US 10,436,026 B2 · Systems, methods and apparatus for downhole monitoring

Abstract

A downhole monitoring system and method that includes a sensor system with a sensor array with a number of sensors and a hub. Data measured by the sensors is processed by the hub and wirelessly communicated to a smart node. The sensor system may be mounted in the annulus formed between a borehole wall and an exterior surface of a well casing. The sensors may be configured to monitor the formation for microseismic events generated during hydraulic fracturing. The fracture growth and propagation may be monitored using the data obtained by the sensors. The data may facilitate real time control of the hydraulic fracturing operation.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A downhole monitoring system is provided that comprises:

a sensor system located in an annulus formed between a borehole wall and an exterior surface of a casing, comprising;
a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors;
a hub communicatively coupled to the sensor array comprising;
an energy storage;
a hub wireless telemetry system;
a data processor;
and
a smart node located in the wellbore formed by the casing and comprising;
a smart node wireless telemetry system;
a surface telemetry unit communicatively coupled to a surface acquisition unit;
wherein the hub is configured to provide power to the sensor system, process data from the sensors of the sensor array and wirelessly communicate the processed data to the surface acquisition unit via the smart node and the surface telemetry unit;
wherein the casing comprises an acoustic window to facilitate wireless communications between the hub and the smart node.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/300,831Filed 31 Mar 2015 · us provisional application

Priority

31 Mar 2014

Published

US 2017/0022806 A126 Jan 2017

Granted

8 Oct 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

E21B 49/006
Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to…:…
E21B 43/26
Methods for stimulating production: by forming crevices or fractures
E21B 47/12
Survey of boreholes or wells: means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the…
G01V 1/288
Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection: event detection in seismic signals, e.g. microseismics

Systems, methods and apparatus for downhole monitoring

Life of this patent

Systems, methods and apparatus for downhole monitoring

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17