Abstract:
A device, system, and methods of use for wireless transmission of a detected parameter obtained from inside a wellbore is disclosed. The wireless device comprises an acoustic wireless transceiver and a selectively expandable acoustic coupler operatively in communication with the acoustic wireless transceiver, the acoustic coupler adapted to physically couple the acoustic wireless transceiver with an interior of a tubular and acoustically transmit and/or receive data. The wireless monitoring device is deployed through a tubular to a predetermined position within the tubular, a predetermined portion physically coupled to the tubular once the monitoring device reaches the predetermined position, and data transmission acoustically coupled between the monitoring device and a remote receiver through the tubular. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

Description:
PRIORITY INFORMATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/474,486 filed on Jun. 3, 2003. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The inventions are related to hydrocarbon production monitoring. More specifically, the inventions relate to a device, system, and methods of providing wireless transmission in a tubular as may be used in a hydrocarbon producing well using tubing as a transmission medium to remotely monitor downhole parameters, thereby aiding optimization of the hydrocarbon production over the life of the well by deploying the device through the existing tubing.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The rework costs and risks associated with the removal of tubing from inside the wellbore is in some cases too great for low hydrocarbon producing wells and those wells may cease production because of these costs. Also, the inability to accurately monitor formation and production parameters causes the production of hydrocarbons to be inefficient and in some cases cause the cost of lifting the hydrocarbon uneconomical.  
           [0004]    The devices used in the wellbore in the past have been deployed in line with tubing only. Getting data and/or commands transmitted between the surface and one or more devices located in the tubulars, i.e. downhole, is a difficult and costly task, often involving running wires and/or fiber optic data transmission media downhole.  
           [0005]    It is therefore desirable to provide some means for a hydrocarbon producing well to remotely monitor downhole parameters to monitor, e.g. help optimize, the hydrocarbon production over the life of the well by deploying a device through existing tubing and communicating with that device using no additional cables or wires. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary system;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a first exemplary method; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a second exemplary method. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010]    These inventions provide means useful in a hydrocarbon producing well to remotely monitor downhole parameters to optimize the hydrocarbon production over the life of the well by deploying an acoustic wireless device through existing tubing. These inventions comprise a device to measure parameters inside the wellbore and transmit the information in real time using wireless communications methods and may be deployed via coil tubing, slickline, or electric line without the need to pull tubing from inside the wellbore.  
         [0011]    Referring to FIG. 1, wireless transmission device  10  is adapted to provide a detected parameter obtained from inside wellbore  100  and transmit the information using a wireless communications method, e.g. to receiver  50 . In a preferred embodiment, wireless transmission device  10  comprises acoustic wireless transceiver  20  and one or more selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14  which are operatively in communication with acoustic wireless transceiver  20 . Acoustic couplers  13 , 14  are adapted to physically couple acoustic wireless transceiver  20  with an interior of tubular  101  and enable acoustic transmission of data. As used herein, transmission encompasses both sending and receiving data and a transceiver is a device capable of transmitting, receiving, or both transmitting and receiving data.  
         [0012]    Wireless transmission device  10  comprises housing  12  and may further comprise one or more sensors  30 .  
         [0013]    Housing  12  may comprise a pressure vessel adapted to house one or more of data processor  21 , acoustic transceiver  22  operatively in communication with data processor  21 , and sensor  30  operatively in communication with data processor  21 . Pressure vessel  12  may be adapted to moveably fit within tubular  101 .  
         [0014]    Acoustic transceiver  22  may be adapted to drive a piezoelectric assembly for transmission of acoustic signals between acoustic transceiver  22  and the surface, e.g. receiver  50 , using tubular  101  as a transmission medium. Acoustic transceiver  22  may comprise a data and control communications transceiver.  
         [0015]    Low power microprocessor  18  may be present and disposed within housing  12  where low power microprocessor  18  is adapted for control and communications of wireless transmission device  10 . Data processor  21  may comprise low power microprocessor  18  or a separate processor. Data processor  21  may further comprise memory, e.g. a transient data store such as random access memory or a persistent data store or a combination thereof.  
         [0016]    Sensor  30  may be disposed at least partially within housing  12 , totally within housing  12 , or totally outside housing  12 . Data generated by or otherwise present in sensors  30  will be converted into acoustic information and transmitted through tubing  101  to the surface.  
