Patent Abstract:
A method of sensing matter introduced to a well in a completion operation. The method includes, sensing the introduced matter with at least one transducer, and communicating the sensing of the introduced matter to surface via a wired pipe.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Operators in the hydrocarbon recovery industry typically rely on estimations to determine when a particular well completion operation is finished. One example of a well completion operation where estimation is employed is a cementing operation. An operator may estimate a volume of cement needed based upon his best information of the length and annular area that is to be cemented. A poor estimation leading to the pumping of a lesser volume than accurately needed or the pumping of a greater volume than accurately needed tends to be costly and therefore undesirable. An insufficient volume of cement may, for example, cause portions of casings or liners to be inadequately cemented while excess volumes of cement may cause cementing of downhole tools that were never intended to be cemented. Actions to correct the effects of over and under cementing inevitably cause delay and as noted are generally costly. Operators will likely look positively on systems and methods that remove some of the inaccuracies heretofore inherent in the process of completing wells. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Disclosed herein is a method of sensing matter introduced to a well in a completion operation. The method includes, sensing the introduced matter with at least one transducer, and communicating the sensing of the introduced matter to surface via a wired pipe. 
         [0003]    Further disclosed herein is a method of monitoring axial or radial displacement of a member during a downhole completion operation. The method includes, sensing axial or radial displacement of the member during the downhole completion operation with the at least one transducer, and communicating the sensing of the axial or the radial displacement to surface via the wired pipe. 
         [0004]    Further disclosed herein is a downhole well completion operation monitoring system. The system includes, at least one transducer positionable downhole and configured to sense an effect or event caused by presence of matter introduced to the well during the downhole well completion operation, a wired pipe in operable communication with the at least one transducer, and a monitoring device in operable communication with the at least one transducer via the wired pipe. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  depicts a partial quarter sectional view of a downhole well completion employing embodiments disclosed herein; and 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A-2D  depict a cross sectional view of a well at four levels of completion regarding a cement pumping operation. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures. 
         [0009]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a downhole well completion operation monitoring system  10  disclosed herein is illustrated. The monitoring system  10 , among other things includes, a wired pipe  14 , a monitoring device  18 , shown herein as a computer, and one or more transducer(s)  22 , for monitoring a downhole operation associated with completion of the well or initiating actuation of a completion operation. The wired pipe  14  has a wire  26  capable of carrying electrical signals and power therethrough. The wire  26 , at a minimum, electrically connects the monitoring device  18  with the transducer(s)  22  to permit at least one-way, and often two-way, electrical communication between the monitoring device  18  and the transducer(s)  22 . Such electrical communication allows the monitoring device  18  to monitor downhole completion operations sensed by the transducer(s)  22  as well as to actuate the transducer(s)  22  when desired. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment the monitoring system  10 , as illustrated, is positioned within a casing  34  of a wellbore  38  in an earth formation  42 . The wired pipe  14  includes a setting tool  50 , with a liner hanger  58  through which the wire  26  extends. Although the complete routing of the wire  26  is not shown, it electrically connects with each transducer(s)  22 . The setting tool  50 , when actuated, has two functions, first it sets slips  54  to anchor a liner  56  to the casing  34 , and second, it sets a pack-off  60  to seal the annular opening  62  between the casing  34  and the liner hanger  58 . The first transducer  22 A electrically actuates the setting of the setting tool  50  by such means as a solenoid that is used to open a valve to allow wellbore fluid, under hydrostatic pressure, to enter a chamber containing a piston at atmospheric pressure. The hydrostatic pressure moves the piston against the ambient pressure to actuate the setting tool  50 . Alternately, the first transducer  22 A could be a pump that pumps fluid to hydraulically actuate the setting tool. The first transducer  22 A could be in the form of still other actuating devices while remaining within the scope of embodiments disclosed herein. The first transducer  22 A can be configured to actuate both the pack-off  60  and the slips  54  or only one of the two leaving a second transducer  22 B to actuate the other of the pack-off  60  and the slips  54  not actuated by the first transducer  22 A. 
