Methods and systems for detecting RFID tags in a borehole environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358914-B2
Application number	US-201414316408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2007
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

Sensor assemblies are deployed in a borehole for a well, such as an oil well or other hydrocarbon recovery well. The sensor assemblies may be coupled to a casing string (e.g., the exterior of the casing), and detect RFID tags or other properties of material (e.g., fluids) in an annulus surrounding the casing string. During cementing or other operations, RFID tags may be used to track fluids. RFID detection circuits may be used to scan at different frequencies, and corresponding results may be compared by various means and processes to determine the presence of RFID tags.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detecting radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags in a borehole, comprising:
scanning for the RFID tags at a plurality of frequencies in at least a portion of an annulus surrounding an exterior of a casing string in the borehole, wherein the RFID tags are embedded in a wellbore composition within the annulus;
receiving a plurality of corresponding results from the RFID tags, wherein each corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results corresponds to a different one of the plurality of frequencies;
comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another, wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results comprises digitizing the plurality of corresponding results at a rate faster than a sweep time of said each of the plurality of corresponding results to create digitized signals, and
wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results comprises performing background correction by comparing the digitized signals of multiple sweeps to provide a background corrected signal: and determining whether one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus based on the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said each of the plurality of corresponding results comprises an analog value that indicates a power level reflected from a scan of the portion of the annulus.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said determining whether the one or more of the RFID tags are present in the portion of the annulus comprises:
determining a physical position corresponding with a dip in the power level; and
determining that the one or more of the RFID tags are present based on the physical position.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prior to said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another, applying a bandpass filter to said each of the plurality of corresponding results to dampen environmental noise above and below a pair of respective threshold frequencies.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
at a first time, storing a first corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results in an analog sample/hold circuit; and
retrieving the first corresponding result from the analog sample/hold circuit at later time; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results further comprises subtracting one of a pair comprising the first corresponding result and a second corresponding result from the other of the pair comprising the first corresponding result and the second corresponding result.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said each corresponding result of the corresponding results for each of the plurality of frequencies comprises a voltage level; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another further comprises comparing a first voltage level corresponding to a first result to a second voltage level corresponding to a second result using at least one of: an analog subtraction circuit, an analog multiplication circuit, a digital subtraction circuit and a digital multiplication circuit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said determining whether the one or more of RFID tags are present comprises,
converting an output of the analog subtraction circuit to a digital value; and
using a digital circuit to determine if the digital value exceeds a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning at a series of successively faster frequencies; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of the corresponding results to one another further comprises subtracting a result of scanning at a relatively lower frequency from a result of scanning at a frequency.

9. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning at a series of successively slower frequencies; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises comparing a result of scanning at relatively higher frequency to a result of scanning at a relatively lower frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a first one of the plurality of corresponding results by averaging results from said scanning for the RFID tags multiple times at a first frequency of the plurality of frequencies; and
determining a second one of the plurality of corresponding results by averaging results from said scanning for the RFID tags multiple times at a second frequency of the plurality of frequencies.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies comprises scanning one or more frequencies below a target frequency and scanning one or more frequencies above the target frequency.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining whether the one or more RFID tags are present comprises determining if a threshold value is exceeded by both:
a result of subtracting a second corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results from a first corresponding result of the plurality of corresponding results; and
a result of subtracting the second corresponding result from a third result of the plurality of corresponding results.

13. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of frequencies comprises at least three frequencies, and
wherein the comparing of the plurality of corresponding results further comprises comparisons between at least three frequencies of the plurality of frequencies.

14. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said each one of the plurality of corresponding results comprises a voltage level; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises using a subtraction circuit to subtract a first voltage level of a second result from a second voltage level of a first result.

15. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said each one of the plurality of corresponding results comprises a voltage level; and
wherein said comparing the plurality of corresponding results to one another further comprises using a multiplication circuit to compare a first voltage level of a second result to a second voltage level of a first result.

16. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the scanning for the RFID tags at the plurality of frequencies is performed through use of a first antenna, and
wherein the receiving of the plurality of corresponding results for each frequency of the plurality of frequencies is performed through use of a second antenna.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore composition comprises a cement slurry.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pumping the wellbore composition from a surface at a top of the borehole into the annulus.

19. A method of detecting radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags in a borehole, comprising:
scanning for the RFID tags, at first, second, and third frequencies, in at least a portion of an annulus surrounding an exterior of a casing string in the borehole, wherein the RFID tags are embedded in a wellbore composition within the annulus;
receiving first, second, and third results from the RFID tags for the first, second, and third frequencies;
generating result comparisons, wherein said generating the result comparisons comprise comparing the first result with the second result, and the second result with the third result, and wherein said generating the result comparisons comprises d

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberson Mark W
• Goodwin Scott
• Bartee Charles
• Roddy Craig W
• Ravi Krishna M

Classifications

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B47/005

  Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level · CPC title

• E21B47/13 Primary

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

• E21B43/25

  Methods for stimulating production {(by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003)} · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title