Use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) in well treatments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9732584-B2
Application number	US-201113031519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2011
Priority date	Apr 2, 2007
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors in a wellbore composition, placing the wellbore composition in the wellbore, obtaining data from the MEMS sensors using a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, and telemetrically transmitting the data from an interior of the wellbore to an exterior of the wellbore using a conduit positioned in the wellbore. A system, comprising a wellbore extending the earth's surface, a conduit positioned in the wellbore, a wellbore composition positioned in the wellbore, the wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors, and a plurality of data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore and adapted to obtain data from the MEMS sensors and telemetrically transmit the data from an interior of the wellbore to an entrance of the wellbore via the conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising:
placing a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors in a wellbore composition located within surface wellbore operating equipment at a surface;
pumping the wellbore composition downhole in the wellbore;
fixing a casing string within the wellbore, the casing string further comprising:
a plurality of casing collars for coupling casing joints together, and
a plurality of data interrogation units situated on or in the plurality of casing collars,

wherein the data interrogation units are spaced along a length of the wellbore;
obtaining data from the MEMS sensors using the data interrogation units, wherein the data interrogation units energize the MEMS sensors;
monitoring integrity or performance metric of the wellbore composition based, on the data obtained from the MEMS sensors;
scanning for a presence of the MEMS sensors by an acoustic sensor;
tracking, by the data interrogation units, a sampling of the MEMS sensors;
telemetrically transmitting the data from an interior of the wellbore to an exterior of the wellbore using the casing string, wherein the data is transmitted from the data interrogation units via a cable disposed within a groove that runs longitudinally along a length of the casing string; and
verifying the data obtained from the MEMS sensors based on the scanning, wherein the acoustic sensor indicates the presence of the MEMS sensors is used to at least one of trouble-shoot or indicate that a problem exists with the MEMS sensors in case of a failure to attempt to interrogate the MEMS sensors.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said telemetrically transmitting the data from the interior of the wellbore to the exterior of the wellbore comprises converting the data into acoustic vibrations of the casing string.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising relaying the telemetrically transmitted data through a series of relay components.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data interrogation units communicate with a second data interrogation unit via a network formed by the MEMS sensors in the wellbore composition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data interrogation units are powered by a tool placed into the wellbore and brought into proximity with the data interrogation units.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the data interrogation units includes at least one battery and the tool powers the data interrogation units by inductively charging the battery.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data interrogation units are powered by a downhole energy source.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downhole energy source is a thermal energy source or a flow of fluid within the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore composition comprises a drilling fluid, a spacer fluid, a sealant, a fracturing fluid, a gravel pack fluid or a completion fluid.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data interrogation units are powered by a battery.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
joining the casing joints to the plurality of casing collars so that the plurality of casing collars couples the casing joints together in the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the data interrogation units obtaining data from a sensor sensing a wellbore condition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, and the method further comprises the data interrogation units telemetrically transmitting temperature data from the temperature sensor to the exterior of the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a sensor is a pressure sensor, and the method further comprises the data interrogation units telemetrically transmitting pressure data from the pressure sensor to the exterior of the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a sensor is a chemical sensor, and the method further comprises the data interrogation units telemetrically transmitting chemical parameter data from the chemical sensor to the exterior of the wellbore.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the data interrogation units interrogating a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said telemetrically transmitting the data from the interior of the wellbore to the exterior of the wellbore comprises converting the data into electromagnetic waves and transmitting the electromagnetic waves in the casing string.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic waves are transmitted between the data interrogation units and a second data interrogation unit.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic waves are transmitted between the data interrogation units and a second data interrogation unit.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said telemetrically transmitting the data from the interior of the wellbore to the exterior of the wellbore comprises converting the data into electromagnetic waves and transmitting the electromagnetic waves in the casing string.

21. A system, comprising:
a wellbore composition positioned in a wellbore penetrating the earth's surface, the wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors, and wherein the wellbore composition is prepared at a surface and is pumped downhole in the wellbore;
a casing string fixed within the wellbore, the casing string further comprising a casing collar for coupling casing joints together, and a plurality of data interrogation units situated on or in the casing collar, wherein the data interrogation units spaced along a length of the wellbore, and wherein the data interrogation units energize the MEMS sensors, obtain data from the MEMS sensors and telemetrically transmit the data from an interior of the wellbore to an entrance of the wellbore via the casing string, wherein the data is transmitted from the data interrogation units via a cable disposed within a groove that runs longitudinally along a length of the casing string, and wherein an integrity or performance metric is monitored based, on the data; and
a sampling of the MEMS sensors, wherein the sampling is tracked by the data interrogation units; and
an acoustic sensor positioned within the wellbore, wherein the acoustic sensor scanning for a presence of the MEMS sensors, and the acoustic sensor to verify the data obtained from the MEMS sensors based on the scanning, wherein the acoustic sensor indicates the presence of the MEMS sensors is used to at least one of trouble-shoot or indicate that a problem exists with the MEMs sensors in case of a failure to attempt to interrogate the MEMS sensors.

22. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a processing unit to receive the telemetrically transmitted data from the data interrogation units and process the data.

23. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a processing unit to receive and process the data from the MEMS sensors prior to the data being said telemetrically transmitted from the interior of the wellbore to the entrance of the wellbore.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processing unit is integral with the data interrogation units.

25. The system of claim 21 , further comprising at least one turbogenerator positioned in the wellbore for providing power to the data interrogation units.

26. The system of claim 21 , further comprising at least one quantum thermoelectric generato

Assignees

• Roddy Craig W
• Covington Rick
• Ravi Krishna M
• Bittar Michael
• Bonavides Clovis
• Moake Gordon
• Mandal Batakrishna
• Rodney Paul
• Tapie William
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roddy Craig W
• Covington Rick
• Ravi Krishna M
• Bittar Michael
• Bonavides Clovis
• Moake Gordon
• Mandal Batakrishna
• Rodney Paul
• Tapie William

Classifications

• E21B47/005

  Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level · CPC title

• E21B47/13

  by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency · CPC title

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B43/25

  Methods for stimulating production {(by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003)} · CPC title

• E21B47/10

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title