Use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) in well treatments

• US 8,302,686 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Roddy, Craig W., Covington, Rick L., Ravi, Krishna M., Frisch, Gary, Moake, Gordon, Mandal, Batakrishna, Rodney, Paul, Tapie, William, Bonavides, Clovis
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US13/031,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20110192593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.01, 166/254.1, 166/66
• US Class Current: 166/250.01
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/005 Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/01 Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/10 Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency

Abstract

A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment, and gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor data interrogation unit, wherein the data interrogation unit is disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment, and gathering wellbore data from MEMS sensors located in the wellbore via the data interrogation unit.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment, wherein the equipment is one or more segments of casin and wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in strips of composite or resin material coupled to a wall of the casing; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the strips of composite or resin material are flushly contained in grooves or channels on an interior or exteriors wall of the casing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the strips are located on one or more casing collars.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a wellbore composition in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a plurality of MEMS sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of servicing a wellbore comprises drilling, logging, cementing, perforating, fracturing, completing, gravel packing, or surveying the wellbore.

6. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment and wherein the equipment is one or more centralizers; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in composite or resin material that forms all or a portion of a centralizer collar.

8. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment and wherein the equipment is a plug; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plug is a wiper plug or cementing plug.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in composite or resin material that forms all or a portion of the wiper plug or cementing plug.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the method of servicing a wellbore comprises drilling, logging, cementing, perforating, fracturing, completing, gravel packing, or surveying the wellbore.

12. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment and wherein the equipment is a casing shoe or collar; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the casing shoe is a float shoe or collar.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in composite or resin material that forms all or a portion of the float shoe or collar.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the method of servicing a wellbore comprises drilling, logging, cementing, perforating, fracturing, completing, gravel packing, or surveying the wellbore.

16. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are configured to measure a concentration of a gas and further comprising signaling one or more safety devices to activate in response to a measured concentration of gas.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the equipment is one or more of a casing segment, a centralizer, a plug, a shoe, or a collar.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing a wellbore composition in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a plurality of MEMS sensors.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the equipment is a conduit positioned in the wellbore.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method of servicing a wellbore comprises drilling, logging, cementing, perforating, fracturing, completing, gravel packing, or surveying the wellbore.

21. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors are disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment;

placing a wellbore composition in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a plurality of MEMS sensors; and

gathering wellbore data from the MEMS sensors,

wherein the wellbore composition is a cement composition, wherein the equipment comprising MEMS sensors is at least one of a wiper plug, cementing plug, float shoe or collar, or casing shoe or collar, and wherein the MEMS sensors signal engagement of the plug with the shoe or collar.

22. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing at least one piece of equipment in the wellbore comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor data interrogation unit, wherein the data interrogation unit is disposed in one or more composite or resin portions of the equipment;

placing a wellbore composition in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a plurality of MEMS sensors; and

gathering wellbore data from MEMS sensors located in the wellbore via the data interrogation unit,

wherein the wellbore composition is a cement composition, wherein the equipment comprising the data interrogation unit is at least one of a wiper plug, cementing plug, float shoe or collar, or casing shoe or collar, and wherein the data interrogation unit gathers wellbore data from the MEMS sensors.