Downhole communications using selectable frequency bands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138726-B2
Application number	US-201515541853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A system that is positionable in a wellbore in a subterranean formation can include a first transceiver that is positionable external to a casing string in the wellbore. The first transceiver can wirelessly transmit data via a signal within a frequency band that is selected based on a fluid property of a fluid in the wellbore and a property of the subterranean formation. The system can also include a second transceiver that is positionable externally

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system that is usable to improve wireless communications transmitted through a wellbore in a subterranean formation, the system comprising:
a first transceiver that is positionable external to a casing string in the wellbore for wirelessly transmitting data via a signal within a frequency band, wherein the first transceiver comprises:
a processing device; and
a memory device that includes instructions executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
receive one or more sensor signals from one or more sensors;
determine a fluid property of a fluid in the wellbore based on the one or more sensor signals;
determine a property of a subterranean formation based on the one or more sensor signals;
select the frequency band based on the fluid property and the property of the subterranean formation by consulting a lookup table in which a plurality of fluid properties and a plurality of subterranean formation properties are mapped to a plurality of frequency bands; and

a second transceiver that is positionable externally the casing string and operable to receive the signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver is operable to transmit the data via the signal and via another signal within another frequency band substantially simultaneously.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a combination of a wellbore servicing fluid and a formation fluid.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lookup table includes a first lookup table, and wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
receive a wireless transmission via a communications device;
detect a signal-to-noise ratio of the wireless transmission; and
determine the fluid property and the property of the subterranean formation based on the signal-to-noise ratio by consulting a second lookup table stored in the memory device in which the plurality of fluid properties and the plurality of subterranean formation properties are mapped to a plurality of signal-to-noise ratios.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lookup table further comprises a plurality of casing string properties mapped to the plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the first transceiver is operable to select the frequency band based on a casing-string property.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
determine the casing-string property based on the one or more sensor signals, the casing-string property comprising a conductivity or a geometry of the casing string; and
select the frequency band based on the casing-string property by consulting the lookup table.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid property comprises a first conductivity of the fluid and the property of the subterranean formation comprises a second conductivity of the subterranean formation.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frequency band is selected by the first transceiver in order to increase a transmission distance associated with the signal, increase a transmission efficiency associated with the signal, increase a data throughput associated with the signal, reduce interference between the signal and another wireless signal, or increase a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the signal.

9. A communication system that is positionable in a wellbore, the communication system comprising:
a first transceiver that is positionable external to a casing string in the wellbore for wirelessly transmitting a signal in a frequency band, wherein the first transceiver comprises:
a processing device; and
a memory device that includes instructions executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
receive one or more sensor signals from one or more sensors;
determine a fluid property of a fluid in the wellbore based on the one or more sensor signals;
determine a property of a subterranean formation based on the one or more sensor signals;
select the frequency band based on the fluid property and the property of the subterranean formation by consulting a lookup table in which a plurality of fluid properties and a plurality of subterranean formation properties are mapped to a plurality of frequency bands; and

a second transceiver that is positionable external to the casing string for receiving the signal, extracting data from the signal, and relaying the data to a third transceiver using another frequency band.

10. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first transceiver is operable to transmit the signal in the frequency band and in a different frequency substantially simultaneously.

11. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the fluid comprises a combination of a wellbore servicing fluid and a formation fluid.

12. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the lookup table includes a first lookup table, and wherein the memory device further includes instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
receive a wireless transmission via a communications device;
detect a signal-to-noise ratio of the wireless transmission; and
determine the fluid property and the property of the subterranean formation based on the signal-to-noise ratio by consulting a second lookup table stored in the memory device in which the plurality of fluid properties and the plurality of subterranean formation properties are mapped to a plurality of signal-to-noise ratios.

13. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the lookup table further comprises a plurality of casing string properties mapped to the plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the first transceiver is operable to select the frequency band based on a casing-string property.

14. The communication system of claim 13 wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
determine the casing-string property based on the one or more sensor signals, the casing-string property comprising a conductivity or a geometry of the casing string; and
select the frequency band based on the casing-string property by consulting the lookup table.

15. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the fluid property comprises a first conductivity of the fluid and the property of the subterranean formation comprises a second conductivity of the subterranean formation.

16. A method usable to improve wireless communications in a wellbore, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first transceiver that is external to a casing string, one or more sensor signals from one or more sensors operable to detect a fluid property of a fluid in the wellbore and a property of a subterranean formation;
determining, by the first transceiver, the fluid property of the fluid based on the one or more sensor signals;
determining, by the first transceiver, the property of the subterranean formation based on the one or more sensor signals;
selecting, by the first transceiver, a frequency band based on the fluid property and the property of the subterranean formation by consulting a lookup table in which a plurality of fluid properties and a plurality of subterranean formation properties are mapped to a plurality of frequency bands; and
wirelessly transmitting, by the first transceiver, data via a signal within the frequency band to a second transceiver.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fre

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberson Mark W

Classifications

• E21B47/13 Primary

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

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title

• E21B49/08

  Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells · CPC title