System and method of monitoring flow in a wellbore

• US 8,172,007 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntelliServ, LLC (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IntelliServ, LLC (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Louise, Johnson, Ashley B., Oag, Alistair, Dolman, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Jennifer H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOTTLIEB, ELIZABETH C
• Application Number:
  US12/364,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.11, 166/250.12, 166/254.1, 166/255.1, 166/66, 175/42, 175/57
• US Class Current: 175/57
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/11 using tracers; using radioactivity

Abstract

A system and method for releasing a marker within a wellbore. The system and method includes a sensor that detects movement or a position of the marker within the wellbore. The marker may be released in drilling fluid, for example, and may travel from the surface to the drill bit and return to the surface with cuttings. As an example, the markers are used to determine the flow of cuttings within the wellbore.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

positioning a sensor on a tubular within a wellbore;

positioning a supplemental sensor in the wellbore, the supplemental sensor configured to obtain well related data;

obtaining well related data from the supplemental sensor; and

releasing a marker, based on the well related data, from a marker tool disposed within the wellbore, the releasing responsive to the marker tool receiving a signal communicated from a surface control system via wired drill pipe; and

utilizing the sensor to detect movement of the marker along the wellbore;

wherein the well related data is not derived from the marker.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising processing data obtained from the sensor to determine positional data for the marker along the wellbore.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein processing data comprises determining deviations in borehole volume and borehole gauge.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein processing data comprises monitoring a cuttings transport rate.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein releasing a plurality of markers from the marker tool into the wellbore, each marker having a different shape, size or density, and tracking different transport rates for cuttings having size, shape, or density corresponding to the size, shape, or density of the markers.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor has a radiofrequency identification tags.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein releasing comprises releasing the marker into drilling flow containing cuttings from a drilling operation;

and further comprising the step of processing the data to determine movement of the cuttings.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control system automates the collection of the markers at the surface.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein releasing comprises releasing markers during a gravel packing operation to monitor distribution of gravel.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein releasing comprises releasing markers during a cementing operation to identify the position of cement behind a casing.

11. A method, comprising:

positioning a tubing string, comprising wired drill pipe, in a wellbore and having a sensor deployed along the tubing string and communicatively coupled to the wired drill pipe;

deploying a computer system in communication with the sensor to obtain data from the sensor;

deploying a marker tool having a plurality of markers that may be selectively released into the wellbore, wherein the sensor detects the markers and relays positional information to the computer system; and

releasing, by the marker tool, one or more of the plurality of markers based on data obtained from the computer system;

tracking different transport rates for cuttings having size, shape, or density corresponding to the size, shape, or density of the markers;

wherein at least one of the plurality of markers has a different shape, size or density.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

determining a depth at which cuttings are formed based on the positional information.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

positioning supplemental sensors along the wellbore to obtain drilling information.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

providing a control system to release the one or more markers based on the drilling information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining deviations in borehole volume and borehole gauge based on the positional information.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising monitoring, via the sensor, the flow of the markers downward through the tubing string.

17. A system for monitoring a fluid flow in a wellbore, comprising:

a tubing string, comprising wired drill pipe, positioned in the wellbore and having a sensor deployed along the tubing string and communicatively coupled to the wired drill pipe;

a computer system in communication with the sensor to obtain data from the sensor; and

a marker tool having a plurality of markers that may be selectively released into the wellbore, wherein the sensor detects the markers and relays positional information to the computer system;

wherein the marker tool releases one or more of the plurality of markers based on data obtained from the computer system;

wherein the tubing string comprises a supplemental sensor configured to obtain well related information not obtained from the markers;

wherein the computer system is configured to cause the marker tool to release one of the markers based on the well related information.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of markers has a different shape, size or density than one of the other markers.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of markers comprises a radio frequency identification tag detectable by the sensor at a predetermined distance from each of the plurality of sensors.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor is integrally formed in the wired drill pipe.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the marker tool comprises an actuator operable to selectively eject an individual marker into the wellbore.