Remote actuation of a downhole tool

• US 9,115,573 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Petrowell Limited (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Purkis, Daniel, MacLeod, Iain Morrison
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US11/667,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,624 Days
• Field of Search: 340/854.6, 340/853.1, 340/854.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/14 operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools E21B34/066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating a downhole tool is disclosed. The method involves providing a conduit for the passage of fluid. The conduit includes at least one reader which can read data and is arranged for the passage of fluid. A downhole tool is coupled to the reader and has at least one tag capable of containing data. The tag is moved within the conduit and at least partially through the reader such that the reader can read data from the tag when the tag passes. This enables remote operation of the downhole tool. An antenna is provided for use in a downhole tubular. The antenna comprises a generally cylindrical housing and a coiled conductor located within a portion of the housing and separated therefrom by insulating material. The portion of housing has a greater internal diameter than an external diameter of the coiled conductor.

Claims

1. A method for operating a downhole tool comprising steps of:

providing a conduit having a bore for passage of fluid therethrough, the conduit comprising at least one reader, wherein the at least one reader has a bore for the passage of fluid therethrough, the at least one reader including a conductor coiled around a substantially cylindrical liner, the at least one reader is on an inner surface of the conduit so as to be exposed to the bore of the conduit, the liner being substantially non-conducting, wherein the at least one reader is adapted to read data, the conduit including an electronics pack adapted to process the data read by the at least one reader, the electronics pack is housed within an internal recess in a wall of the conduit;

providing a coupling between the electronics pack in the internal recess and the at least one reader to transmit the data from the at least one reader to the electronics pack in the internal recess, wherein an inner diameter of the bore of the at least one reader is no narrower than an inner diameter of the bore of the conduit;

coupling the downhole tool to the conduit and making a coupling between the downhole tool and the electronics pack in the internal recess;

providing a tag containing first data;

moving the tag within the conduit and at least partially through the bore of the at least one reader, such that the at least one reader reads the first data from the tag when the tag is within the bore of the at least one reader;

transmitting the first data from the at least one reader to the electronics pack in the internal recess through the coupling between the at least one reader and the electronics pack;

processing the first data read from the tag in the electronics pack;

generating an instruction corresponding to the processed first data, and passing the instruction from the electronics pack to the downhole tool through the coupling between the electronics pack in the internal recess and the downhole tool to operate the downhole tool.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of running the conduit into a borehole.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of matching the inner diameter of the bore of the at least one reader and the inner diameter of the bore of the conduit such that the inner diameter of the bore of the at least one reader is the same as the inner diameter of the bore of the conduit.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of coupling a valve to the at least one reader.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of coupling a sliding sleeve valve to the at least one reader.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of arranging the at least one reader to transmit the data.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of circulating the fluid through the conduit and the at least one reader.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of adding the tag to the fluid that is circulating through the conduit and the at least one reader and flushing the tag through the conduit using the fluid.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of recovering the tag after use.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two readers, and the method further comprising a step of arranging the at least two readers in series along the conduit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of arranging the at least two readers such that there is a portion of the conduit therebetween.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of providing each reader of the at least two readers with a particular identity.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a step of selectively encoding the tag such that the tag communicates with said each reader of the at least two readers having the particular identity.

14. Apparatus for operating a downhole tool located in a conduit having a bore for passage of fluid therethrough, the apparatus comprising:

at least one reader associated with the conduit, wherein the at least one reader is arranged to read data;

an electronics pack housed within an internal recess in a wall of the conduit, the electronics pack having a coupling with the at least one reader, and the electronics pack is configured to receive and process said data from the at least one reader, wherein the at least one reader is arranged for the passage of the fluid therethrough, and the at least one reader includes a conductor coiled around a substantially cylindrical liner, the at least one reader is on an inner surface of the conduit so as to be exposed to the bore of the conduit, the liner being substantially non-conducting, wherein an inner diameter of a bore of the at least one reader is no narrower than an inner diameter of the bore of the conduit;

the downhole tool is coupled to a sub forming at least a portion of the conduit, the downhole tool having a coupling with the electronics pack in the internal recess for transmission of an instruction between the electronics pack and the downhole tool; and

a tag moveable through at least a portion of the conduit and the at least one reader, wherein the tag contains first data;

wherein the at least one reader is adapted to read the first data from the tag when the tag is within the at least one reader, and the at least one reader is configured to transmit the first data to the electronics pack in the internal recess, and wherein the electronics pack is configured to generate an operation instruction to the downhole tool corresponding to the first data received by the at least one reader, and to pass the operation instruction to the downhole tool via a coupling between the at least one reader and the downhole tool to operate the downhole tool.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one reader is in fluid communication with the bore of the conduit.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the inner diameter of the bore of the at least one reader is the same as the inner diameter of the bore of the conduit.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the conduit comprises a downhole tubing string.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the downhole tool comprises a valve.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the valve is a sliding sleeve valve.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one reader is configured to transmit data to the tag.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least two readers and respective coupled downhole tools are provided and wherein each reader of the at least two readers is individually identifiable.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the tag is selectively encoded with data, and wherein said each individually identifiable reader of the at least two readers is adapted to receive the selectively encoded data from the tag.

23. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one reader is an antenna, the antenna comprising a generally cylindrical housing, the coiled conductor located within a portion of the housing and being separated from the portion of the housing by an insulating material, wherein the portion of the housing has a greater internal diameter than an external diameter of the coiled conductor.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the coiled conductor is helically coiled around the liner and co-axial therewith.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the housing and the liner form a seal around the coiled conductor and the insulating material.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the liner is non-magnetic.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the antenna is operable in a frequency range from 50 to 200 kHz.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the antenna is operable in a frequency range between 125 and 134 kHz.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the antenna is of sufficient length to charge and read tag when the tag passes therethrough.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the antenna has a length of less than 10 meters.

31. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the liner has an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the coiled conductor is coiled around the outer surface of the liner.

32. A method for operating a downhole tool comprising steps of:

providing a conduit for passage of fluid through the conduit, the conduit comprising at least one reader arranged for the passage of fluid through the at least one reader, the at least one reader including a conductor coiled around a substantially cylindrical liner, the at least one reader housed in a recess on an inner surface of the conduit the liner being substantially non-conducting, wherein the at least one reader reads data, and the at least one reader has a power supply, and wherein the conduit includes an electronics pack which processes the data read by the at least one reader, the electronics pack is housed within an internal recess in a wall of the conduit;

making a coupling between the electronics pack in the internal recess and the at least one reader to transmit the data from the at least one reader to the electronics pack, wherein an inner diameter of a bore of the at least one reader is no narrower than an inner diameter of a bore of the conduit;

coupling the downhole tool to the at least one reader and making a coupling between the downhole tool and the electronics pack in the internal recess;

loading data onto at least one tag;

moving the at least one tag through the conduit on a fluid flow and at least partially through the at least one reader;

charging the at least one tag using energy from the power supply of the at least one reader when the at least one tag passes through the at least one reader, whereby the at least one tag transmits the data to the at least one reader;

transmitting the data from the at least one reader to the electronics pack through the coupling between the at least one reader and the electronics pack in the internal recess;

processing the data read from the at least one tag in the electronics pack;

generating an operation instruction for the downhole tool in the electronics pack, the operation instruction corresponding to the processed data, and passing the operation instruction from the electronics pack to the downhole tool through the coupling between the electronics pack in the internal recess and the downhole tool to operate the downhole tool.