Offshore downhole telemetry using sea floor cable
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorGlenn Andrew Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An offshore measured or logging-while drilling electromagnetic telemetry system includes a bottomhole assembly having a transmitter to communicate one or more electromagnetic telemetry signals. A subsea telemetry cable is positioned on a sea floor to receive the telemetry signals. The subsea telemetry cable is coupled to an umbilical cable extending to a surface communication unit positioned at the sea surface. Signals received by the subsea telemetry cable are transmitted to the surface communication unit for further processing.
Claims16
An offshore electromagnetic telemetry system, comprising:
- a drilling platform positioned at a sea surface;
- a drillstring extending from the drilling platform and through a riser, the drillstring having a lower end including a bottomhole assembly disposed in a subsea borehole extending along a formation;
- an electromagnetic telemetry transmitter positioned in the bottomhole assembly;
- a subsea telemetry cable positioned on a sea floor, the subsea telemetry cable having a plurality of electrodes positioned therein,
- wherein the telemetry transmitter is adapted to wirelessly transmit a telemetry signal from the bottomhole assembly, through the formation, and to the subsea telemetry cable;
- an umbilical cable coupling the subsea telemetry cable to a surface communication unit positioned at the sea surface, the umbilical cable being adapted to transmit the telemetry signal from the subsea telemetry cable to the surface communication unit;
- and
- a wireless, bi-directional communications link coupling the surface communication unit to a signal processor positioned at the drilling platform.
A method for communicating data in an electromagnetic telemetry system, the method comprising:
- wirelessly communicating an electromagnetic telemetry signal from a transmitter of a bottomhole assembly disposed in a subsea borehole, the bottomhole assembly being part of a drillstring extending from a drilling platform positioned at a sea surface and through a riser;
- wirelessly receiving the telemetry signal with two or more electrodes of a subsea telemetry cable positioned on a sea floor;
- using an umbilical cable coupling the subsea telemetry cable to a surface communication unit positioned at the sea surface, communicating the telemetry signal from the subsea telemetry cable to the surface communication unit;
- and
- wirelessly communicating the telemetry signal from the surface communication unit to a signal processor positioned at the drilling platform,
- wherein the telemetry signal may be used to perform one or more subsea operations.
A method for communicating data in an electromagnetic telemetry system, the method comprising:
- wirelessly communicating an electromagnetic telemetry signal from a transmitter of a bottomhole assembly disposed in a subsea borehole, the bottomhole assembly being part of a drillstring extending from a drilling platform positioned at a sea surface and through a riser;
- wirelessly receiving the telemetry signal with two or more electrodes of a subsea telemetry cable positioned on a sea floor;
- using an umbilical cable coupling the subsea telemetry cable to a surface communication unit positioned at the sea surface, communicating the telemetry signal from the subsea telemetry cable to the surface communication unit;
- and
- wirelessly communicating the telemetry signal from the surface communication unit to a signal processor positioned at the drilling platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.