Swellable packer for guiding an untethered device in a subterranean well

A method for measuring properties along a subterranean well, the method comprising the steps of:

• securing a swellable packer radially on an exterior surface of a production conduit at or proximate to a terminus of the production conduit, the swellable packer being in a non-swollen configuration;
• contacting the swellable packer with a fluidic component at a target depth such that the swellable packer transitions to a swollen configuration;
• deploying an untethered measurement device into the subterranean well;
• taking measurements using the untethered measurement device of one selected from the group consisting of:
• physical properties in the subterranean well, chemical properties in the subterranean well, structural properties in the subterranean well, dynamics of the untethered measurement device, position of the untethered measurement device, and combinations thereof;
• and
• retrieving the untethered measurement device from the subterranean well after the untethered measurement device changes at least one of:
• the buoyancy and the drag and ascends in the subterranean well.