Serialization and database methods for tubulars and oilfield equipment

• US 9,824,347 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Griggs, Paul Steven, Ljungdahl, Patrick M., Sarradet, Stephen, Williams, Larry, Miller, Matthew G., Le, Tuong Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/914,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/006 Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

Methods and apparatus identify downhole equipment and correlate input data with the equipment to improve planning and/or inventory operations. For some embodiments, oilfield equipment or tubular goods such as drill pipe include a shaped recess along an outer circumference for receiving a tag cartridge by shrink fitting. Once tagged, detector system configurations at pipe yards may facilitate logging the presence and location of each drill pipe and correlating specific data, such as inspection data, to each drill pipe. Further, this correlation populates a database utilized to achieve other business functions such as forecasting number of additional drill pipe needed to purchase, invoicing customers according to actual tracked wear/use of the drill pipe being returned, and providing well or job specific drill string population using known history pipe joints.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an oilfield tubular having a cavity formed on an outer surface thereof; and

a tag cartridge configured to be disposed in the cavity of tubular, the tag cartridge having a remotely readable identification tag, wherein the tag cartridge includes a relief port formed through a body of the tag cartridge, a first end of the relief port opens to a surface of the cavity, and a second end of the relief port opens to an exterior of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cavity includes sides that converge toward an opening that opens perpendicular to a longitudinal center axis of the tubular member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tag cartridge is shrink fit into the cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tag cartridge is threaded with a misfit engagement within the cavity of the tubular member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a snap ring retains the tag cartridge within the cavity of the tubular member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tag cartridge includes unidirectional angled teeth that secure the tag cartridge within the cavity of the tubular member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remotely readable identification tag comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remotely readable identification tag comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) tag.