         [0017]    Sensor  30  may further be operatively in communication with acoustic wireless transceiver  20  and may be adapted to detect a characteristic of a formation in or proximate to which sensor  30  is disposed. Sensor  30  may comprise a casing collar locator, a gamma ray detector to determine the location of device string  102  in well  100 , a sensor adapted to detect a characteristic of the formation, or the like, or a combination thereof. These characteristics of the formation may comprise pressure, temperature, or the like, or a combination thereof.  
         [0018]    Sensor  30  may be deployed as part of device string  102  as one or more built in sensors or may be deployed external to acoustic device  10  and, in certain configurations, attached to acoustic device  10  such as via cables.  
         [0019]    Selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14  may comprise a slip disposed at least partially on an outside of wireless transmission device  10 . Alternatively, selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14  may comprise an expansion device such as a packer, a ring, an expandable mesh, or the like, or a combination thereof. Selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14 , e.g. one or more slips, may be present and adapted to selectively secure pressure vessel  12  against an interior of a tubular and couple an acoustic signal from acoustic transceiver  21  to tubing  101 .  
         [0020]    As further illustrated in FIG. 1, downhole wireless system, generally referred to herein by the numeral “ 200 ,” may comprise wireless device  10  as described herein above and surface processor  50  adapted to obtain and process data obtained acoustically tubular  101  as a transmission medium from downhole or a surface sensor.  
         [0021]    Power converter  23  and data acquisition module  24  may be disposed within or proximate housing  12 .  
         [0022]    Downhole gauge  32  may also be present and operatively in communication with data processor  21 , e.g. either wirelessly, via wires, or via a local bus within housing  12 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, gauge  32  may be at least partially disposed in housing  12  or may be independent of wireless device  10 , e.g. a wireless gauge.  
         [0023]    In the operation of exemplary embodiments, in order to restore the production of the well completion it has heretofore been a common practice to pull the entire length of production tubing out of the casing to clear obstructed tubing perforations or replace the perforated tubing section and then re-install the production tubing within the casing. As is well known, this is a laborious, time-consuming, and expensive task.  
         [0024]    A system, e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 1, comprising the present inventions may use electronics, sensors and acoustic generators to acquire production and formation data to optimize hydrocarbon production. As an example, the ability to optimize the production of hydrocarbons when using an artificial lift system is essential to reduce the amount of energy required to lift the hydrocarbon. Today, this task is performing by automatically timing at the surface when the artificial lift system should be turned on and off, and in some cases echometers are used at the surface to determine fluid level.  
         [0025]    A system comprising the present inventions may be used to create a wireless communications system that may be deployed either temporarily or permanently, e.g. for through tubing service to obtain fluid level information for optimization of the artificial lifting process. The system may also be retrieved from inside the wellbore without requiring that the tubing be pulled from the well. Such a system may be used to address a problems that exist today in oilfields by providing a solution to service, e.g. temporary, and permanent applications. Such as system may be used in the following exemplary ways:  
         [0026]    1. Reservoir pressure monitoring—system  200  may be deployed permanently inside the wellbore to monitor formation pressure for reservoir analysis and optimum pressure drawdown.  
         [0027]    2. Build up tests—wireless device  10  may be deployed in wells through tubing  101  for monitoring pressure when the well is shut in. The build up of the pressure in the well may provide information related to the reservoir status and formation ability to produce the hydrocarbon. The real time data may reduce the time that it takes to perform a build up test so that the well may be back on line producing hydrocarbons quicker.  
         [0028]    3. Gravel pack and frac pack—this service application may be performed by placing wireless device  10  in a washpipe and deploying wireless device  10  as part of a work string to perform a gravel or frac pack or a frac job. Wireless device  10  will transmit the data through the washpipe to the surface, e.g. to receiver  50 . Wireless device  10  may utilized multiple gauges deployed in the well and in the washpipe internal and external to wireless device  10 , e.g. pressure and temperature sensors  30  and others such as strain gauges  32  and flow meters  34  to determine if the process is being done properly and the fluids are going to the intended location in the formations.  
         [0029]    4. Artificial lift optimization—Production pressure from a wireless retrievable gauge  32  may be transmitted in real time to provide a fluid level indication for optimization of the artificial lift process.  
