System and method for communicating along a casing string including a high magnetic permeability substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655458-B2
Application number	US-201515552543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A communication assembly is described that when placed around a string casing in a wellbore transmits data along a pipe string from the wellbore to, for example, the surface of the well. The assembly includes a high magnetic permeability substrate to eliminate signal loss to the casing string thereby enhancing the signal and improving data transmission.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for communicating from within a subterranean wellbore to the surface of the wellbore, comprising:
a pipe string configured to be located within a subterranean wellbore, the pipe string comprising an exterior; and
a coil communication assembly at a location along the pipe string, the coil communication assembly comprising:
a transmission coil wrapped around the exterior of the pipe string and configured to transmit a signal along the pipe string;
a high magnetic permeability substrate located between the exterior of the pipe string and the transmission coil and configured to minimize signal loss from the transmission coil into the pipe string; and
a second magnetic substrate positioned outside the transmission coil and the high magnetic permeability substrate, wherein the second magnetic substrate comprises a relative magnetic permeability so as to be configured to provide a frequency dependent attenuation of interfering signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high magnetic permeability substrate comprises a relative magnetic permeability μ r of 100 to 30,000.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pipe sting comprises a casing string, and wherein the high magnetic permeability substrate has a relative magnetic permeability μ r of greater than 5,000.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising more than one coil communication assemblies at spaced locations along the pipe string.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the coil communication assemblies are spaced between 10 meters and 30 meters apart along the pipe string.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second magnetic substrate comprises a relative magnetic permeability pr of 1 to 30,000.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the pipe string is a casing string and wherein at least one second communication assembly comprises multiple coil communication assemblies at spaced locations along the casing string.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission coil comprises a copper coil.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high magnetic permeability substrate comprises one or more ferromagnetic materials.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coil communication assembly is configured to receive data from a logging-while-drilling or measurement-while-drilling tool.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high magnetic permeability substrate is coated on wire of the transmission coil.

12. A method for communicating between two locations in a subterranean wellbore including a pipe string comprising:
sensing a condition of the wellbore;
transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed condition from a first location;
retransmitting the signal indicative of the sensed condition along the pipe string via a transmission coil wrapped around the pipe string and without an additional power input;
minimizing signal loss into the pipe string during the retransmission of the signal via a high magnetic permeability substrate located between the exterior of the pipe string and the transmission coil;
attenuating the signal for interfering signals prior to retransmission by surrounding the transmission coil with a second magnetic substrate comprising a relative magnetic permeability to provide a frequency dependent attenuation of signals; and
receiving the transmitted signal at a receiver at a second location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the pipe string is a casing string and the transmission coil is wrapped around the casing string in the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the signal is retransmitted at least twice.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal is retransmitted a distance from 10 meters to 30 meters before being received.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberson Mark W

Classifications

• E21B47/13 Primary

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

• G01V3/28

  using induction coils · CPC title

• G01V3/34

  Transmitting data to recording or processing apparatus; Recording data · CPC title

• E21B17/028

  Electrical or electro-magnetic connections · CPC title

• E21B47/122 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic