Demonstration of a Remotely Set Liner Hanger Setting System Utilizing Acoustic Telemetry
Authors: Hawthorn A. , Groves D. , Osunjaye G. 
Published: February 2024

Liner hangers are deployed globally in the order of thousands of times per year. These are to reduce the time and risk, with associated cost of running long casing strings. Originally these systems would require a mechanical actuation, such as rotating and or reciprocating the drill pipe in order to deploy the liner system. In the last several decades there has been an increasing complexity of wells, particularly in relation to the complexity of the well profile with thousands of highly deviated or horizontal wells. As can be imagined this increase in deviation and complex trajectories limits the ability to activate the liner system through rotation and reciprocation. The industry then also developed hydraulically actuated systems, and these are found in both conventional and expandable liner hanger systems. The traditional method for setting a hydraulic liner hanger is through dropping an activation ball. This can be either a single activation or a multiple activation device. The hydraulic activation allows for reciprocation and rotation, within the limits of the well deviation. Dropping a ball and landing it on a ball seat creates a pressure increase to the work string which then activates the liner hanger and running tool.

However, it is still the case that there are multiple failures of liner hanger setting, and indeed of getting liners to bottom safely. In complex well trajectories, in high pressure high temperature wells and in wells with very narrow mud weight windows, or under managed pressure conditions failure to set the liner hanger systems correctly or in the correct place can lead to significant Non-Productive Time (NPT). This is generally associated with not having access to what is happening downhole, relying only on surface indicators and not landing the ball on the seat correctly.

What we will show in this paper is a system that allows both real-time data to be sent both from just above the liner hanger, but also along the string whilst running the system. This acoustic telemetry system, which transmits data through the wall of steel drill pipe without the need for surface or downhole modification of existing systems includes measurements of downhole weights, downhole torques and internal and external pressures and temperatures. Additionally, the system transmits all the time and can be run independent of flow or fluid and operates whilst tripping. The system is also fully through bore allowing the passage of balls, bars or even wireline tools through the bore. The acoustic telemetry system is also intrinsically bidirectional, meaning that not only can data be sent up from downhole and along the string, but also acoustic commands to be sent down to activate downhole devices, in this case the liner hanger and running tool.

The development of such a system providing both real-time downhole measurements and does not rely on mechanical manipulation or dropping an activation ball from surface has the potential to dramatically decrease high impact NPT and increase the overall operational capabilities of liner hanger systems.