         [0030]    5. Gravel pack rework—wireless device  10  may be used to seal existing tubing and set the path for the surface gravel into the old gravel pack as well as to monitor the pressure and temperature downhole to assure that the gravel is reaching its destination.  
         [0031]    6. Coil tubing applications—wireless device  10  may be interfaced with a coil tubing for transmission of data in real time through the coil tubing for processing at the surface. Wireless device  10  may have multiple sensors such as a casing collar locator and/or a gamma ray detector to determine the location of device string  102  in the well and also the characteristics of the formation. Pressure and temperature sensors  30  may also be deployed as part of device string  102  as built in sensors  30  or sensors  30  external to wireless device  10  but attached to wireless device  10  via cables where the data from external sensors  30  will be converted into acoustic information and transmitted through the coil tubing to the surface.  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIG. 2, acoustic transmission of data in tubular  101  may be provided by deploying wireless device  10  (FIG. 1) through tubular  101  (FIG. 1) to a predetermined position within tubular  101  where wireless device  10  is adapted to acoustically transmit data to remote receiver  50  (FIG. 1) (step  300 ). A predetermined portion of monitoring device  10  may be physically coupled to tubular  101  once monitoring device  10  reaches the predetermined position within tubular  101  (step  310 ). Once physically coupled, data transmission such as from acoustic transceiver  22  (FIG. 1) may be acoustically coupled from monitoring device  10  to remote receiver  50  through tubular  101  using the physical coupling (step  320 ).  
         [0033]    Deploying monitoring device  10  may comprise either permanent or temporary and may be accomplished using a slick line, a coiled tubing, an electric line, or the like, or a combination thereof.  
         [0034]    Physical coupling of monitoring device  10  to tubular  101  may be physically engaging a portion of monitoring device  10 , e.g. selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14  (FIG. 1), with an interior surface of tubular  101  when monitoring device  10  is positioned to the predetermined position within tubular  101 . In an embodiment, monitoring device  10  or a portion thereof, e.g. selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14 , is secured to the interior surface of tubular  101  and disengaged from the interior surface of tubular  101  when monitoring device  101  is to be repositioned within the tubular, e.g. removed from within tubular  101  or merely repositioned to another location within tubular  101 .  
         [0035]    Monitoring device  10  may be adapted to obtain data representative of a local parameter and/or process data representative of the local parameter.  
         [0036]    Sensor  30  (FIG. 1) may be deployed, either as part of monitoring device or external to monitoring device  10 . Further, sensor  30  may be deployed downhole, within tubular  101 , or proximate or at the surface. Sensor  30  may transmit and/or receive data with respect to monitoring device  10 . This data transmission may be via wires, wireless, or via a local bus.  
         [0037]    In certain embodiments, the data transmission may further comprise a data transmission identifier.  
         [0038]    Referring now to FIG.,  3 , in a further exemplary embodiment, data may be obtained from within tubular  101  (FIG. 1) by deploying monitoring device  10  (FIG. 1) through tubular  101  in a hydrocarbon well, where the deployment is either temporary or permanent (step  400 ). Monitoring device  10  may be physically coupled to an interior portion of tubular  101  (step  410 ). The physically coupled monitoring device  10  may then be acoustically coupled to remote receiver  50  at least partially through tubular  101  (step  420 ). Data may then be acoustically transmitted between monitoring device  10  and remote receiver  50  (step  430 ). Data received by remote receiver  50  (FIG. 1) may be processed by remote receiver  50  (step  440 ).  
         [0039]    Additionally, processed data may be transmitted between remote receiver  50  and data processor  60  (FIG. 1) such as by a local bus, an RS-232 connection, a local area networking connection, a cellular telephony connection, a satellite data transmission connection, or the like, or a combination thereof. Data processor  60  may be integral with remote receiver  50  or it may comprise a separate module within remote receiver  50  or external to remote receiver  50 , e.g. a personal computer.  
         [0040]    Acoustically transmitted data may be transmitted either on-demand, continuously, at scheduled intervals, or via a master-slave configuration wherein monitoring device  10  waits for the surface system, e.g. receiver  50 , to address a specific device prior to a function being performed by that device.  
