System and method for making an opening in a subsurface tubular for reservoir monitoring

A system for placing a borehole in the vicinity of a well in an earth formation, the system comprising:

• a tubular disposed within the well, the tubular having an elongated body with a central bore and including a plurality of stations, each station having at least one slot formed therein;
• a plurality of antennas disposed within the tubular;
• at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas being adapted to transmit or receive a signal and positioned in alignment with one station of the plurality of slotted stations;
• a drilling tool adapted to drill the borehole in the formation, the tool being connected at one end of a drill string;
• and
• at least one antenna disposed on the drilling tool or on the drill string near the tool, each at least one antenna adapted to transmit or receive a signal.

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a reservoir surrounding a borehole, comprising:

• a) disposing a tubular within the borehole, the tubular including at least one station having at least one slot formed therein;
• b) disposing at least one antenna within the tubular, each at least one antenna adapted to transmit or receive a signal;
• c) aligning the at least one antenna with at least one slotted station within the tubular;
• and
• d) transmitting a first signal from the at least one aligned antenna and receiving a second signal at a location remote from the transmitting antenna, or transmitting a first signal from a remote location and receiving a second signal at the at least one aligned antenna;
• wherein
• the received signal is associated with the transmitted signal.

A method for monitoring a characteristics of a reservoir surrounding a borehole, comprising:

• a) disposing a tubular within the borehole, the tubular including a plurality of stations having at least one slot formed therein;
• b) disposing a plurality of antennas within the tubular, each antenna positioned in alignment with one of the plurality of slotted stations;
• c) transmitting a known signal from a first antenna of the plurality of aligned antennas;
• d) receiving unknown signal data associated with the known signal at second and third antennas of the plurality of aligned antennas;
• e) transmitting a known signal from a fourth antenna, of the plurality of aligned antennas, positioned such that the second and third antennas are between the first and fourth antennas;
• f) receiving unknown signal data, associated with the transmitted signal of step (e), at the second and third antennas;
• g) processing the received signal data of steps (d) and (f);
• h) transmitting a known signal from a fifth antenna, of the plurality of aligned antennas;
• i) receiving unknown signal data, associated with the transmitted signal of step (h), at the second and third antennas;
• j) processing the received signal data of step (i);
• and
• k) processing the signal data of steps (g) and (j).

A method for monitoring a characteristics of a reservoir surrounding a borehole, comprising:

• a) obtaining data representative of the reservoir characteristic from an uncased borehole;
• b) storing the obtained reservoir data;
• c) disposing a tubular within the borehole, the tubular including at least one station having at least one slot formed therein;
• d) inserting at least two antennas within the tubular;
• e) transmitting a known signal from a first one of the at least two antennas when the first antenna is in the vicinity of at least one slotted station on the tubular;
• f) receiving an unknown signal, associated with the known signal, at a second one of the at least two antennas when the second antenna is in the vicinity of at least one slotted station on'the tubular;
• and
• g) processing the received signal of step (f) with the stored data of step (b).

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a reservoir surrounding a borehole, comprising:

• a) disposing a tubular within the borehole, the tubular including at least two stations having at least one slot formed therein;
• b) inserting at least two antennas within the tubular;
• c) transmitting a known signal from a first antenna of the at least two antennas when the first antenna is in the vicinity of a slotted station;
• d) receiving an unknown signal, associated with the known signal, at a second antenna of the at least two antennas when the second antenna is in the vicinity of a slotted station;
• and
• e) processing the received signal of step (d).

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a reservoir, the reservoir being traversed by a plurality of boreholes, comprising:

• a) disposing tubulars within at least two boreholes of the plurality of boreholes, each tubular including at least one station having at least one slot formed therein;
• b) disposing at least one antenna within each of the at least two boreholes having tubulars disposed therein;
• c) aligning at least one disposed antenna with an at least one slotted station within each of the at least two boreholes;
• d) transmitting a first signal from the at least one aligned antenna within a first one of the at least two boreholes;
• and
• e) receiving a second signal, associated with the first signal, at the at least one aligned antenna within a second one of the at least two boreholes.

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a reservoir surrounding a borehole, the borehole having a tubular disposed therein, comprising:

• a) inserting into the tubular a means for making an opening in a wall of the tubular;
• b) making an opening at a desired location in the wall of the tubular;
• and
• c) transmitting or receiving a signal through the opening in the tubular wall to measure the reservoir characteristic.

A method for placing a borehole in the vicinity of a well in an earth formation, comprising:

• a) disposing a tubular within the well, the tubular including a plurality of stations, each station having at least one slot formed therein;
• b) disposing at least one antenna, adapted to transmit or receive a signal, within the tubular;
• c) aligning at least one antenna with one of the slotted stations within the tubular;
• d) deploying a drill string into the formation, the drill string including at least one antenna adapted to transmit or receive a signal;
• e) transmitting a first signal from the at least one antenna on the drill string and receiving a representation of the first signal with the at least one aligned antenna on the tubular, or transmitting a first signal from the at least one aligned antenna on the tubular and receiving a representation of the first signal with the at least one antenna on the drill string;
• and
• f) using the received signal of step (e) to guide the placement of the borehole.