Downhole wireless communication system through adjacent wells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459876-B2
Application number	US-202016807820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2020
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A method of drilling a wellbore system, including determining a conductive formation layer from a plurality of formation layers having a first well extending therethrough, the first well having a first work string therein, the first work string including a device, placing a second well at a distance from the first well, the distance selected to allow communication of an electrical signal between the first well and the second well through the conductive formation layer based on a resistivity of the electrically conductive formation layer, disposing a second work string in the second well, and communicating the electrical signal from the second work string to the first work string through the electrically conductive formation layer to operate the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of drilling a wellbore system, comprising:
determining an electrically conductive formation layer from a plurality of formation layers having a first well extending therethrough, the first well having a first work string therein, the first work string including an electrical device within a formation layer other than the electrically conductive formation layer;
placing a second well at a distance from the first well, wherein the distance is selected to allow communication of an electrical signal between the first well and the second well through the electrically conductive formation layer based on a resistivity of the electrically conductive formation layer and a leakage current at a depth of the electrically conductive formation layer;
disposing a second work string in the second well;
communicating the electrical signal from a surface location along the second work string through the electrically conductive formation layer and to an electrical receiver disposed on the first work string within the electrically conductive formation layer; and sending an actuation signal to the electrical device to operate the electrical device in response to receiving the electrical signal at the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an electrical circuit between the first work string and the second work string via the electrically conductive formation layer and an electrical connection between the first work string and the second work string at the surface location along the second work string.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising supplying a reverse electrical signal from the first work string to the second work string.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first well includes a horizontal segment at a horizontal segment depth, and the first work string extends in the first well to a depth equal to or greater than the horizontal segment depth.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation layer other than the electrically conductive formation layer is a non-conductive formation layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising said selecting the distance between the first well and the second well based on the resistivity of the electrically conductive formation layer, a signal threshold of the electrical device and a strength of the electrical signal at the surface location along the second work string.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical device is one of a trigger sleeve, a frac sleeve and a liner hanger.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal is at least one of an electrical current and a coded electrical signal.

9. A wellbore system, comprising:
a first well extending through a plurality of formations, the first well having a first work string disposed therein, the plurality of formations including an electrically conductive formation layer;
a second well extending through the electrically conductive formation layer, the second well having a second work string disposed therein, the second well located at a distance from the first well, the distance is selected to allow communication of an electrical signal between the first well and the second well through the electrically conductive formation layer based on a resistivity of the electrically conductive formation layer and a leakage current at a depth of the electrically conductive formation layer;
a downhole device on the first work string operable using a selected current conducted from the second well to the first well, wherein the downhole device is located in a formation layer other than the electrically conductive formation layer;
an electrical receiver disposed on the first work string within the electrically conductive formation layer; and
an electrical signal generator at a surface location along the second work string for injecting the selected current into the second work string, wherein the electrical signal passes from the second work string to the first work string via the electrically conductive formation layer to be received at the electrical receiver, wherein the electrical receiver communicates an actuation signal to the downhole device along the first work string to operate the downhole device in response to receiving the electrical signal.

10. The wellbore system of claim 9 , further comprising a conductive element between the first work string and the second work string at the surface location to form an electrical circuit including the first work string, the second work string and the electrically conductive formation layer.

11. The wellbore system of claim 10 , wherein the second well includes a horizontal segment at a horizontal segment depth, and the first work string extends in the first well to a depth equal to or greater than the horizontal segment depth.

12. The wellbore system of claim 9 , wherein the downhole device is located in a non-conductive formation layer.

13. The wellbore system of claim 9 , wherein the distance between the first well and the second well is selected based on the resistivity of the electrically conductive formation layer, a signal threshold of the downhole device and a strength of the electrical signal generator at the surface location.

14. The wellbore system of claim 9 , wherein the first well and second well are uncased wells.

15. The wellbore system of claim 9 , wherein the downhole device is one of a trigger sleeve, a frac sleeve and a liner hanger.

16. The wellbore system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical signal is at least one of an electrical current and a coded electrical signal.

Assignees

• Sequera Daniel Ernesto
• Wakefield John K
• Russell Ronnie David
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Sequera Daniel Ernesto
• Wakefield John K
• Russell Ronnie David

Classifications

• G01V3/34

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

• E21B47/13 Primary

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