US 2006/0185900 A1Published application

Programming method for controlling a downhole steering tool

AssigneePathFinder Energy Services, Inc.

InventorsStephen Jones, Junichi Sugiura

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Abstract

A method for communicating with a downhole tool located in a subterranean borehole is disclosed. Exemplary embodiments of the method include encoding data and/or commands in a sequence of varying drill string rotation rates and drilling fluid flow rates. The varying rotation rates and flow rates are measured downhole and processed to decode the data and/or the commands. In one exemplary embodiment, commands in the form of relative changes to current steering tool offset and tool face settings are encoded and transmitted downhole. Such commands may then be executed, for example, to change the steering tool settings and thus the direction of drilling. Exemplary embodiments of this invention advantageously provide for quick and accurate communication with a downhole tool.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method for communicating with a downhole tool deployed in a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:

(a) deploying a drill string in a subterranean borehole, the drill string including a downhole tool connected thereto, the drill string being rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the drill string including a rotation measurement device operative to measure rotation rates of the drill string about the longitudinal axis, the drill string further including a flow measurement device operative to measure flow rates of drilling fluid in the drill string;
(b) predefining an encoding language comprising codes understandable to the downhole device, the codes represented in said language as predefined value combinations of drill string rotation variables and drilling fluid flow variables, the drill string rotation variables including rotation rate, the drilling fluid flow variables including flow rate;
(c) causing the drill string to rotate at a preselected rotation rate;
(d) causing the drilling fluid to flow in the drill string at a preselected flow rate;
(e) causing the rotation measurement device to measure the rotation rate and the flow measurement device to measure the flow rate;
and
(f) processing downhole the rotation rate and the flow rate measured in (e) to acquire at least one code in said language at the downhole tool.

4 more elements

A method for communicating with a downhole tool deployed in a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:

(a) deploying a drill string in a subterranean borehole, the drill string including a downhole tool connected thereto, the drill string being rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the drill string including a rotation measurement device operative to measure rotation rates of the drill string about the longitudinal axis;
(b) predefining an encoding language comprising codes understandable to the steering tool, the codes represented in said language as predefined value combinations of drill string variables including drill string rotation variables, said drill string rotation variables including rotation rate;
(c) causing the drill string to rotate at a preselected rotation rate;
(d) causing the rotation measurement device to measure the rotation rate;
and
(e) processing downhole the rotation rate measured (d) to acquire at least one code in said language at the downhole tool, the downhole tool recognizing at least one of said acquired codes as a command to make a predetermined relative change to at least one of its current tool settings.

3 more elements

A method for communicating with a downhole tool deployed in a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:

(a) deploying a drill string in a subterranean borehole, the drill string including a downhole tool connected thereto, the drill string being rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the drill string including a rotation measurement device operative to measure rotation rates of the drill string about the longitudinal axis, the drill string further including a flow sensing device operative to measure flow of drilling fluid in the drill string;
(b) predefining an encoding language comprising codes understandable to the downhole device, the codes represented in said language as predefined value combinations of drill string rotation variables and drilling fluid flow variables, the drill string rotation variables including rotation rate;
(c) causing the drill string to rotate at a preselected rotation rate;
(d) causing the drilling fluid to flow in the drill string at a preselected flow rate;
(e) causing the rotation measurement device to measure the rotation rate of the drill string;
(f) causing the flow sensing device to measure the flow of the drilling fluid, the flow measured as a binary variable including high and low flow levels;
and
(g) processing downhole the rotation rate measured in (e) and the flow measured in (f) to acquire at least one code in said language at the downhole tool, the at least one code acquired at the tool only when the flow measured in (f) is detected to be at a preselected one of the high and low flow levels.

5 more elements

A method for communicating with a downhole steering tool deployed in a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:

(a) deploying a drill string in a subterranean borehole, the drill string including a downhole tool connected thereto, the drill string being rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the drill string including a rotation measurement device operative to measure rotation rates of the drill string about the longitudinal axis, the drill string further including a flow sensing device operative to measure flow of drilling fluid in the drill string;
(b) predefining an encoding language comprising codes understandable to the downhole device, the codes represented in said language as predefined value combinations of drill string rotation variables and drilling fluid flow variables, the drill string rotation variables including rotation rate;
(c) causing the drill string to rotate at a preselected rotation rate;
(d) causing the drilling fluid to flow in the drill string at a preselected flow rate;
(e) causing the rotation measurement device to measure the rotation rate of the drill string;
(f) causing the flow sensing device to measure the flow of the drilling fluid, the flow measured as a binary variable including high and low flow levels;
and
(g) processing downhole the rotation rate measured in (e) and the flow measured in (f) to acquire at least one code in said language at the downhole tool, the at least one code acquired at the tool only when the flow measured in (f) is detected to be at a preselected one of the high and low flow levels, the downhole tool recognizing at least one of said acquired codes as a command to make a predetermined relative change to at least one of its current tool settings.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.