Method for monitoring cement plugs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759037-B2
Application number	US-200913129551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2009
Priority date	Nov 27, 2008
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Cement plug parameters in a wellbore may be monitored by providing a cable through the cement plug before the cement plug sets. The cable comprises one or more sensors that monitor the parameters, and the sensors are operated to transmit measurement data to the surface. The parameters may include temperature, pressure, conductivity, vibration, acceleration and impedance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring parameters of a single cement plug in a wellbore comprising:
deploying a cable in the wellbore, wherein said cable comprises a sensor for monitoring parameters of a single cement plug, the wellbore defined by an interior wall of a tubular or an open hole section;
pumping cement slurry down a wellbore subsequent to deploying the cable to form the single cement plug, the single cement plug engaging with and extending across the interior wall of the wellbore, thereby sealing off the wellbore;
locating an extremity of said cable through the single cement plug at a location below the bottom of the single cement plug, thereby placing the sensor in direct contact with the single cement plug;
extending said cable such that its upper end is above the top of the single cement plug before the single cement plug sets;
operating the sensor to measure parameters of the single cement plug; and
transmitting information regarding the parameters to the surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein extending the cable comprises extending the cable while pumping the slurry.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein extending the cable comprises extending the cable to the surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cable further comprises an upper sensor module, the method comprising deploying the cable into the cement plug such that the upper sensor module is located at the top of the cement plug.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising deploying the cable from the surface using fluid pumped through a placement conduit.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cable is stored on a placement conduit and the method comprises deploying the cable from the placement conduit.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the cable is stored on a section of tubular element detachable from the end of the placement conduit, the method comprising detaching the tubular element from the placement conduit after the cement is placed and removing the placement conduit from the wellbore, such that the tubular element remains in the cement.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cable comprises a fibre optic cable or an electrical cable or both.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the operating the sensor comprises operating the sensor to at least determine the length of the cement plug.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a conductivity sensor, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, or an impedance sensor.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising locating a signalling apparatus at the top of the cement plug; and transmitting information from the sensors to the surface via the signalling apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is suitable for making distributed vibration measurements.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is used to evaluate the solidity of the cement plug.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is used to determine the location of the plug.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is used to evaluate the setting of the cement plug.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting information regarding the parameters to the surface comprises transmitting in real time.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising determining, based on the information transmitted in real time, when the mechanical strength of the cement plug is sufficient such that a wellbore operation can be performed.

18. A method for monitoring parameters of a single cement plug in a wellbore comprising:
pumping cement slurry down a wellbore, the wellbore defined by an interior wall of a tubular or an open hole section;
forming a single cement plug to seal off the wellbore by engaging the cement slurry with the interior wall of the wellbore, the single cement plug extending across the wellbore;
providing a cable through the interior of the single cement plug before the single cement plug sets, wherein the cable is inside the single cement plug, wherein the cable comprises a sensor for monitoring parameters of the single cement plug;
operating the sensor to measure parameters of the single cement plug; and
transmitting information regarding the parameters to the surface.

19. The method according to claim 18 comprising deploying the cable from the surface.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein transmitting information regarding the parameters to the surface comprises transmitting in real time.

21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising performing a subsequent wellbore operation based on the information transmitted in real time.

22. A method for monitoring a parameter of a single cement plug in a wellbore comprising:
pumping cement slurry down a wellbore, the wellbore defined by an interior wall of a tubular or an open hole section;
forming a single cement plug with the cement slurry, the cement plug extending across and engaging with the interior wall of the wellbore, thereby isolating the wellbore;
providing a cable through the interior of the single cement plug before the cement sets, wherein the cable comprises a sensor for monitoring parameters of the single cement plug;
operating the sensor to measure parameters of the single cement plug as the single cement plug is setting; and
transmitting information regarding the measurement to the surface;
wherein said parameter is one or more members of the group consisting of the length of the single cement plug, the solidity of the single cement plug, the location of the single cement plug, and the setting of the single cement plug.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the sensor used is one or more members of the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a conductivity sensor, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, an impedance sensor, and a sensor that is capable of making distributed vibration measurements.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the cable comprises a fibre optic cable or an electrical cable or both.

25. The method according to claim 22 , wherein transmitting information regarding the measurement to the surface comprises transmitting in real time.

26. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising, based on the information transmitted in real time, performing a subsequent drilling operation engaging with the cement plug.

Assignees

• Shampine Rod
• Guillot Dominique
• Miller Douglas
• Flamant Nicolas
• Vigneaux Pierre
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Shampine Rod
• Guillot Dominique
• Miller Douglas
• Flamant Nicolas
• Vigneaux Pierre

Classifications

• E21B47/005

  Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level · CPC title

• E21B33/134 Primary

  Bridging plugs · CPC title

• 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

• E21B47/0005

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic