Subterranean well thrust-propelled torpedo deployment system and method
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMichael Jervis, Brett Bouldin
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Abstract
Provided in some embodiments is a method of deploying a payload in a subterranean well. The method including advancing a torpedo in a first portion of a wellbore of a subterranean well (the torpedo including a body, a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is physically coupled to a surface component, and adapted to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in the wellbore, and an engine adapted to generate thrust to propel the torpedo), and activating the engine to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore.
Claims37
A method of deploying a payload in a subterranean well, the method comprising:
- releasing a torpedo into gravity-driven advancement within a first portion of a wellbore of a subterranean well, the torpedo comprising:
- a body;
- a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is physically coupled to a surface component, configured to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in the wellbore, and configured to facilitate communication between the torpedo and a well control system;
- and
- solid propellant fueled engine configured to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo in the wellbore;
- determining that the torpedo has reached a trigger point within the wellbore;
- and
- activating, in response to determining that the torpedo has reached the trigger point within the wellbore, an igniter to cause the engine to combust solid propellant fuel to generate forward thrust to propel the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore, and the torpedo comes to rest in a deployment location within the wellbore.
A method of deploying a fiber-optic payload in a subterranean well, the method comprising:
- advancing a torpedo in a first portion of a wellbore of a subterranean well, the torpedo comprising:
- a body;
- a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is physically coupled to a surface component, and configured to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in the wellbore;
- and
- an engine configured to generate thrust to propel the torpedo, the engine comprising a solid propellant fuel;
- and
- activating an igniter of the engine to cause combustion of the solid propellant fuel to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause the following operations:
- advancing a torpedo in a first portion of a wellbore of a subterranean well, the torpedo comprising:
- a body;
- a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is physically coupled to a surface component, and configured to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in the wellbore;
- and
- an engine configured to generate thrust to propel the torpedo, the engine comprising a solid propellant fuel;
- and
- activating an igniter of the engine to cause combustion of the solid propellant fuel to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore.
A torpedo system for deploying a payload in a subterranean well, the system comprising:
- a control system;
- and
- a torpedo comprising:
- a body;
- a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is configured to be physically coupled to a surface component, and configured to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in a wellbore of a hydrocarbon well;
- and
- an engine configured to generate thrust to propel the torpedo, the engine comprising a solid propellant fuel,
- the control system configured to:
- advance the torpedo in a first portion of the wellbore of the subterranean well;
- and
- activate an igniter of the engine to cause combustion of the solid propellant fuel to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.