Method and apparatus for communicating with downhole measurement-while-drilling equipment when said equipment is on the surface

A method for communicating between surface equipment and a downhole measurement-while-drilling assembly when said assembly is at the surface, wherein said assembly includes at least one sensing means for measuring a downhole parameter, a downhole transmitter, a downhole receiver and information storage means, said downhole transmitter and said downhole receiver being connected between said sensing means and said information storage means, said sensing means operable in both a normal sensing mode and in a communication mode, and wherein said surface equipment includes communicating means, a surface transmitter, a surface receiver and data acquisition means, said surface transmitter and said surface receiver connected between said data acquisition means and said communicating means, comprising the steps of:

• placing within communicating range of said downhole sensing means compatible communicating means of said surface equipment;
• and
• communicating directly between said surface equipment and said downhole assembly by communicating from said data acquisition means of said surface equipment through said surface transmitter and said communicating means to said information storage means through said downhole equipment sensing means and said downhole receiver or from said information storage means through said downhole transmitter and said downhole equipment sensing means to said data acquisition means through said surface equipment communicating means and said surface receiver.