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AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHarold J. Vinegar, Robert Rex Burnett, William Mountjoy Savage, Frederick Gordon Carl, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A petroleum well has an electronic module and a number of sensors which communicate with the surface using the tubing string and casing as conductors. Induction chokes at the surface and downhole electrically impede AC flow through the (tubing or casing if so configured) with the resulting voltage potential useful for power and communication. A high bandwidth, adaptable spread spectrum communications system is used to communicate between the downhole electronics module and a surface master spread spectrum modem. Downhole sensors, such as pressure, temperature, acoustic and seismic sensors accurately assess downhole physical conditions. In a preferred form, the electronics module and sensors are wireline insertable and retrievable into a side pocket mandrel in the tubing string. Permanent downhole sensors that can communicate with the surface allow such diverse applications as optimizing well and field performances, monitoring and assessing the geophysics of the fomrations around the well, assessing well and reservoir reserves, assessing reservoir conditions.
A petroleum well having a wellbore extending in the earth and electrically conductive tubing string disposed in the wellbore and not electrically insulated for a substantial portion thereof, characterized by an induction choke coupled to the tubing string and one or more devices electrically coupled to the tubing string in the wellbore for wireless reception of a time-varying electrical signal applied to the piping structure wherein the induction choke acts as a series impedance to the time-varying electrical signal and at least one device is operable for sensing or controlling a physical characteristic in or proximate the wellbore.
In a petroleum well having a wellbore extending in the earth and electrically conductive piping structure disposed in the wellbore and having an induction choke coupled thereto, a method of operating the wellbore characterized by applying a time varying electrical signal to the piping structure, impeding the time-varying electrical signal with the induction choke, and operating one or more wireless devices electrically coupled to the piping structure in the wellbore to effect the operation of at least one device in the earth.
A petroleum well comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.