         [0041]    Data may be processed in real time and may further be displayed on a display located at a surface location, e.g. receiver  50  or data processor  60 .  
         [0042]    Monitoring device  10  may be inserted through tubing  101  deployed in situ.  
         [0043]    Physically coupling comprises using one or more mechanical couplers adapted to expand or retract a portion of monitoring device  10 , e.g. selectively expandable acoustic couplers  13 , 14  (FIG. 1). These mechanical couplers may further be adapted to couple an acoustic signal to acoustic receiver  22  disposed within housing  12 .  
         [0044]    Monitoring may comprise formation evaluation or production parameters monitoring. Additionally, transmitted data may be used to optimize hydrocarbon production over the life of the well. Monitoring may further comprise monitoring a physical characteristic usable by a pressure buildup test, monitoring a physical characteristic usable during a gravel pack operation, monitoring a physical characteristic usable during a during frac pack operation, monitoring a physical characteristic usable during an artificial lift operation, monitoring a physical characteristic usable by a coil tubing application, or the like, or a combination thereof.  
         [0045]    For build up tests, monitoring device  10  may be deployed in wells through tubing for monitoring pressure when the well is shut in.  
         [0046]    For a gravel pack or frac pack operation, monitoring device  10  may be disposed in a washpipe and deployed as part of a work string to perform the gravel pack or frac pack operation. As used herein, sensors  30  may be disposed in the washpipe and interface via cable to wireless device  10  which may itself be housed in the washpipe.  
         [0047]    Data may be transmitted at least partially through the washpipe to a surface location. Gauge  32  (FIG. 1) may be provided along with or within monitoring device  10  and deployed to be in communication with monitoring device  10 , e.g. deployed in the well or the washpipe. As used herein, gauge  32  may comprise a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a strain gauge, a flow meter, or the like, one or more of which may be adapted to determine if a process is occurring properly, e.g. fluids are going to the intended location in the formations.  
         [0048]    Gravel pack operations may comprise using monitoring device  10  to seal tubular  101  and set the path for surface gravel into an existing gravel pack. Monitoring device  10  may be used to assure that the gravel is reaching its destination by monitoring downhole pressure or downhole temperature.  
         [0049]    For artificial lift optimization, a wireless retrievable gauge, e.g. gauge  32  in FIG. 1, may be deployed to be in communication with monitoring device  10 . Wireless retrievable gauge  32  may be adapted to determine a production pressure to provide a fluid level indication for optimization of the artificial lift process, e.g. wherein acquired fluid level information is useful for optimization of the artificial lifting process.  
         [0050]    For coil tubing applications, wireless device  10  may be interfaced with a coil tubing for transmission of data in real time through the coil tubing for processing at the surface. Wireless device  10  may further comprise a plurality of sensors  30 . The plurality of sensors  30  may be deployed as part of device string  102  (FIG. 1) and may comprise sensors  30  internal to wireless device  10  and sensors external to wireless device  10 . External sensors  30  may be attached to wireless device  10  via cables.  
         [0051]    Sensors  30  may comprise a sensor adapted to determine a location of device string  102  in the well or a characteristic of the formation, e.g. pressure or temperature.  
         [0052]    Using system  200 , a predetermined parameter indicative of a physical condition of the hydrocarbon well may be monitored and control, command, and communication functionality provided between monitoring device  10  and remote receiver  50 , e.g. using a microprocessor or a digital signal processor or the like or a combination thereof. The control, command, and communication functionality may be directed through monitoring device  10  to a downhole device, e.g. sensor  30 , and comprise control or commands directed to that downhole device, e.g. an actuation command, a request for the modification of a state, a change in a status, or the like, or a combination thereof.  
         [0053]    Remote receiver  50  may be located at the surface of the hydrocarbon well and acoustically transmitted data transmitted from remote receiver  50  where the data further comprise a command to a single monitoring device  10 , a command to a plurality of monitoring devices  10 , non-command data, or the like, or a combination thereof.  
         [0054]    A health monitor feature may be provided and the health monitor function is at least partially implemented within monitoring device  10  to check the status of a component of monitoring device  10 . Further, a shut down and sleep mode for monitoring device  10  may be provided, e.g. to reduce power consumption for work when monitoring device  10  is permanently deployed.  
         [0055]    It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.