Wireless logging of fluid filled boreholes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891335-B2
Application number	US-201514742021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2007
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A predetermined condition in a fluid-filled wellbore system can be detected by generating at least one sound in the wellbore system in response to the condition, such that a detectable change is created in some characteristic of the emitted sound, and detecting the at least one sound and the change, the detection being indicative that the predetermined condition has occurred. Equipment for facilitating detection of the condition can include a trigger operable in response to the condition; a generator operable to emit sound in the borehole and to create a detectable change in some characteristic of the emitted sound in response to the trigger; and at least one sensor operable to monitor the sound and detect the change, the detection being indicative that the predetermined condition has occurred. It is also possible to estimate a value of a property of a fluid-filled wellbore system. This can be accomplished by recording data including at least one of pressure and rate of flow at one or more locations in the wellbore system, and then estimating the value of the property by employing a model for predicting at least one of pressure and rate of flow dependent upon parameters detailing at least one of wellbore system geometry, viscoacoustic properties of the fluid and entrained solids contained in the wellbore system, locations of boundaries and entrained solids, and characteristics and locations of disturbances to pressure and flow in the wellbore system, in order to determine a best prediction of some attribute of the recorded data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined condition in a fluid-filled wellbore system, the method comprising:
generating at least one pressure pulse triggered in response to the occurrence of the predetermined condition; and
detecting the at least one generated pulse, wherein the detection is indicative that the predetermined condition has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of: (i) a specific level of pressure, (ii) a specific level of pH, (iii) a specific level of temperature, (iv) a specific level of background radiation, (v) a specific level of velocity, (vi) state of cure of entrained cement, epoxy, or other substance which gels and sets over time after placement downhole, and (vii) any combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one pressure pulse is a low frequency variation of at most 2 kHz in pressure at a known location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure pulse is generated at a known location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the known location is a location of a casing float collar.

6. Apparatus operable to detect a predetermined condition in a fluid-filled wellbore system, the apparatus comprising:
a pulse generator operable to generate at least one pressure pulse in response to a predetermined triggering condition of the fluid-filled wellbore system; and
at least one sensor operable to detect the at least one generated pulse, wherein the detection is indicative that the predetermined condition has occurred.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined triggering condition includes at least one of: (i) a specific level of pressure, (ii) a specific level of pH, (iii) a specific level of temperature, (iv) a specific level of background radiation, (v) a specific level of velocity, (vi) state of cure of entrained cement, epoxy, or other substance which gells and sets over time after placement downhole, and (vii) any combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pulse generator is disposed at a known location.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pulse generator creates a low frequency variation of at most 2 kHz in pressure at the known location.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pulse generator has a sensor associated therewith that measures or detects the occurrence of the predetermined condition.

11. A method for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined condition in a fluid-filled wellbore system traversing a formation, the method comprising:
placing a pulse generator in the fluid-filled wellbore system;
using the pulse generator, generating, without communication from any control device from a surface of the formation, at least one pressure pulse triggered in response to the occurrence of the predetermined condition; and
detecting the at least one generated pulse uphole from the pulse generator, wherein the detection is indicative that the predetermined condition has occurred.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of: (i) a specific level of pressure, (ii) a specific level of pH, (iii) a specific level of temperature, (iv) a specific level of background radiation, (v) a specific level of velocity, (vi) state of cure of entrained cement, epoxy, or other substance which gels and sets over time after placement downhole, and (vii) any combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pulse generator has a sensor associated therewith that measures or detects the occurrence of the predetermined condition.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Miller Douglas E
• Coates Richard Timothy
• Habashy Tarek M
• Auzerais Francois M
• Sullivan Phil F
• Guillot Dominique
• Shampine Rod William

Classifications

• E21B47/095

  by detecting an acoustic anomalies, e.g. using mud-pressure pulses · CPC title

• E21B47/047

  Liquid level (measuring depth or liquid level using radioactive markers E21B47/053) · CPC title

• E21B47/18 Primary

  through the well fluid {, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry} · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• G01V1/48

  Processing data · CPC title