Method for installing fiber on production casing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525310-B2
Application number	US-201816978239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A method of assembling an optical fiber cable on production casing includes positioning the optical fiber cable against a production casing at a hole of a well site, and affixing the optical fiber cable against the production casing by applying an adhesive to the production casing to secure the optical fiber cable against the production casing. The method further includes applying pressure to the adhesive to adhesively bond the optical fiber cable to the production casing along a length of the production casing while the production casing is being run-in-hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling an optical fiber cable on a production casing, the method comprising:
positioning the optical fiber cable against the production casing at a hole of a well site, wherein positioning the optical fiber cable includes rolling the cable onto an outer surface of the production casing using at least one roller and pressing the optical fiber cable against the outer surface of the production casing using at least one set of actuators engaging with a set of press-rollers;
measuring a surface profile of the production casing to detect any abnormalities in the surface profile;
affixing the optical fiber cable against the production casing by applying an adhesive to the production casing to secure the optical fiber cable against the production casing; and
applying pressure to the adhesive to adhesively bond the optical fiber cable to the production casing along a length of the production casing while the casing is being run-in-hole;
wherein the applying pressure to the adhesive comprises adjusting an amount of pressure applied to adjust for any abnormalities detected in the surface profile of the production casing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises an adhesive tape.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the affixing comprises wrapping the adhesive tape radially over the optical fiber cable and the production casing in a series of radial bands spaced apart from each other at pre-determined intervals along the length of the production casing.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the affixing comprises rolling the adhesive tape linearly over the optical fiber cable and the production casing.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the production casing is run-in-hole at a predetermined speed, and the affixing comprises rolling the adhesive tape linearly over the optical fiber cable and the production casing along the length of the casing at a speed matching the speed at which the casing is run-in-hole.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the affixing comprises wrapping the adhesive tape over the optical fiber cable and the production casing in a helical configuration along the length of the production casing.

7. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the production casing is run-in-hole at a predetermined speed, and the affixing comprises wrapping the adhesive tape over the optical fiber cable and the production casing in a helical configuration along the length of the production casing at a speed correlating to the speed at which the casing is run-in-hole; and
wherein the adhesive tape is wrapped over the optical fiber cable and the production casing at a first helical pitch, the method further comprising adjusting the first helical pitch to a second helical pitch as the casing is being run-in-hole.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the adhesive tape comprises (i) a flexible outer layer, and (ii) an adhesive inner layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible outer layer includes a thermoset resin embedded therein, the method further comprising exposing the flexible outer layer to elevated temperatures downhole to activate and cure the thermoset resin and strengthen the adhesive bonding.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adhesive inner layer comprises a pressure-sensitive material, the method further comprising exposing the adhesive inner layer to elevated pressures and temperatures downhole to cure the pressure-sensitive material into a hardened and strengthened bond with the casing.

11. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, prior to the positioning the optical fiber cable along the length of the production casing, embedding the optical fiber cable in the adhesive tape.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the affixing the optical fiber cable to the production casing comprises activating a wrapping device comprising an actuator and a roller to press the adhesive tape onto the optical fiber cable about a circumference of the production casing, along the length of the production casing.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the affixing the optical fiber cable to the production casing comprises activating a wrapping device comprising an actuator and a roller to press the adhesive tape linearly onto the optical fiber cable along the length of the production casing.

14. The method of claim 2 , further comprising,
prior to the affixing the optical fiber cable to the production casing, embedding an Electro-Acoustic Transducer (EAT) in the adhesive tape; and
monitoring the EAT while the casing is being run-in-hole to determine an orientation of the optical fiber cable and to avoid damaging the optical fiber cable during perforation operations.

15. An apparatus comprising:
an optical fiber cable for monitoring parameters of a wellbore in which a production casing is placed;
one or more rollers for rolling the optical fiber cable onto an outer surface of the production casing;
at least one set of actuators that engage with a set of press-rollers for pressing the optical fiber cable against the outer surface of the production casing;
a profile measuring device for detecting abnormalities in the surface profile of the production casing; and
an adhesive applied along a length of the production casing to secure the optical fiber cable to the production casing along the length of the production casing while the production casing is being run-in-hole;
wherein as the adhesive is applied along the length of the production casing, pressure applied to the adhesive is varied to adjust for abnormalities detected in the surface profile of the production casing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive comprises an adhesive tape, and the optical fiber cable is embedded in the adhesive tape.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive comprises an adhesive tape having (i) a flexible outer layer including a thermoset resin embedded therein, and (ii) an adhesive inner layer including a pressure-sensitive material.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:
the flexible outer layer comprises a steel material, a carbon material, a Kevlar material, or a combination thereof; and
the adhesive inner layer comprises a ceramic epoxy configured to cure with elevated surrounding temperatures.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising an Electro-Acoustic Transducer (EAT) coupled to the production casing for determining an orientation of the optical fiber cable while the production casing is being run-in-hole to avoid damaging the optical fiber cable during perforation operations, wherein the EAT is embedded in the adhesive, or attached to the casing using the adhesive.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the optical fiber cable is mounted in a protective flatpack, the protective flatpack having the adhesive disposed on an outer surface thereof to secure the optical fiber cable to the production casing along the length of the production casing.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Park Brian Vandellyn
• Jaaskelainen Mikko

Classifications

• E21B47/135

  using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves · CPC title

• G02B6/4459

  Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres · CPC title

• E21B17/026 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing cables or wirelines to the outside of downhole devices · CPC title

• G02B6/502 Primary

  Installation methods in fluid conducts, e.g. pipelines · CPC title

• G02B6/504

  Installation in solid material, e.g. underground · CPC title