# US 2019/0169981 A1 · Apparatus and method for monitoring a blocking body within an oil-well structure

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- Number: US 2019/0169981 A1
- Document ID: US20190169981A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/323,202
- Filed: 2017-08-04
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-04
- Assignees: Intelligent Wellhead Systems Inc.
- Applicants: Intelligent Wellhead Systems Inc.
- Inventors: Aaron Mitchell Carlson; Bradley Robert Martin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169981A1

## CPC

- E21B 47/092: by detecting magnetic anomalies
- E21B 47/13: by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A detection system for detecting when a blocking body has passed through a location within a well. The detection system includes a blocking body that is introducible into the well and is operatively configured to produce a detectable signal, and a detection tool that is configured to detect the detectable signal and to generate an output signal that indicates a detectable event.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A detection system for detecting when a blocking body has passed through a location within a well, the detection system comprising:
a. a blocking body that is introducible into the well and is operatively configured to produce a detectable signal; and
b. a detection tool that is configured to detect the detectable signal and to generate an output signal that indicates a detectable event.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The detection system of claim 1 wherein at last a portion of the blocking body comprises a magnetic material and the detection tool generates a magnetic field and comprises at least one sensor that can detect perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the blocking body approaching, moving through or moving away from the detection tool.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The detection system of claim 2 wherein the detection tool comprises a tubular body and two or more clamp pieces removably coupled about the tubular body, and wherein the two or more clamp pieces generate said magnetic field.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The detection system of claim 3 wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the two or more clamp pieces.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The detection system of claim 4 wherein the detection tool further comprises at least one actuator coupled to the two or more clamp pieces for configuring the two or more clamp pieces to be away from the tubular body in an open condition or to be about the tubular body in a closed condition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The detection system of claim 5 wherein the blocking body comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that generates a radio signal and the detection tool comprises at least one sensor that can detect the radio signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The detection system of claim 6 further comprising a display for receiving and displaying the output signal from the detection tool.

### Claim 8

A method for detecting a blocking body within a well, the method comprising steps of:
a. configuring the blocking body to generate a detectable signal;
b. configuring at least a portion of the well to detect the detectable signal; and
c. creating an output signal that identifies when the detectable signal is detected.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the detectable signal is a perturbation of a magnetic field.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the detectable signal is generated by an RFID tag and the at least a portion of the well can detect a radio signal generated by the RFID tag.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the RFID tag comprises a unique identifier, and wherein the output signal comprises said unique identifier.