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US 6,349,766 B1Granted
Chemical actuation of downhole tools
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsTerry R. Bussear, Sebastiaan J. Wolters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Downhole tools and systems can be actuated chemically by placing a chemical sensor downhole and introducing a chemical slug into fluids being pumped downhole. When the slug reaches the sensor a reaction in the sensor may be employed to trigger an event (e.g., actuation) or may cause a count to increase by one on its way to a full count and actuation of a tool or system downhole.
Claims13
An actuation system for a downhole tool comprising:
- at least one chemical sensor placed downhole and responsive to at least one chemical in said wellbore, said at least one chemical sensor providing information regarding presence of said at least one chemical;
- a chemical deliverer to deliver a quantity of a chemical to the wellbore said quantity being encapsulated in a material having a melting point which is exceeded by ambient well temperature proximate and uphole of said at least one chemical sensor to release said chemical;
- a tool actuator operably connected with said at least one sensor;
- and
- a downhole tool operably connected with said actuator.
2 more elements
An actuation system for a downhole tool comprising:
- at least one chemical sensor placed downhole and responsive to at least one chemical in said wellbore, said at least one chemical sensor providing information regarding presence of said at least one chemical;
- a chemical deliverer to deliver a quantity of a chemical to the wellbore said quantity being encapsulated in an eutectic material having a melting point which is exceeded by ambient well temperature below said at least one chemical sensor to release said chemical and wherein a specific gravity of the chemical is lower than ambient well fluid such that upon release of the chemical, it migrates uphole;
- a tool actuator operably connected with said at least one sensor;
- and
- a downhole tool operably connected with said actuator.
2 more elements
An actuation system for a downhole tool in a wellbore comprising:
- at least one chemical sensor placed downhole in response to at least one chemical in said wellbore, said at least one chemical sensor providing information regarding presence of said at least one chemical;
- a tool actuator operably connected with said at least one sensor;
- and
- a controller operably connected with said actuator, said controller having instructions to count occurrences of receipt of information from said at least one chemical sensor until a selected count number is reached and then to take a selected action.
1 more element
An automatic modification system comprising:
- a wellbore;
- at least one chemical sensor disposed in said wellbore, said sensor sensing a selected concentration of a particular chemical;
- a controller operably connected to said sensor and capable of receiving information from said sensor, said controller counting occurrences of information receipt from said at least one sensor until a specific count is reached and said controller executes instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.