Patent ID: 11933169
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 17:
18. A method of operating a well system, comprising:
introducing a coring tool into a wellbore extending from a well surface location and penetrating a subterranean formation, the wellbore being filled with a wellbore fluid and the coring tool being untethered from the well surface location, the coring tool including:
an electronics section that includes a buoyant material that is buoyant in the wellbore fluid;
a coring section coupled to the electronics section and including a stabilizer arm assembly and a sidewall coring unit; and
a weight section operatively coupled to the electronics and coring sections and providing an elongated weight that overcomes buoyancy forces generated by the buoyant material in the wellbore fluid;

conveying the coring tool toward a bottom of the wellbore under gravitational forces;
engaging the elongated weight against the bottom of the wellbore to define a stand-off distance between the bottom of the wellbore and the sidewall coring unit;
activating a release mechanism and thereby detaching the weight section from the electronics and coring sections; and
floating the electronics and coring sections to the well surface location.