Borehole telemetry system
First Claim
1. An acoustic telemetry apparatus for communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface or between locations within the borehole, said apparatus comprising a receiver and a transmitter separated by an acoustic channel wherein the acoustic channel has a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less and is a column of a low-loss acoustic liquid extending within the borehole and the transmitter comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An acoustic telemetry apparatus and methods for communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface or between locations within the borehole are described including a receiver and a transmitter linked by an acoustic channel (210) wherein acoustic channel has a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less and the transmitter comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.
17 Citations
34 Claims
- 1. An acoustic telemetry apparatus for communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface or between locations within the borehole, said apparatus comprising a receiver and a transmitter separated by an acoustic channel wherein the acoustic channel has a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less and is a column of a low-loss acoustic liquid extending within the borehole and the transmitter comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.
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15. A method of communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface comprising the steps of:
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establishing a column of low-loss acoustic liquid as acoustic channel through said borehole, said column having a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less; generating at the down-hole location an acoustic wave carrier signal within said acoustic channel using an electro-active transducer; modulating amplitude and/or phase of said carrier wave in response to a digital signal; and detecting at the surface the modulated acoustic waves traveling within said acoustic channel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 31)
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18. A method of stimulating a wellbore comprising the steps of
performing operations designed to improve the production of said wellbore while simultaneously establishing from the surface to a down-hole location a column of low-loss acoustic liquid as acoustic channel through said borehole; -
generating at the down-hole location an acoustic wave carrier signal within said acoustic channel using an electro-active transducer; modulating amplitude and/or phase of said carrier wave in response to a digital signal; and detecting at the surface the modulated acoustic waves traveling within said acoustic channel. - View Dependent Claims (19, 32, 33)
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- 20. An acoustic telemetry apparatus for digitally communicating from the surface to a down-hole location through a borehole, said apparatus comprising an acoustic source installed at the surface separated by an acoustic channel from a receiver installed at the down-hole location, wherein the acoustic channel has a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less and is a column of low-loss acoustic liquid extending within the borehole, and the acoustic source comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.
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30. An acoustic telemetry apparatus for communicating digital data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface or between locations within the borehole, said apparatus comprising a receiver and a transmitter separated by an acoustic channel wherein the acoustic channel is a tubular control line installed in the well bore and providing hydraulic control to a down-hole installation which comprises a valve and the transmitter comprises an electro-active transducer generating a modulated continuous waveform.
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34. A process for improving production of a wellbore including a step of delivering a fluid into the wellbore to flow into the formation surrounding the wellbore, wherein the process includes
establishing a column of liquid as an acoustic channel through said borehole, said column having a cross-sectional area of 58 cm2 or less and the liquid having viscosity of less than 3× - 10−
3 NS/m2; andcommunicating digital data from a down-hole location to the surface by generating at the down-hole location an acoustic wave carrier signal within said acoustic channel using an electro-active transducer, modulating amplitude and/or phase of said carrier wave in response to a digital signal; and detecting at the surface the modulated acoustic waves traveling within said acoustic channel.
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Specification