Casing coupling having communication unit for evaluating downhole conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10961845-B2
Application number	US-201515545232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A communication unit is situated in or on a casing collar. The casing collar has two threaded ends for joining casing joints to construct a well casing, and a communication unit is disposed in or on a central region of the tube between the two threaded ends. In an example, the communication unit has a transmitter for transmitting sensor data uphole from a sensor sensing a well bore condition. For example, the communication unit has a receiver for receiving sensor data from Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors, a transceiver for interrogating RFID tags, an acoustic transceiver for sensing wellbore conditions, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and batteries for powering the communication unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus comprising:
(a) a casing collar having two threaded ends for coupling two casing joints together; and
(b) a communication unit situated in a plurality of azimuthally offset hollow ribs on or in a central region of the casing collar, each hollow rib having at least one receiver for receiving sensor data from a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensor and at least one electromagnetic transceiver for interrogating at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the at least one receiver and the at least one electromagnetic receiver oriented in a particular direction using an azimuthal indicator and a known orientation of the communication unit, wherein the central region is located between the two threaded ends, the communication unit measuring a sealant present within each respective azimuthally offset region of an annulus using the at least one RFID tag to compare a temperature in each respective azimuthally offset region of the annulus and determine whether there is an inconsistency in the temperature of the sealant between a first azimuthally offset region of the annulus and a second azimuthally offset region of the annulus, the plurality of hollow ribs equally spaced relative to a circumference of the casing collar.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing collar has an outer cylindrical surface, and the communication unit does not protrude from the outer cylindrical surface.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing collar has an outer cylindrical surface, and the communication unit is situated in an annular groove in the outer cylindrical surface.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising the two casing joints coupled together by the casing collar, wherein the casing collar comprises a steel tube extending between the two threaded ends, and the steel tube has a wall thickness under the annular groove of at least a wall thickness of the casing joints so that the casing collar and the casing joints have comparable strengths.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing collar has an outer cylindrical surface, and the communication unit is situated in a pocket in the outer cylindrical surface.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing collar is made of fiberglass composite material, and the communication unit is embedded in the fiberglass composite material.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication unit includes an acoustic transmitter for transmitting acoustic waves in a well casing including the casing collar.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication unit includes a transmitter for transmitting data.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the communication unit includes a sensor coupled to the transmitter to provide sensor data for transmission by the transmitter.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the sensor is an acoustic transceiver.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication unit includes batteries for powering the communication unit.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the batteries are inductively rechargeable by a recharging unit.

15. A method comprising:
(a) joining casing joints to a casing collar to form a casing disposed in a well bore, the casing collar having two threaded ends engaging threaded ends of the casing joints, the casing collar having a communication unit situated in a plurality of azimuthally offset hollow ribs on or in the casing collar at a central region of the casing collar between the two threaded ends of the casing collar, each hollow rib equally spaced relative to a circumference of the casing collar; and
(b) receiving MEMS sensor data from at least one sensor comprising a MEMS sensor sensing a well bore condition, interrogating at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the at least one sensor oriented in a particular direction using an azimuthal indicator and a known orientation of the communication unit, measuring a sealant present within each respective azimuthally offset region of an annulus using the at least one RFID tag to compare a temperature of the sealant in each respective azimuthally offset region of the annulus and determine whether there is an inconsistency in the temperature between a first azimuthally offset region of the annulus and a second azimuthally offset region of the annulus, and transmitting the MEMS sensor data uphole using a transmitter associated with the communication unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the communication unit includes batteries powering the communication unit, and the method includes inserting a down-hole charging tool into the casing to inductively charge the batteries.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberson Mark W
• Goodwin Scott

Classifications

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B47/01 Primary

  Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like · CPC title

• E21B47/007

  Measuring stresses in a pipe string or casing (for locating blocked portions of pipes E21B47/09) · CPC title

• E21B47/005

  Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level · CPC title

• E21B47/07

  Temperature · CPC title