Inductively coupled method and apparatus of communicating with wellbore equipment

#The invention relates to an inductively coupled method and apparatus of communicating with wellbore equipment.

#A major goal in the operation of a well is improved productivity of the well. The production of well fluids may be affected by various downhole conditions, such as the presence of water, pressure and temperature conditions, fluid flow rates, formation and fluid properties, and other conditions. Various monitoring devices may be placed downhole to measure or sense for these conditions. In addition, control devices, such as flow control devices, may be used to regulate or control the well. For example, flow control devices can regulate fluid flow into or out of a reservoir. The monitoring and control devices may be part of an intelligent completion system (ICS) or a permanent monitoring system (PMS), in which communications can occur between downhole devices and a well surface controller. The downhole devices that are part of such systems are placed in the well during the completion phase with the expectation that they will remain functional for a relatively long period of time (e.g., many years).

#To retrieve information gathered by downhole monitoring devices and/or to control activation of downhole control devices, electrical power and signals may be communicated down electrical cables from the surface. However, in some locations of the well, it may be difficult to reliably connect electrical conductors to devices due to the presence of water and other well fluids. One such location is in a lateral branch of a multilateral well. Typically, completion equipment in a lateral branch is installed separately from the equipment in the main bore. Thus, any electrical connection that needs to be made to the equipment in the lateral branch would be a “wet” connection due to the presence of water and other liquids.

#FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a completion string including electrical devices and an inductive coupler assembly to communicate electrical power and signaling to the electrical devices.

#FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a control module that is part of the electrical devices of FIG. 1A.

#FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a casing coupling module connected to casing sections in the completion string of FIG. 1A, the casing coupling module including a first portion of the inductive coupler assembly, sensors, and a control module in accordance with an embodiment.

#In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

#As used here, the terms “up” and “down”; “upper” and “lower”; “upwardly” and downwardly”; and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly described some embodiments of the invention. However, when applied to equipment and methods for use in wells that are deviated or horizontal, such terms may refer to a left to right, right to left, or other relationship as appropriate.

#In accordance with some embodiments, inductive couplers are used to communicate electrical power and signaling to devices in a wellbore. Such devices may include monitoring devices, such as sensors, placed outside casing or another type of liner to measure the resistivity or other characteristic of the surrounding formation. Other types of monitoring devices include pressure and temperature sensors, sensors to detect stress experienced by completion components (such as strain gauges), and other monitoring devices to monitor for other types of seismic, environmental, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and any other conditions. Stress recorders may also be located at a junction between a main wellbore and a lateral branch. Such stress recorders are used to monitor the stress of a junction that is predeformed and expanded by a hydraulic jack once positioned downhole. The stress due to the expansion operation is monitored to ensure structural integrity can be maintained. Electrical power and signaling may also be communicated to control devices that control various components, such as valves, monitoring devices, and so forth. By using inductive couplers, wired connections can be avoided to certain downhole monitoring and/or control devices. Such wired connections may be undesirable due to presence of well fluids and/or downhole components.