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

• US 8,316,936 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• 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., Bonavides, Clovis, Bittar, Michael, Moake, Gordon, Mandal, Batakrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US13/031,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20110186290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.01, 166/66, 166/285, 166/253.1, 166/292
• US Class Current: 166/253.1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• 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 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/10 Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements

Abstract

A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing a wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors in the wellbore, placing a plurality of acoustic sensors in the wellbore, obtaining data from the MEMS sensors and data from the acoustic sensors using a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, and transmitting the data obtained from the MEMS sensors and the acoustic sensors from an interior of the wellbore to an exterior of the wellbore. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing a wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors in the wellbore, and obtaining data from the MEMS sensors using a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units is powered by a turbo generator or a thermoelectric generator located in the wellbore.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:

placing a wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors in the wellbore, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a drilling fluid, a spacer fluid, a sealant, a fracturing fluid, a gravel pack fluid, or a completion fluid;

placing a plurality of acoustic sensors in the wellbore;

obtaining data from the MEMS sensors and data from the acoustic sensors using a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore; and

transmitting the data obtained from the MEMS sensors and the acoustic sensors from an interior of the wellbore to an exterior of the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement composition and further comprising determining a presence of a liquid phase or a solid phase of the cement composition based upon the data from the MEMS sensors and/or data from the acoustic sensors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement composition and further comprising determining a presence of a crack or void in the cement composition based upon the data from the MEMS sensors and/or data from the acoustic sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a porosity or geometric characteristic in a formation adjacent to the wellbore based upon the data from the MEMS sensors and/or data from the acoustic sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a presence of MEMS sensors in the wellbore composition using the acoustic sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data from the MEMS sensors and/or data from the acoustic sensors is transmitted from downhole to the surface via an acoustic transmission medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of data interrogation units is powered by a turbogenerator located in the wellbore.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of data interrogation units is powered by a thermoelectric generator located in the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units are powered by a battery.

10. A system, comprising:

a wellbore;

a casing positioned in the wellbore;

a wellbore composition positioned in the wellbore, the wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors;

a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units comprises;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to interrogate the MEMS sensors and receive data from the MEMS sensors regarding at least one wellbore parameter measured by the MEMS sensors, wherein the MEMS sensors comprise radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags; and

at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure at least one further wellbore parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units are powered via a power line running between the data interrogation units and a power source positioned at an exterior of the wellbore.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units are powered by at least one thermoelectric generator positioned in the wellbore.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is positioned in the casing.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is positioned in production tubing disposed in the wellbore.

15. A system, comprising:

a wellbore;

a casing positioned in the wellbore;

a wellbore composition positioned in the wellbore, the wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors;

a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units comprises;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to interrogate the MEMS sensors and receive data from the MEMS sensors regarding at least one wellbore parameter measured by the MEMS sensors;

at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure at least one further wellbore parameter; and

an acoustic transceiver configured to receive the MEMS sensor data from the RF transceiver and data from the acoustic sensor regarding the at least one further wellbore parameter and convert the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data into acoustic signals.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the acoustic transceiver comprises:

an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit the acoustic signals representing the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data up the casing to a neighboring communication box positioned uphole from the acoustic transmitter; and

an acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic signals representing the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data from a neighboring communication box positioned downhole from the acoustic receiver and to send the acoustic signals representing the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data to the acoustic transmitter for further transmission up the casing.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a processing unit positioned at an exterior of the wellbore, the processing unit being configured to receive the acoustic signals representing the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data and to process the MEMS sensor data and the acoustic sensor data.

18. A system, comprising:

a wellbore;

a casing positioned in the wellbore;

a wellbore composition positioned in the wellbore, composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors;

a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units comprises;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to interrogate the MEMS sensors and receive data from the MEMS sensors regarding at least one wellbore parameter measured by the MEMS sensors; and

at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure at least one further wellbore parameter, wherein one or more of the data interrogation units are powered by at least one turbogenerator positioned in the wellbore.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a turbine in the turbogenerator is driven by at least one of the wellbore composition and a production fluid flowing through the wellbore.