Patent ID: 9234981
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: E21B,G01V

Claim Text:
1. A method for communicating data in an offshore data communication system, comprising: (a) measuring borehole telemetry data with a sensor disposed in a bottomhole assembly positioned below the sea floor in a subsea borehole, wherein the bottomhole assembly is disposed along a bottomhole portion of a drillstring extending from a sea surface through a subsea riser and into the subsea borehole; (b) transmitting the data by pressure pulses in a drilling fluid along the drillstring from the bottomhole assembly to a location just-above-sea floor level of the drillstring as a telemetry signal; (c) detecting the telemetry signal by measuring changes of a circumference of said riser proximate to the location just above sea floor level of the drillstring with a transducer positioned along an exterior surface of said riser; (d) processing the detected telemetry signal at a location proximate to the location just-above-sea floor level of the drillstring to produce a processed signal; and (e) transmitting the processed signal by transmitting a signal through the sea water from said location just above sea floor level of the drillstring to the sea surface to be received and forwarded in said offshore data communication system.