Wellbore servicing tools, systems and methods utilizing near-field communication

• US 9,366,134 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Walton, Zachary William, Howell, Matthew Todd, Fripp, Michael Linley
• Primary Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US13/914,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 340/854.8, 340/856.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/066 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/116 Gun or shaped-charge perforators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/138 Devices entrained in the flow of well-bore fluid for transmitting data, control or actuation signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

A wellbore servicing system includes a tool node disposed within a wellbore, and a transitory sensing node configured to be communicated through the wellbore, wherein the transitory sensing node is configured to measure a wellbore parameter, and wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the tool node via a near field communication (NFC) signal. A wellbore servicing method includes positioning a tool node within a wellbore, moving a transitory sensing node through the wellbore such that the transitory sensing node comes into communication with the tool node, wherein the transitory sensing node is configured to measure a wellbore parameter during movement through the wellbore, and wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the tool node via a near field communication (NFC) signal.

Claims

1. A wellbore servicing system comprising:

one or more tool nodes disposed within a wellbore, wherein the one or more tool nodes each comprise a wellbore tool including an electronic circuit for receiving and processing a near field communication (NFC) signal; and

a transitory sensing node configured to be communicated through at least a portion of the wellbore, wherein the transitory sensing node comprises a transducer for measuring at least one wellbore parameter, and wherein the transitory sensing node is configured to initiate communication with the one or more tool nodes and to retrieve or receive data associated with the one or more tool nodes via a near field communication (NFC) signal.

2. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the transitory sensing node is a ball or dart.

3. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the wellbore parameter comprises temperature, pressure, flow rate, or flow direction.

4. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more tool nodes are incorporated within a casing string disposed in the wellbore.

5. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, further comprising a logging node, wherein the logging node is in signal communication with one or more components located at a surface of the wellbore.

6. The wellbore servicing system of claim 5, wherein the logging node is disposed within the wellbore and incorporated within a casing string at a position uphole of at least one of the one or more tool nodes.

7. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the one or more tool nodes comprises a tool status of the wellbore tool, a tool power availability of the wellbore tool, a tool configuration of the wellbore tool, or a combination thereof.

8. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more tool nodes are configured to send information via the NFC signal and to receive information via the NFC signal, and wherein the transitory sensing node is configured to send information via the NFC signal and to receive information via the NFC signal.

9. A wellbore servicing method comprising:

positioning one or more tool nodes within a wellbore, wherein the one or more tool nodes each comprise a wellbore tool including an electronic circuit for receiving and processing a near field communication (NFC) signal;

moving a transitory sensing node through the wellbore;

measuring at least one wellbore parameter via a transducer of the transitory sensing node during movement of the transitory sensing node through at least a portion of the wellbore;

initiating communication with at least one of the one or more tool nodes via the transitory sensing node during movement of the transitory sensing node through the wellbore; and

retrieving or receiving data associated with at least one of the one or more tool nodes at the transitory sensing node via a near field communication (NFC) signal output from the at least one of the one or more tool nodes.

10. The wellbore servicing system of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving or receiving data indicative of a location or orientation of the transitory sensing node in the wellbore via the NFC signal output from the at least one of the one or more tool nodes; and

correlating the at least one wellbore parameter with the location or orientation via the transitory sensing node.

11. The wellbore servicing method of claim 9, further comprising removing the transitory sensing node from the wellbore and downloading the data associated with the at least one wellbore parameter to another device.

12. The wellbore servicing method of claim 9, further comprising moving the transitory sensing node through the wellbore, wherein the transitory sensing node comes into communication with a logging node located uphole from at least one of the one or more tool nodes, wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the logging node via NFC, wherein at least a portion of the data associated with the at least one wellbore parameter is transferred from the transitory sensing node to the logging node via NFC.

13. The wellbore servicing method of claim 9, further comprising moving the transitory sensing node through the wellbore, wherein the transitory sensing node comes into communication with a logging node located uphole from at least one of the one or more tool nodes, wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the logging node via NFC, wherein the transitory sensing node transitions from a low-power mode to an active mode in response to communicating with the logging node, wherein the transitory sensing node measures the at least one wellbore parameter when operating in the active mode.

14. The wellbore servicing method of claim 13, further comprising retrieving the transitory sensing node from the wellbore, wherein the transitory sensing node comes into communication with the logging node, wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the logging node via NFC, wherein the transitory sensing node transitions from the active mode to the low-power mode in response to communicating with the logging node, wherein the transitory sensing mode does not measure wellbore parameters when operating in the low-power mode.

15. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12, further comprising moving the transitory sensing node through the wellbore such that the transitory sensing node comes into communication with a first logging node and a second logging node, wherein the first and second logging nodes are located uphole from at least one of the one or more tool nodes, wherein the transitory sensing node communicates with the first and second logging nodes via NFC, wherein a first portion of the data associated with the at least one wellbore parameter is transferred from the transitory sensing node to the first logging node via NFC, and wherein a second portion of the data associated with the at least one wellbore parameter is transferred from the transitory sensing node to the second logging node via NFC.

16. The wellbore servicing method of claim 9, further comprising:

moving the transitory sensing node through the wellbore and past the one or more tool nodes a second time; and

verifying the at least one wellbore parameter or the data associated with the at least one of the one or more tool nodes as the transitory sensing node passes the one or more tool nodes the second time.