System and method for navigating a wellbore and determining location in a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065894-B2
Application number	US-202217869946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2022
Priority date	Jul 21, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A wellbore positioning system includes a first wellbore casing element bearing a first magnetic pattern that encodes first information associated with the wellbore or a drone. The first wellbore casing element is configured for placement down-hole in the wellbore. The first wellbore casing element extends along a central axis and defines an axially oriented passage. Also, the system includes an untethered drone configured for relative movement in the passage of the first wellbore casing element. The drone is configured to detect the first magnetic pattern and determine a position of the drone within the wellbore based on the first information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wellbore positioning system comprising:
a first wellbore casing element bearing a first magnetic pattern that encodes first information associated with a wellbore or a drone, the first wellbore casing element being configured for placement down-hole in the wellbore, the first wellbore casing element extending along a central axis and defining an axially oriented passage; and
an untethered drone configured for relative movement in the passage of the first wellbore casing element, the drone configured to detect the first magnetic pattern and determine a position of the drone within the wellbore based on the first information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wellbore casing element is one of a pipe or casing collar, and
at least a portion of the first wellbore casing element is magnetized with the first magnetic pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wellbore tool connected to the drone, the drone configured to position the wellbore tool relative to the wellbore based in part on the first encoded information.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic pattern is on an outer surface of the first wellbore casing element.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first magnetic pattern varies along a direction of the central axis.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first magnetic pattern varies along a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic pattern is on an inner surface of the first wellbore casing element.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first magnetic pattern varies along a direction of the central axis.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first magnetic pattern varies along a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wellbore casing element has a length that extends from a first end to a second end along the central axis and the first magnetic pattern extends from the first end to the second end, and
wherein the first magnetic pattern of the first wellbore casing element varies along a direction of the central axis.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second wellbore casing element bearing a second magnetic pattern that encodes second information associated with the wellbore or a drone, the second wellbore casing element being configured for placement down-hole in the wellbore in axially spaced relation to the first wellbore casing element, the second wellbore casing element extending along the central axis, and wherein the second wellbore casing element has a length that extends from a first end to a second end along the central axis and the second magnetic pattern extends from the first end to the second end, and wherein the second magnetic pattern of the second wellbore casing element varies along a direction of the central axis.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a third wellbore casing element fluidly coupling the first and second wellbore casing elements and disposed axially therebetween, the third wellbore casing element having a certain length and being substantially unmagnetized.

13. A method of constructing a wellbore positioning system, comprising:
providing a wellbore casing element above the surface of a wellbore, the wellbore casing element being configured for placement down-hole in the wellbore, the wellbore casing element extending along a central axis and defining an axially oriented passage;
magnetizing at least a portion of the wellbore casing element with a magnetic pattern that encodes first information associated with the wellbore; and
inserting the magnetized wellbore casing element into the wellbore.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic pattern is on an outer surface of the first wellbore casing element.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the magnetic pattern varies along a direction of the central axis.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the magnetic pattern varies along a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the magnetic pattern is on an inner surface of the first wellbore casing element.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the magnetic pattern varies along a direction of the central axis.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the magnetic pattern varies along a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wellbore casing element has a length that extends from a first end to a second end along the central axis and magnetizing includes magnetizing substantially the entire length of wellbore casing element to a specific field strength, and wherein the magnetic pattern of the first wellbore casing element varies along a direction of the central axis.

Assignees

• DynaEnergetics Europe GmbH

Inventors

• Zemla Andreas Robert
• Scharf Thilo
• Mcnelis Liam
• Eitschberger Christian

Classifications

• E21B47/092

  by detecting magnetic anomalies · CPC title

• E21B43/117

  Shaped-charge perforators (E21B43/118 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B47/09

  Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes · CPC title

• E21B23/001 Primary

  Self-propelling systems or apparatus, e.g. for moving tools within the horizontal portion of a borehole · CPC title

• E21B23/08 Primary

  Introducing or running tools by fluid pressure, e.g. through-the-flow-line tool systems · CPC title