Communication using electrical signals transmitted through earth formations between boreholes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041346-B2
Application number	US-201615367833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

An embodiment of a system for communication with a downhole component includes a downhole component configured to be disposed in a first borehole in an earth formation, the first borehole including a first electrically conductive component, and a power source electrically connected via a conductor to the first conductive component and to a second electrically conductive component disposed in a second borehole, the power source configured to induce a voltage difference between the first conductive component and the second conductive component, the voltage difference causing electrical signals to propagate along an electric circuit that includes the first conductive component, the second conductive component and a region of an earth formation between the first borehole and the second borehole. The system a processor configured to control the power source and the voltage difference to transmit an electrical signal between the downhole component and a communication device via the electric circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for communication with a downhole component, comprising:
the downhole component configured to be disposed in a first borehole in an earth formation, the first borehole including a first electrically conductive component;
a power source electrically connected via a conductor to the first electrically conductive component in the first borehole and to a second electrically conductive component disposed in a second borehole, the power source configured to induce a voltage difference between the first electrically conductive component and the second electrically conductive component, the voltage difference causing electrical signals to propagate along an electric circuit that includes the first electrically conductive component, the second electrically conductive component and a region of an earth formation between the first borehole and the second borehole; and
a processor configured to control the power source and the voltage difference to transmit an electrical signal comprising at least one of data and instructions between the downhole component and a communication device via the electric circuit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control a parameter of an energy industry operation based on the electrical signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor includes a modulation device configured to at least one of: modulate the power source to generate an encoded signal and decode the electrical signal.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is disposed at a surface location and is configured to connect surface equipment of the first borehole to surface equipment of the second borehole.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the conductor, the first conductive component, the second conductive component and the region of the earth formation form a closed electrical circuit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second borehole and the second conductive component are located in the formation within a selected distance of the first conductive component, the selected distance based on a resistivity of the formation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first borehole and the second borehole each include a substantially vertical section, the substantially vertical sections spaced by another distance selected based on a resistivity of the formation to prevent electrical signals from propagating therebetween.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first borehole and the second borehole includes a deviated section, a portion of the deviated section establishing the selected distance, the selected distance being less than the another distance.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third borehole including a third conductive component, the second conductive component and the third conductive component configured to form legs of a dipole antenna and perform at least one of: transmitting electromagnetic signals to a receiver in the first borehole, and receiving electromagnetic signals from a transmitter in the first borehole.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first borehole and the second borehole is configured to inject a conductive fluid in the region of the formation.

11. A method of communicating with a downhole component, comprising:
electrically connecting a power source to a downhole component disposed in a first borehole in an earth formation, the first borehole including a first electrically conductive component;
disposing a second electrically conductive component in a second borehole so that a portion of the second conductive component is within a selected distance from the first electrically conductive component, and electrically connecting the power source to the second electrically conductive component;
inducing a voltage difference between the first electrically conductive component and the second electrically conductive component, the voltage difference causing electrical signals to propagate along an electric circuit that includes the first electrically conductive component, the second electrically conductive component and a region of an earth formation between the first borehole and the second borehole; and
controlling the power source and the voltage difference to transmit an electrical signal comprising at least one of data and instructions between the downhole component and a communication device via the electric circuit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling includes adjusting a parameter of an energy industry operation based on the electrical signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein further comprising at least one of: modulating the power source using a modulation device to generate an encoded signal and decoding the electrical signal.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first conductive component and the second conductive component are electrically connected by a conductor disposed at a surface location.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conductor, the first conductive component, the second conductive component and the region of the earth formation form a closed electrical circuit.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selected distance is based on a resistivity of the formation.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first borehole and the second borehole each include a substantially vertical section, the substantially vertical sections spaced by another distance selected based on a resistivity of the formation to prevent electrical signals from propagating therebetween.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first borehole and the second borehole includes a deviated section, a portion of the deviated section establishing the selected distance, the selected distance being less than the another distance.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing a third conductive component in a third borehole, the second conductive component and the third conductive component configured to form legs of a dipole antenna, and controlling the power source includes at least one of: transmitting electromagnetic signals to a receiver in the first borehole, and receiving electromagnetic signals from a transmitter in the first borehole.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first borehole and the second borehole is configured to inject a conductive fluid in the region of the formation.

Assignees

• Wood Edward
• Sequera Daniel Ernesto
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Wood Edward
• Sequera Daniel Ernesto

Classifications

• H02J7/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• E21B43/116

  Gun or shaped-charge perforators · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B47/122 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/13 Primary

  by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency · CPC title