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

• US 9,562,429 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• 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): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS III, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/914,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• 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 comprising one or more wellbore tool nodes disposed within a wellbore, wherein each of the one or more wellbore tool nodes is configurable from a first configuration to a second configuration, and a controller node, wherein the controller node communicates with the wellbore tool node via a near field communication (NFC) signal.

Claims

1. A wellbore servicing system comprising:

multiple wellbore tool nodes incorporated within a tubular string having an axial flowbore formed therethrough to communicate formation fluids to a surface of a wellbore, wherein each of the wellbore tool nodes is configurable from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein each of the wellbore tool nodes comprises an electronic circuit for receiving, processing, and outputting near field communication (NFC) signals; and

a controller node configured to move through the axial flowbore of the tubular string in response to movement of fluid through the axial flowbore, wherein the controller node comprises an electronic circuit for receiving, processing, and outputting near field communication (NFC) signals, wherein the controller node communicates independently with each wellbore tool node separately from the other wellbore tool nodes via NFC signals to obtain an identity of the wellbore tool node and output a control command to the wellbore tool node based on the identity of the wellbore tool node.

2. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the controller node is configured to output a predetermined control command to the wellbore tool node effective to cause the wellbore tool node to output a response corresponding to the predetermined control command, wherein the response comprises an actuating signal.

3. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the controller node is configured to output the control command to the wellbore tool node effective to cause the wellbore tool node to transition an electronic circuit of the wellbore tool node between a low-power consumption mode and an active mode, to start a timer, to stop a timer, to increment a counter, to decrement a counter, or combinations thereof.

4. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1,

wherein in the first configuration the wellbore tool node does not allow a route of fluid communication from the axial flowbore to an exterior thereof;

and

wherein in the second configuration the wellbore tool node allows the route of fluid communication from the axial flowbore to the exterior thereof.

5. The wellbore servicing system of claim 4, wherein the wellbore tool node is configurable from the second configuration back to the first configuration.

6. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the multiple wellbore tool nodes comprises a packer;

wherein in the first configuration the at least one wellbore tool node is unset; and

wherein in the second configuration the at least one wellbore tool node is set.

7. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, further comprising a second controller node, wherein the second controller node is located uphole from the multiple wellbore tool nodes, wherein the second controller node is configured to communicate a signal to the controller node effective to activate the controller node, to cause the controller node to begin making signal transmissions, to program instructions into the controller node, to deactivate the controller node, to convert the controller node from a passive target to an active initiator, or combinations thereof.

8. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1,

wherein each wellbore tool node is further configured to monitor at least one wellbore parameter, to monitor one or more parameters associated with the wellbore tool node, or combinations thereof;

wherein each wellbore tool node is also configured to store data related to the at least one wellbore parameter, the one or more parameters associated with the wellbore tool node, or combinations thereof; and

wherein the controller node is configured to obtain at least a portion of the data stored by the wellbore tool node from the wellbore tool node.

9. The wellbore servicing system of claim 8, wherein the wellbore parameter comprises temperature, pressure, flow rate, or flow composition.

10. The wellbore servicing system of claim 8, wherein one or more parameters associated with the wellbore tool node comprises battery power, configuration, mode of operation, operational history, or actuation status.

11. The wellbore servicing system of claim 1, wherein the controller node is configured to output the control command to the wellbore tool node effective to cause the wellbore tool node to output an actuating signal in response to receiving a predetermined quantity of NFC signals or a predetermined combination of NFC signals.

12. A wellbore servicing method comprising:

positioning multiple wellbore tool nodes within a wellbore, wherein the wellbore tool nodes are incorporated within a tubular string having an axial flowbore formed therethrough to communicate formation fluids to a surface of the wellbore, wherein each of the wellbore tool nodes is configurable from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein each of the wellbore tool nodes comprises an electronic circuit for receiving, processing, and outputting near field communication (NFC) signals;

moving a controller node through the axial flowbore of the tubular string in response to movement of fluid through the axial flowbore, wherein the controller node communicates independently with each of the wellbore tool nodes separately from the other wellbore tool nodes via near field communication (NFC) signals;

receiving a NFC signal indicative of an identity of the wellbore tool node at the controller node;

determining a control command to output to the wellbore tool node based on the identity of the wellbore tool node via an electronic circuit in the controller node; and

outputting the control command from the controller node to the wellbore tool node effective to cause the wellbore tool node to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration.

13. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12, wherein when moving the controller node through the wellbore, the controller node communicates with a second controller node via NFC, wherein the second controller node is located uphole from the wellbore tool node.

14. The wellbore servicing method of claim 13, wherein communication between the controller node and the second controller node is effective to configure the controller node for communication with the wellbore tool node.

15. The wellbore servicing method of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing communication between the controller node and the second controller node;

receiving a signal indicative of an identity of the controller node at the second controller node; and

outputting a command from the second controller node to the controller node based on the identity of the controller node.

16. The wellbore servicing method of claim 14, further comprising outputting a command from the second controller node to the controller node based on a number of additional controller nodes previously moved through the axial flowbore of the tubular string.

17. The wellbore servicing method of claim 14, further comprising outputting a command from the second controller node to the controller node effective to transition the electronic circuit of the controller node from a low-power mode to an awake mode for actively transmitting signals.

18. The wellbore servicing method of claim 14, further comprising outputting a command from the second controller node to the controller node effective to program instructions for determining the control command the controller node is to output to the wellbore tool node.

19. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring, via the wellbore tool node, at least one wellbore parameter or one or more parameters associated with the wellbore tool node;

storing, at the wellbore tool node, data related to the at least one wellbore parameter or one or more parameters associated with the wellbore tool node; and

communicating at least a portion of the data stored by the wellbore tool node to the controller node.

20. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12,

wherein in the first configuration the wellbore tool node does not allow a route of fluid communication from the axial flowbore to an exterior thereof;

and

wherein in the second configuration the wellbore tool node allows the route of fluid communication form the axial flowbore to the exterior thereof.

21. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12,

wherein at least one of the wellbore tool nodes comprises a packer;

wherein in the first configuration the at least one wellbore tool node is unset; and

wherein in the second configuration the at least one wellbore tool node is set.

22. The wellbore servicing method of claim 12, further comprising:

moving a second controller node through the axial flowbore of the tubular string in response to movement of fluid through the axial flowbore, wherein the second controller node communicates independently with each of the wellbore tool nodes separately from the other wellbore tool nodes via near field communication (NFC) signals;

receiving a signal indicative of an identity of the wellbore tool node at the second controller node;

determining a control command to output to the wellbore tool node based on the identity of the wellbore tool node via an electronic circuit in the second controller node; and

outputting the control command from the second controller node to the wellbore tool node only if the wellbore tool node is in the second configuration.