Patent ID: 9359841
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: E21B

Claim Text:
1. A wellbore workstring extending from a surface to a wellbore, the wellbore workstring comprising: a tubular string; and a plurality of robots establishing a wireless communication network within the wellbore, each of the robots comprising a magnet that couples the robot to the tubular string and an actuator adapted to displace the magnet from the tubular string so that the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the tubular string is reduced, wherein, when the actuator displaces the magnet from the tubular string, the robot is in contact with the tubular string via at least a contact surface of the actuator; wherein the plurality of robots establish the wireless communication network by establishing wireless communication links with neighboring ones of the plurality of robots within the wellbore; and wherein the plurality of robots are operable to propagate a wireless signal to the surface or, conversely, to receive a wireless signal from the surface, via the wireless communication network.