US 11,415,716 B2Granted

System and method of locating downhole objects in a wellbore

AssigneeColorado School of Mines

InventorsConnor J. Clark, Jennifer L. Miskimins, Dana Gallegos

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides novel systems and methods of locating downhole objects in a wellbore, the condition of casing within the wellbore, and characteristics of a subterranean formation. More specifically, data associated with a hydraulic impulse in fluid in the wellbore is used to determine a location of a downhole object. Data associated with the hydraulic impulse is collected and then processed in the frequency domain to identify the location of the downhole object. The downhole object may be a tool positioned within the wellbore or a fracture network that communicates with the wellbore by a perforation through wellbore casing. The system and method of the present disclosure can also be used to identify locations of unintended holes or perforations in casing and other tubulars. One aspect of the present disclosure is a system and method of locating a downhole object by analyzing pressure data from a hydraulic impulse transmitted through a fluid in a wellbore and that reflects off of the downhole object.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of locating a position of a downhole object in a wellbore or an anomaly in a subterranean formation, comprising:

generating a hydraulic impulse in a fluid in the wellbore, wherein the hydraulic impulse reflects between a surface boundary and a downhole boundary, and wherein the downhole boundary is one of the downhole object or the formation anomaly;
collecting data at a wellhead of the wellbore on pressure in the fluid as the hydraulic impulse reflects between the surface boundary and the downhole boundary, wherein the data is collected by a sensor at a sample rate of greater than 1.5 Hz;
transforming the collected data into frequency domain data;
identifying component frequencies in the frequency domain data, wherein the component frequencies are associated with pressure peaks in the frequency domain data;
determining a second normalized fundamental frequency of the hydraulic impulse by normalizing a component frequency of a second pressure peak identified in the frequency domain data, wherein the second pressure peak has a second frequency value that is higher than a first frequency value of a first pressure peak, and wherein the second normalized fundamental frequency of the hydraulic impulse is determined using Equation 1:
f
1
=
f
n
2
⁢
n
-
1
where f1 is the normalized fundamental frequency, and fn is the nth harmonic;
determining a velocity of a wave in the wellbore;
and
determining a distance from the surface boundary to the downhole boundary using the wave velocity, the second normalized fundamental frequency, and either equation 2A (when the wellbore has an open downhole boundary) or equation 2B (when the wellbore has a closed downhole boundary):
L
=
α
4
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
A
L
=
α
2
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
B
where:
L is the distance;
α is the wave velocity;
and
f2 is the second normalized fundamental frequency.

47 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a control system, cause the processor to determine a distance to a downhole object in a wellbore or a characteristic of a subterranean formation, comprising:

an instruction to receive data collected over time on pressure in a fluid within the wellbore, wherein the data is collected at or near a wellhead of the wellbore, and wherein the pressure data is collected as a hydraulic impulse reflects in the wellbore between a downhole boundary and a surface boundary;
an instruction to detrend the received pressure data by fitting a linear equation to the collected data, wherein detrending the received pressure data reduces one or more of high amplitude and low-frequency contribution of leakoff to the subterranean formation;
an instruction to transform the detrended pressure data into frequency domain data;
an instruction to identify a second component frequency in the frequency domain data;
an instruction to normalize the second component frequency to determine a second normalized fundamental frequency using Equation 1:
f
1
=
f
n
2
⁢
n
-
1
where f1 is the normalized fundamental frequency, and fn is the nth harmonic;
and
an instruction to determine a distance to the downhole boundary using Equation 2A (when the downhole boundary is open) or Equation 2B (when the downhole boundary is closed) based on a velocity of a wave in the wellbore and at least the second normalized fundamental frequency:
L
=
α
4
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
A
L
=
α
2
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
B
where:
L is the distance;
α is the wave velocity;
and
f2 is the second normalized fundamental frequency.

46 more elements

A system configured to determine a location of a downhole object in a wellbore or a characteristic of a subterranean formation, comprising:

a sensor to collect data over time on pressure of a fluid within the wellbore, the sensor positioned at or near a wellhead of the wellbore and located a predetermined distance from a surface boundary, wherein the pressure data is collected as a hydraulic impulse travels in the wellbore between a downhole boundary and the surface boundary, the sensor being operable to collect data at a sample rate of at least about 1.5 Hz;
a pump and a valve located at the wellhead of the wellbore, the surface boundary being one of the pump and the valve;
and
a control system including at least a memory, a processor in communication with the memory, and instructions stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the control system operable to:
receive the pressure data collected by the sensor;
fit a linear equation to the pressure data to provide detrended pressure data;
transform the detrended pressure data into frequency domain data;
and
normalize a second component frequency in the frequency domain data to determine a second normalized fundamental frequency using Equation 1:
f
1
=
f
n
2
⁢
n
-
1
where f1 is the normalized fundamental frequency, and fn, is the nth harmonic;
and
determine a distance to the downhole boundary using Equation 2A (when the downhole boundary is an open boundary) or Equation 2B (when the downhole boundary is a closed boundary) based on a velocity of a wave in the wellbore and at least the second normalized fundamental frequency:
L
=
α
4
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
A
L
=
α
2
⁢
f
2
Equation
⁢
⁢
2
⁢
B
where:
L is the distance;
α is the wave velocity;
and
f2 is the second normalized fundamental frequency.

50 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/176,204Filed 31 Oct 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Nov 2017
Published: US 2019/0129047 A12 May 2019
Granted: 16 Aug 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G01V 1/137
Using fluidic driving means, e.g. highly pressurised fluids; using implosion: which fluid escapes from the generator in a pulsating manner, e.g.…
E21B 47/00
Survey of boreholes or wells
E21B 47/06
Survey of boreholes or wells: measuring temperature or pressure
E21B 47/095
Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked…:…