Method and system for determining downhole optical fiber orientation and/or location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349403-A1
Application number	US-201515114496-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A probe is provided that contacts the inner surface of the casing or other production tubing and imparts energy to the surface at the contact point, for example as heat energy or mechanical energy. Energy is imparted around the circumference of the casing, and a fiber optic distributed sensor located on the outer surface of the casing is used to measure and record the energy that it receives whilst the probe is moved to impart energy around the circumference. A record of energy versus position of the probe around the circumference can be obtained, from which maxima in the detected energy measurements can then be found. The position around the circumference which gave the maximum measurement should be the position at which the optical fiber of the fiber optic distributed sensor is located. In addition, an ultrasonic arrangement is also described, that relies on ultrasonic sound to provide detection.

First claim

1 - 71 . (canceled)

72 . An apparatus, comprising:
a downhole device adapted to be inserted into a well-bore, the downhole device including a transducer arranged to adapt the heat energy of an interior surface of the well-bore at one or more discrete points so as to alter the temperature of the surface of the well-bore at said one or more discrete points.

73 . An apparatus according to claim 72 , wherein the transducer comprises a heated probe adapted to contact the interior surface of the well-bore to impart heat energy to the surface.

74 . An apparatus according to claim 72 , wherein the transducer is a probe arranged to contact the interior surface of the well-bore, and comprising a heated end adapted to heat the interior surface of the well-bore and a cooled end adapted to cool the interior surface of the well-bore.

75 . An apparatus according to claim 72 , wherein the downhole device is a transporter pig, perforating gun, or other wireline or slickline downhole device on which the transducer may be carried.

76 . (canceled)

77 . An apparatus according to claim 72 , wherein the transducer is arranged to move such that the one or more discrete points move over at least a portion of the interior surface of the well-bore.

78 . An apparatus according to claim 77 , wherein the transducer is further arranged to move such that the one or more discrete points move over at least a portion of the interior surface at a longitudinal position along the wellbore.

79 . An apparatus according to claim 78 , wherein the transducer is further arranged to move such that the one or more discrete points move over a whole circumference of the interior surface of the wellbore at the longitudinal position.

80 . An apparatus according to claim 73 , wherein the heated probe comprises a helical heater element positioned between first and second heater rings, wherein the probe is wrapped around the downhole device in a known relationship such that it is known which part of the probe corresponds to which part of the downhole device.

81 . An optical fiber distributed temperature sensor system having a sensing optical fiber deployed down a well-bore, the optical fiber distributed temperature sensor system being adapted to detect the change in temperature of a surface of the well-bore caused by an apparatus according to claim 72 contained within the well-bore.

82 . A system according to claim 81 , wherein the system is further arranged to detect one or more maxima or minima in the detected temperature whereby to determine one or more relative positions of the sensing optical fiber of the optical fiber distributed sensor system with respect to the orientation of the downhole device.

83 . A system according to claim 82 , wherein the transducer is a probe comprising a heated end adapted to heat the interior surface of the well-bore, the heated end being arranged to move over the interior surface of the well-bore.

84 . A system according to claim 83 , wherein the system is further arranged to detect one or more maxima in the detected temperature as the one or more discrete points move over the interior surface whereby to determine one or more positions of a sensing fiber of the optical fiber distributed sensor system at the one or more positions that give the maxima.

85 . A system according to claim 81 , wherein the transducer is a heated probe comprising a helical heater element positioned between first and second heater rings, wherein the probe is wrapped around the downhole device in a known relationship such that it is known which part of the probe corresponds to which part of the downhole device, and the optical fiber distributed sensor is an optical fiber distributed temperature sensor system.

86 . A system according to claim 85 , wherein the sensor system is further arranged to detect one or more maxima in the detected energy at the points of the heated probe that are at or close to the sensing fiber of the optical fiber distributed temperature sensor system whereby to determine positions of the sensing fiber based on the known relationship between the heated probe and the downhole device.

87 . A method of detecting the position of a downhole optical fiber around a wellbore, comprising:
deploying a downhole device into the well bore, the downhole device including a transducer arranged to adapt the heat energy of an interior surface of the well-bore at one or more discrete points so as to alter the temperature of the surface of the well-bore at said one or more discrete points; operating the downhole device within the well-bore; using an optical fiber distributed temperature sensor system to detect the temperature of the surface of the well-bore; and determining the position of the optical fiber around the well-bore in dependence on the detected temperature.

88 . A method according to claim 87 , wherein the operating step comprises imparting heat energy to the interior surface around at least a majority of a circumference of the interior surface of the wellbore, and the determining step comprises detecting maxima in the detected temperature measurements and identifying the one or more points at which said maxima occur, wherein the position of the optical fiber can be inferred to be at or close to said points.

89 . An apparatus according to claim 72 , the transducer comprising an electromagnetic energy projection device arranged to direct electromagnetic energy at an interior surface of the well-bore to impart energy to the surface at an incident point.

90 . An apparatus according to claim 89 , wherein the electromagnetic energy projection device is a laser.

91 . An apparatus according to claim 89 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is collimated and heats the interior surface of the well-bore at the incident point above the ambient temperature.

92 . An apparatus according to claim 89 , wherein the electromagnetic energy projection device is arranged to sweep over at least a portion, and preferably a whole circumference, of the interior surface of the well-bore so as to heat the interior surface above the ambient temperature around the swept arc.

Assignees

• Silixa Ltd

Inventors

• Farhadiroushan Mahmoud
• Parker Tom

Classifications

• 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

• G01V1/44

  using generators and receivers in the same well (G01V1/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01V11/005 Primary

  Devices for positioning logging sondes with respect to the borehole wall (centralising devices for drilling rods or pipes E21B17/10; setting or locking tools in boreholes E21B23/00; locating objects in boreholes E21B47/09) · CPC title

• E21B47/14

  using acoustic waves · CPC title

• E21B47/092

  by detecting magnetic anomalies · CPC title