

transmitting information from the downhole device to the surface using the telemetry link;

receiving the transmitted information in a communication assembly mounted on the reel, wherein the communication assembly rotates with the reel when deploying and retrieving the downhole device; and

wirelessly relaying the information from the communication assembly to a surface acquisition system.

2. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 1 wherein the relaying is performed without the use of a surface collector.

3. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spooled conveyance is coiled tubing.

4. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 3 wherein the telemetry link is disposed within the coiled tubing.

5. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spooled conveyance comprises the telemetry link.

6. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spooled conveyance is wireline.

7. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 1 further comprising performing a well services operation while the downhole device is deployed in the wellbore

8. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 7 wherein the well services operation comprises one of transmitting control signals from the surface acquisition system to the downhole equipment, transmitting information gathered from at least one downhole sensor to the surface acquisition system, and collecting information by measuring a borehole property.

9. The method of performing wellbore operations as claimed in claim 7 wherein the well services operation comprises introducing a treatment fluid into the wellbore.

10. A well site communication system comprising

a wellbore acquisition system including at least one borehole device attached to a spooled conveyance disposed on a reel, the reel being rotatable to spool or unspool the conveyance to convey or retrieve the spooled conveyance into the wellbore;

a surface acquisition system;

a communication assembly in operable communication with the wellbore acquisition system and the surface acquisition system to receive and process signals from at least one of the wellbore acquisition system and the surface acquisition system; and

a telemetry link between the borehole device and the communication assembly,

wherein the communication assembly is disposed on and rotates with the reel when the conveyance is deployed and retrieved.

11. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the at least one borehole device is attached to the spooled conveyance with a downhole termination allowing the passage of a treatment fluid thereby.

12. The well site communication system of claim 10 wherein the conveyance comprises the telemetry link.

13. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the conveyance is coiled tubing.

14. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the telemetry link is disposed within the coiled tubing.

15. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the telemetry link comprises optical fibers.

16. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the telemetry link comprises optical fibers disposed within a protective tube.

17. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the telemetry link is wireline.

18. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the communication assembly is operable to wirelessly communicate information from the wellbore acquisition system to the surface acquisition system.

19. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the communication assembly is operable to wirelessly receive information from the surface acquisition system and to relay the information to the wellbore acquisition system.

20. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the communication assembly is operable to wirelessly communicate data from the wellbore acquisition system to the surface acquisition system and to wirelessly receive data from the surface acquisition system and relay the information to the wellbore acquisition system.

21. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the surface acquisition system comprises at least one wireless device.

22. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the communication assembly communicates with surface acquisition system, the surface acquisition system comprising one or more wireless devices.

23. The well site communication system of claim 10, wherein the communication assembly communicates simultaneously with two or more wireless devices.

24. The well site communication system of claim 10, further comprising a power generation device disposed on the reel whereby power is provided to the communication system.

25. The well site communication system of claim 10 wherein the communication assembly communicates with the surface acquisition system without the use of a surface collector.

26. A method of communicating at a well site comprising

using a telemetry link to transmit information from at least one device disposed in a wellbore from downhole to the surface, wherein the telemetry link is disposed in a conveyance suited to be spooled on a reel, the reel being rotatable to spool or unspool the conveyance;

receiving and processing the transmitted information at a communication assembly;

communicating the received information from the communication assembly to a surface acquisition system, wherein the communication assembly is disposed on and rotates with the reel.

27. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the communication assembly communicates the received information to a surface acquisition system and at least one other device.

28. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the conveyance is coiled tubing.

29. The method of communicating of claim 28, wherein the telemetry link is disposed within the coiled tubing.

30. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the telemetry link comprises optical fibers.

31. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the conveyance and the telemetry link are wireline.

32. The method of communicating of claim 30, wherein the optical fibers are disposed within a protective tube.

33. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the step of received information comprises communicating wirelessly.

34. The method of communicating of claim 26, further comprising the step of performing a well bore operation in response to the received information.

35. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the communicating is performed wirelessly.

36. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the information is transmitted from the at least one device to the surface acquisition system in real time.

37. The method of communicating of claim 26, further comprising

transmitting information from the surface acquisition system to the communication assembly and

relaying the transmitted information from the communication assembly to the downhole device.

38. The method of communicating of claim 37, wherein the transmitting information from the surface acquisition system to the downhole devices is in response to the information transmitted from the downhole device to the surface acquisition system.

39. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the information from the surface acquisition system is transmitted wirelessly to the communication assembly.

40. The method of communicating of claim 26, wherein the communication assembly communicates with the surface acquisition system without the use of a surface collector.

41. The method of communicating of claim 34 wherein the well bore operation comprises one of transmitting control signals from the surface acquisition system to the downhole equipment, transmitting information gathered from at least one downhole sensor to the surface acquisition system, and collecting information by measuring a borehole property.

42. The method of communicating of claim 34 wherein the well bore operation comprises introducing a treatment fluid into the wellbore.