         [0011]    In addition to driving actuation, the first and second transducers  22 A and  22 B may be configured to monitor the status of the actuation as well. Such monitoring can be of an axial or a radial displacement of the pack-off  60  or slips  54 , for example. In this case the transducers  22 A,  22 B provide feedback to the monitoring device  18 . Alternately, an embodiment may incorporate a third transducer  22 C to monitor either or both actuations. Regardless of which transducer  22 A- 22 C provides the feedback, the feedback can communicate the level of actuation that has taken place. Such information can be helpful to an operator to prevent over actuation and problems than can result therefrom. For example, an operator may use the feedback to decide when to halt the actuation of a hydraulic pump transducer. 
         [0012]    Other transducers can be used to aid in the accurate placement of well tools relative to the formation  42 , as well as relative to each other. For example, a proximity transducer  22 D installed in a liner hanger  58  could be used to detect an end  66  of the casing  34 . Such information would be helpful in accurately positioning the liner hanger  58  in a desired position with respect to the end  66 . Similarly, a plug proximity transducer  22 E could be used to determine when a pump down plug  70  has reached a specific location within the wired pipe  14 , thereby taking some of the guesswork out of the process that is currently employed. Similarly, cement detection transducers  22 F and  22 G can provide feedback as to when cement being pumped downhole has reached a specific location relative to the wired pipe  14 , thereby providing feedback to aid the operator in preventing under pumping and over pumping of cement and the problems associated therewith. The use of transducers  22 E,  22 F and  22 G will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 2A-2D  below. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2D , a well  74  undergoing a cementing operation is illustrated. An embodiment disclosed herein includes a liner  80 , attached to the lower end of a wired pipe  84 . The liner  80  and the wired pipe  84  assembly is lowered into a casing  88  cemented into a wellbore  92  in an earth formation  96 . The liner  80  will be cemented to the formation  96  and optionally to the casing  88  to fix it in place and to seal the liner  80  to the formation  96  and to the casing  88 . As described above, the proximity transducer  22 D can be used to position the liner  80  in a desired position relative to an end  100  of the casing  88 . Similarly, the cement detector  22 F can detect when cement  104 , being pumped downhole, reaches the cement detector  22 F. This information can provide an operator with information to accurately calculate the amount of cement  104  that has been pumped thus far. A pump down plug  108  can then be pumped at the end of the cement  104  thereby separating the cement  104  from mud  112  pumped behind the plug  108 . The plug proximity transducer  22 E positioned near the top of the liner  80  can detect when the plug  108  has reached the top of the liner  80 . 
         [0014]    In this embodiment, a plug carrier  116 , positioned at the top of the liner  80 , sealingly receives the plug  108  and is pumped down the liner  80  with the plug  108 . The carrier  116  sealingly engages with the inner diameter  120  of the liner  80  that is greater than the inner diameter  124  of the wired pipe  84  through which the plug  108  is pumped from surface. As the plug  108  and carrier  116  are pumped down the liner  80  ( FIG. 2C ), the cement  104  is pumped down the liner  80  and back up an annular space  128 , outside of the liner  80  and inside of the wellbore  92 , and into an annular space  132  between the casing  88  and the liner  80  and into an annular space  134  between the casing  88  and the formation  96 . One or more cement detector transducers  22 G positioned along the liner  80  detect when the cement  104  has reached each transducer  22 G providing the operator with precise knowledge as to the location of the pumped cement  104 . 
         [0015]    One or more carrier proximity transducer(s)  22 H positioned near the bottom of the liner  80  can provide accurate feedback as to when the carrier  116  has reached precise positions near the bottom of the liner  80 . This knowledge, coupled with the knowledge of how much total cement  104  was pumped can help an operator understand more about the formation  96  and insure a good cement job. 
         [0016]    Although the embodiments disclosed herein have the wire  26  within the wired pipes  14 ,  84 , the casing  34  and the liner  80 , in alternate embodiments the casing  88  could include the wire  26  therewithin also. In such an embodiment, one or more of the transducer(s)  22  could be placed along the casing  88  to provide feedback or actuations at locations along the casing  88  as opposed to along the wired pipes  14 ,  84  casing  34  or liner  80 . 
         [0017]    The monitoring transducers  22 C- 22 H disclosed herein can use a variety of mechanical, chemical and electrical processes in the monitoring that they perform. For example, the transducers may detect a change in at least one of resistivity, gamma, neutron, magnetism, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, acceleration, density and strain. Such a change can be correlated with the presence of one of the end  100 , the cement  104 , the plug  108  or the carrier  116 , for example. 
         [0018]    While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4