Method and apparatus for deploying and using self-locating downhole devices

A method usable with a well, comprising:

• deploying a plurality of location markers in a passageway of the well;
• deploying an untethered object in the passageway such that the object travels downhole via the passageway;
• using the untethered object to sense proximity of at least some of the location markers as the object travels downhole and based on the sensing, selectively expand its size to cause the object to become lodged in the passageway near a predetermined location;
• and
• using the object to dislodge itself from the passageway in response to the object determining that a predetermined time interval has elapsed after the object became lodged in the passageway.

A method usable with a well, comprising:

• deploying a plurality of location markers in a passageway of the well;
• deploying an untethered object in the passageway such that the object travels downhole via the passageway;
• using the untethered object to sense proximity of at least some of the location markers as the object travels downhole and based on the sensing, selectively expand its size to cause the object to become lodged in the passageway near a predetermined location;
• and
• while the object is traveling downhole, using the object to determine a velocity of the object based at least in part on the sensing of said at least one location marker and estimate when the object is to arrive near the predetermined location based at least in part on the determined velocity.

A method usable with a well, comprising:

• deploying a plurality of location markers in a passageway of the well;
• deploying an untethered object in the passageway such that the object travels downhole via the passageway;
• using the untethered object to sense proximity of at least some of the location markers as the object travels down hole and based on the sensing, selectively expand its size to cause the object to become lodged in the passageway near a predetermined location;
• and
• using the object to recognize said at least one marker by transmitting a signal to interrogate a radio frequency tag associated with the location marker.

A method usable with a well, comprising:

• deploying a plurality of location markers in a passageway of the well;
• deploying an untethered object in the passageway such that the object travels downhole via the passageway;
• using the untethered object to sense proximity of at least some of the location markers as the object travels downhole and based on the sensing, selectively expand its size to cause the object to become lodged in the passageway near a predetermined location;
• and
• radially contracting the object to dislodge the object from the passageway, allowing the object to be moved further into the passageway from said point near the predetermined location.

An apparatus usable with a well, comprising:

• a body adapted to freely travel downhole untethered via a passageway of the well;
• a blocker adapted to freely travel downhole with the body in a contracted state as the body travels in the passageway, and be selectively radially expanded to lodge the body in the passageway;
• a sensor adapted to freely travel downhole with the body and sense at least some of a plurality of location markers disposed along the passageway as the body travels downhole;
• and
• a controller adapted to:
• freely travel downhole with the body;
• based on the sensing, control the blocker to cause the blocker to radially expand as the body is traveling to cause the body to lodge in the passageway near the predetermined location.

An apparatus usable with a well, comprising:

• a body adapted to travel downhole untethered via a passageway of the well;
• a blocker adapted to travel downhole with the body in a contracted state as the body travels in the passageway, and be selectively radially expanded to lodge the body in the passageway;
• a sensor adapted to travel downhole with the body and sense at least some of a plurality of location markers disposed along the passageway as the body travels downhole;
• and
• a controller adapted to:
• travel downhole with the body;
• based on the sensing, control the blocker to cause the blocker to radially expand as the body is traveling to cause the body to lodge in the passageway near the predetermined location,
• wherein the controller is adapted to control the blocker to dislodge the body from the passageway in response to the controller determining that a predetermined time interval has elapsed after the body became lodged in the passageway.

An apparatus usable with a well, comprising:

• a body adapted to travel downhole untethered via a passageway of the well;
• a blocker adapted to travel downhole with the body in a contracted state as the body travels in the passageway, and be selectively radially expanded to lodge the body in the passageway;
• a sensor adapted to travel downhole with the body and sense at least some of a plurality of location markers disposed along the passageway as the body travels downhole;
• and
• a container adapted to:
• travel downhole with the body;
• based on the sensing, control the blocker to cause the blocker to radially expand as the body is traveling to cause the body to lodge in the passageway near the predetermined location,
• wherein the controller, is adapted to determine a velocity of the object based at least in part on the sensing of said at least one location marker and estimate when the object is to arrive near the predetermined location based at least in part on the determined velocity.

An apparatus usable with a well, comprising:

• a body adapted to travel downhole untethered via a passageway of the well;
• a blocker adapted to travel downhole with the body in a contracted state as the body travels in the passageway, and be selectively radially expanded to lodge the body in the passageway;
• a sensor adapted to travel downhole with the body and sense at least some of a plurality of location markers disposed along the passageway as the body travels downhole;
• and
• a controller adapted to:
• travel downhole with the body;
• based on the sensing, control the blocker to cause the blocker to radially expand as the body is traveling to cause the body to lodge in the passageway near the predetermined location,
• wherein the sensor comprises a radio frequency identification tag reader.

An apparatus usable with a well comprising:

• a body adapted to travel downhole untethered via a passageway of the well;
• a blocker adapted to travel downhole with the body in a contracted state as the body travels in the passageway, and be selectively radially expanded to lodge the body in the passageway;
• a sensor adapted to travel downhole with the body and sense at least some of a plurality of location markers disposed along the passageway as the body travels downhole;
• and
• a controller adapted to:
• travel downhole with the body;
• and
• based on the sensing, control the blocker to cause the blocker to radially expand as the body is traveling to cause the body to lodge in the passageway near the predetermined location,
• wherein the blocker comprises a plurality of fingers and a plate to establish a groove and pin relationship with the fingers to radially expand the fingers, and
• the controller is adapted to energize the motor to cause the motor to rotate the plate relative to the fingers to radially expand the fingers.

A system usable with a well, comprising:

• a casing string adapted to support a wellbore of the well, the casing string comprising a passageway;
• a plurality of location markers deployed along the passageway;
• and
• a plug sized to freely travel downhole untethered via the passageway, the plug adapted to:
• recognize at least one of the location markers as the plug travels downhole,
• estimate when the plug is to arrive near a predetermined location in the well based at least in part on recognition of said at least one location marker, and
• selectively expand its size to cause the plug to become lodged in the passageway near the predetermined location.