Systems and methods for determining downhole tool status

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560074-B2
Application number	US-202418598011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2024
Priority date	Feb 23, 2024
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A system and method of monitoring a downhole tool implemented in a wellbore that include receiving an initial status of the downhole tool, an initial operation mode and one or more initial operation parameters. The system and method also include identifying a surface downlink sent from a surface of the wellbore to the downhole tool from surface parameters. The system and method include confirming that the downhole tool received from the surface downlink based on comparing the surface downlink to downhole telemetry data received at the surface from the downhole tool. The system and method further include determining an updated status of the downhole tool including updating one or more of the initial operation mode or the one or more initial operation parameters of the initial status based on the downlink command indicated in the surface downlink based on the confirmation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of monitoring a downhole tool implemented in a wellbore, comprising:
receiving a status of the downhole tool indicating an operation mode and one or more operation parameters for the downhole tool, wherein the status indicates that the operation mode is a first operation mode, and wherein the operation mode of the downhole tool relates to the downhole tool performing downhole operations based on the one or more operation parameters; identifying a plurality of sets of downlink definitions for which the downhole tool is configured to communicate, the plurality of sets of downlink definitions including a first set of downlink definitions corresponding with the first operation mode of the downhole tool and a second set of downlink definitions corresponding to a second operation mode of the downhole tool, wherein the first set of downlink definitions defines, for a set of downlink identifiers (IDs), a first set of downlink commands, and the second set of downlink definitions defines, for the set of downlink IDs, a second set of downlink commands that is different than the first set of downlink commands; identifying a first surface downlink sent from a surface of the wellbore to the downhole tool, the first surface downlink sent by modulating one or more surface parameters, wherein the first surface downlink indicates a first downlink command for the downhole tool to change the operation mode from the first operation mode to the second operation mode; confirming that the downhole tool received the first surface downlink based on comparing downhole telemetry data received at the surface from the downhole tool to the first downlink command corresponding to the first surface downlink; based on confirming that the downhole tool received the first surface downlink, updating the status of the downhole tool including indicating that the operation mode of the downhole tool changed from the first operation mode to the second operation mode; identifying, from the second set of downlink definitions, a target downlink command for implementing at the downhole tool in the second operation mode and a corresponding target downlink ID; transmitting a second surface downlink to the downhole tool instructing the downhole tool to implement the target downlink command based on the target downlink ID and based on the downhole tool operating in the second operation mode; after transmitting the second surface downlink, identifying that the downhole telemetry data is unreliable including indicating an inability to confirm that the downhole tool received the second surface downlink; and based on the inability to confirm that the downhole tool received the second surface downlink, updating the status of the downhole tool including indicating the operation mode of the downhole tool is a blind mode.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the downhole tool is operating in the first operation mode, the target downlink ID instructs the downhole tool to implement a third downlink command that is different than the target downlink command associated with the second operation mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the status of the downhole tool includes receiving the downhole telemetry data received at the surface of the wellbore from the downhole tool, the downhole telemetry data including one or more data channels indicating the one or more operation parameters for the downhole tool.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further including determining the status of the downhole tool based on the downhole telemetry data, including determining the operation mode implemented by the downhole tool and determining the one or more operation parameters implemented by the downhole tool for the operation mode.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first surface downlink sent from the surface of the wellbore to the downhole tool includes identifying the first surface downlink encoded into the one or more surface parameters sent from the surface of the wellbore to the downhole tool.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein confirming that the downhole tool received the first surface downlink includes verifying a downhole downlink ID data channel of the downhole telemetry data with a first downlink ID of the first surface downlink.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein confirming that the downhole tool received from the first surface downlink includes verifying one or more operation parameter data channels of the downhole telemetry data with the first downlink command of the first surface downlink.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the status of the downhole tool includes indicating that the operation mode changed to the second operation mode based on the first downlink command indicated in the first surface downlink.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the downhole telemetry data is telemetry data sent to the surface of the wellbore from the downhole tool through one or more of mud pulse telemetry, electromagnetic telemetry, acoustic telemetry, or wired telemetry.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool is a steering tool and updating the status includes determining a steering mode and associated steering parameters of the steering tool.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sets of downlink definitions defines a global subset of the set of downlink IDs associated with a global set of downlink commands that are the same across each set of downlink definitions of the plurality of sets of downlink definitions, wherein the global set of downlink commands are associated with changing the operation mode of the downhole tool.

12 . A system of monitoring a downhole tool implemented in a wellbore comprising:
a processor; memory accessible by the processor; and processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and executable to instruct the system to:
receive a status of the downhole tool indicating an operation mode and one or more operation parameters for the downhole tool, wherein the status indicates that the operation mode is a first operation mode, and wherein the operation mode of the downhole tool relates to the downhole tool performing downhole operations based on the one or more operation parameters;
identify a plurality of sets of downlink definitions for which the downhole tool is configured to communicate, the plurality of sets of downlink definitions including a first set of downlink definitions corresponding with the first operation mode of the downhole tool and a second set of downlink definitions corresponding with a second operation mode of the downhole tool, wherein the first set of downlink definitions defines, for a set of downlink identifiers (IDs), a first set of downlink commands, and the second set of downlink definitions defines, for the set of downlink IDs, a second set of downlink commands that is different than the first set of downlink commands;
identify a first surface downlink sent from a surface of the wellbore to the downhole tool, the first surface downlink sent by modulating one or more surface parameters, wherein the first surface downlink indicates a first downlink command for the downhole tool to change the operation mode from the first operation mode to the second operation mode;
confirm that the downhole tool received the first surface downlink based on comparing downhole telemetry data received at the surface from the downhole tool to the first downlink command corresponding to the first surface downlink;
based on confirming that the downhole tool received the first surface downlink, updating the status of the downhole tool including indicating that the operation mode of

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Ba Samba
• Rhazaf Mustapha
• Liu Qiuhua
• Goel Prateek
• Kim Jinsoo

Classifications

• E21B47/12 Primary

  Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling · CPC title

• E21B44/00 Primary

  Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions · CPC title