Apparatus and method for relieving annular pressure in a wellbore using a wireless sensor network
First Claim
1. An acoustic telemetry system for monitoring a parameter along an annular region in a cased-hole wellbore, comprising:
- a casing string disposed in the wellbore, with a cement sheath residing at least partially within the annular region formed between the casing string and a surrounding subsurface rock matrix along the casing string;
a topside communications node placed proximate a well head of the wellbore;
a plurality of subsurface communications nodes spaced along the wellbore and attached to a wall of the casing string, the subsurface communications nodes configured to transmit acoustic signals from node-to-node up the wellbore and to the topside communications node;
one or more sensors for sensing the parameter within the annular region, with each sensor being in electrical communication with an associated subsurface communications node; and
a receiver at the surface configured to receive at least one of electrical signals and acoustic signals from the topside communications node;
a processor in communication with the receiver for analyzing the received at least one of the electrical signals and the acoustic signals received at the receiver, the processor evaluating the integrity of the cement sheath by comparing attenuation of the received acoustic signals between pairs of subsurface communications nodes; and
wherein each of the subsurface communications nodes comprises;
a sealed housing;
an electro-acoustic transducer and associated transceiver also residing within the housing, with the transceiver being designed to relay the acoustic signals from node-to-node up the wellbore, with each acoustic signal including a packet of information that comprises an identifier for the subsurface communications node that originally transmitted the acoustic signal from node-to-node, and an acoustic waveform having an amplitude indicative of the parameter; and
an independent power source residing within the housing providing power to the transceiver.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-acoustic system for downhole telemetry is provided herein. The system employs a series of communications nodes spaced along a string of casing within a wellbore. The nodes are placed within the annular region surrounding the joints of casing within the well-bore. The nodes allow for wireless communication between transceivers residing within the communications nodes and a topside communications node at the wellhead. More specifically, the transceivers provide for node-to-node communication up a wellbore at high data transmission rates for data indicative of a parameter within an annular region behind the string of casing. A method of evaluating a parameter within an annular region along a cased-hole wellbore is also provided herein. The method uses a plurality of data transmission nodes situated along the casing string which send signals to a receiver at the surface. The signals are then analyzed.
150 Citations
46 Claims
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1. An acoustic telemetry system for monitoring a parameter along an annular region in a cased-hole wellbore, comprising:
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a casing string disposed in the wellbore, with a cement sheath residing at least partially within the annular region formed between the casing string and a surrounding subsurface rock matrix along the casing string; a topside communications node placed proximate a well head of the wellbore; a plurality of subsurface communications nodes spaced along the wellbore and attached to a wall of the casing string, the subsurface communications nodes configured to transmit acoustic signals from node-to-node up the wellbore and to the topside communications node; one or more sensors for sensing the parameter within the annular region, with each sensor being in electrical communication with an associated subsurface communications node; and a receiver at the surface configured to receive at least one of electrical signals and acoustic signals from the topside communications node; a processor in communication with the receiver for analyzing the received at least one of the electrical signals and the acoustic signals received at the receiver, the processor evaluating the integrity of the cement sheath by comparing attenuation of the received acoustic signals between pairs of subsurface communications nodes; and wherein each of the subsurface communications nodes comprises; a sealed housing; an electro-acoustic transducer and associated transceiver also residing within the housing, with the transceiver being designed to relay the acoustic signals from node-to-node up the wellbore, with each acoustic signal including a packet of information that comprises an identifier for the subsurface communications node that originally transmitted the acoustic signal from node-to-node, and an acoustic waveform having an amplitude indicative of the parameter; and an independent power source residing within the housing providing power to the transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of monitoring a parameter along an annular region in a cased-hole, subsea wellbore, the wellbore having a wellhead placed proximate a bottom of a body of water, and the method comprising:
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running joints of casing into the wellbore, the joints of casing being connected by threaded couplings to form a casing string; attaching a series of subsurface communications nodes to the joints of casing according to a pre-designated spacing, wherein adjacent subsurface communications nodes communicate by acoustic signals transmitted through the joints of casing; providing one or more sensors along the wellbore, each sensor being configured to sense the parameter within the annular region, and each sensor being in electrical communication with an associated subsurface communications node using electrical signals; placing a cement sheath within the annular region formed between the casing string and a surrounding subsurface matrix at least partially along the casing string; attaching a topside communications node to the wellhead, wherein the topside communications node comprises an electro-acoustic transducer for receiving the acoustic signals from the subsurface communications nodes; sending acoustic signals from the one or more sensors to a receiver at the surface via the series of subsurface communications nodes and the topside communications node, with each acoustic signal including a packet of information that comprises an identifier for the subsurface communications node that originally transmitted the acoustic signal transmitted through the joints of casing, and an acoustic waveform having an amplitude indicative of the parameter; analyzing at least one of the electrical signals and the acoustic signals from adjacent pairs of the subsurface communications nodes to monitor the parameter; and evaluating the integrity of the cement sheath, wherein evaluating the integrity of the cement sheath comprises measuring attenuation of the acoustic signals between pairs of subsurface communications nodes. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification