Downhole Running Cable Having Non-Metallic Conducting and Load Bearing Wire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017186512-A1
Application number	US-201515313056-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 29, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cable ( 100 ) is used for running a load between surface and downhole in a well. The cable includes one or more wires ( 110 ) composed of a non-metallic material. Each of the one or more wires ( 110 ) bears the load from the surface and electrically conducts between the surface and downhole. An insulating material ( 120 ) is disposed about the one or more wires ( 110 ) and insulates the electrical conduction. The non-metallic material includes a carbon nano-tube wire. A jacket ( 130 ) can be disposed about the insulating material ( 120 ), and the jacket ( 130 ) can be composed of a non-metallic material also, such as carbon nano-tube wire.

First claim

1 . A cable for running a load between surface and downhole of a well and for communicating with an electrical source between surface and downhole of the well, the cable comprising:
a first core element disposed along a length of the cable and composed of carbon nano-tube material, the first core element acting as both (i) a load-bearing member bearing the load and (ii) a conductor conducting with the electrical source.

2 . The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a second core element disposed along the length of the cable and composed of carbon nano-tube material, the second core element acting as only a load-bearing member or as only a conductor.

3 . The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first core element comprises at least one wire; and wherein the cable comprises an insulator composed of electrically insulating material and disposed externally about the at least one wire.

4 . The cable of claim 3 , wherein the first core element comprises a plurality of the at least one wire conductively isolated from one another by the insulator.

5 . The cable of claim 4 , further comprising one or more fiber optic cables disposed with the wires in the insulator.

6 . The cable of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the wires comprise different cross-sections from one another.

7 . The cable of claim 3 , wherein the cable comprises a jacket disposed externally about the insulator and forming an exterior of the cable, the jacket composed of a different material than the at least one wire and the insulator.

8 . The cable of claim 3 , wherein the cable comprises a second core element disposed externally about the insulator along the length of the cable, the second core element composed of carbon nano-tube material.

9 . The cable of claim 8 , wherein the second core element comprises a plurality of carbon nano-tube wires formed as a sheath about the insulator.

10 . The cable of claim 8 , wherein the second core element acts as at least one of a load-bearing member and a conductor for the cable.

11 . The cable of claim 8 , wherein the second core element forms an exterior of the cable; or wherein the cable comprises a jacket disposed about the second core element and forming the exterior of the cable.

12 . The cable of claim 1 , wherein the cable has a non-circular cross-section.

13 . The cable of claim 1 , further comprising a termination disposed at one end of the length of the first core element.

14 . The cable of claim 13 , wherein the termination comprises:
a cablehead defining a preconfigured weakpoint; a rope socket having a mechanical component mechanically engaging the first core element and a conductive component electrically engaging the first core element; or one or more fixtures mechanically engaging the first core element and one or more terminals electrically engaging the first core element.

15 . A cable for running a load between surface and downhole of a well and for communicating with an electrical source between surface and downhole of the well, the cable comprising:
a core element disposed along a length of the cable and composed of carbon nano-tube material, the core element acting as at least one of (i) a load-bearing member bearing the load and (ii) a conductor conducting with the electrical source.

16 . A system for use with a rig having a wellhead at surface of a well, the system comprising:
a cable having a first core element disposed along its length and composed of carbon nano-tube material, the first core element of the cable being both (i) a load-bearing member to bear a load between surface and downhole and (ii) a conductor for conducting with an electrical source between surface and downhole; and a deployment unit directing the cable between a cable source and the wellhead at surface and running the cable between surface and downhole.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the cable comprises a second core element disposed along its length and composed of carbon nano-tube material, the second core element being electrically insulated from the first core element and being only a load-bearing member of the cable, only a conductor of the cable, or both a load-bearing member and a conductor of the cable.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the deployment unit comprises an arm extending from adjacent the cable source to adjacent a sheave at the wellhead, the arm feeding the downhole cable along the arm between the cable source and the sheave.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the deployment unit comprises a drum as the cable source.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the arm comprises a guide thereon guiding the movement of the downhole cable fed along the arm.

21 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a tool disposed on the cable and deploying in the well as the load.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the tool is selected from the group consisting of a logging tool, a wireline tool, a shifting tool, a pulling tool, and a mechanical jar.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the tool comprises a downhole telemetry unit as the electrical source, and wherein the system comprises an uphole telemetry unit electrically communicating with the downhole telemetry unit via the at least one wire of the cable.

24 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising a stretch simulator coupled between the cable and the tool.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the tool is disposed at a termination of the cable, the termination comprising:
a cablehead defining a preconfigured weakpoint; a rope socket having a mechanical component mechanically engaging the first core element and a conductive component electrically engaging the first core element; or one or more fixtures mechanically engaging the first core element and one or more terminals electrically engaging the first core element.

26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the tool comprises a logging unit detecting at least one characteristic downhole correlated to depth, and wherein the system comprises a depth unit disposed at surface and in electrical communication with the logging unit via the first core element of the cable.

27 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising at least one sensor monitoring electrical conductivity of the downhole cable under the load and detecting an increase in the conductivity due to strain of the downhole cable reaching an elevated level.

28 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a load cell disposed downhole on the cable adjacent the load, wherein the system comprises a tension unit disposed at surface and in electrical communication with the load cell via the first core element of the cable.

29 . A method of running a load and communicating with an electrical source between surface and downhole of a well, the method comprising:
disposing a cable having at least one core element disposed along its length and composed of carbon nano-tube material on a cable source; directing the cable between the cable source and a wellhead of a rig at surface of the well; and running the cable between surface and downhole by both bearing a load between surface and downhole with the at least one core element of the cable and conducting with an electrical source between surface and downhole with the at least one core element of the cable.

30 - 40 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mcfarland Bradley J
• Baker Andrew J
• Rodger George J

Classifications

• E21B23/14 Primary

  for displacing a cable or a cable-operated tool, e.g. for logging or perforating operations in deviated wells · CPC title

• H01B1/18

  the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon · CPC title

• H01B7/046 Primary

  attached to objects sunk in bore holes, e.g. well drilling means, well pumps · CPC title

• H01B7/18

  Protection against damage caused} by wear, mechanical force or pressure; {Sheaths; Armouring · CPC title

• H01B7/04

  Flexible cables, conductors, or cords, e.g. trailing cables · CPC title