Method and apparatus for in-situ wellbore measurement and control with inductive connectivity

An apparatus for in-situ wellbore measurements, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more sensors arranged outside a wellbore;
• one or more actuators associated with the sensors;
• an electromagnetic transceiver situated inside a wellbore conduit and mounted on an electric-line logging cable;
• at least one wireless instrument unit situated outside a non-magnetic portion of the wellbore conduit and operatively connected to the one or more sensors and the one or more actuators;
• and
• a downhole interface unit also located on the electric-line cable for controlling communication to the apparatus, wherein both the electromagnetic transceiver and the wireless instrument unit each include a transmission antenna and a receiver antenna.

A method of in-situ wellbore measurements comprising:

• positioning outside a wellbore conduit in an annulus of the wellbore a wireless instrument unit having a second transmission antenna and a second receiver antenna spaced apart from the second transmission antenna;
• positioning within the wellbore conduit an electromagnetic transceiver at a desired position inside the wellbore using the electric-line logging cable, wherein the transceiver has a first transmission antenna and a first receiver antenna spaced apart from the first transmission antenna;
• providing a signal via the electric-line logging cable to induce an electromagnetic transmission from the first transmission antenna of the electromagnetic transceiver to the second receiver antenna of the wireless instrument unit;
• if the electromagnetic transceiver is aligned with the wireless instrument unit, sending a signal from the second transmission antenna of the wireless instrument unit to the first receiver antenna of the electromagnetic transceiver;
• utilizing one or more sensors and the one or more actuators deployed outside the wellbore conduit to measure at least one predetermined property;
• and
• transferring the sensor data wirelessly from the wireless interface unit to the electromagnetic transceiver.

An apparatus for in-situ wellbore measurements, the apparatus comprising:

• a wireless instrument unit comprising a first electromagnetic transceiver, the wireless instrument positioned in an annulus outside of a non-magnetic portion of a wellbore conduit, the first electromagnetic transceiver having a second transmission antenna and a second receiver antenna spaced apart from the second transmission antenna, the wireless instrument unit being operatively connected to a first set of one or more sensors arranged outside the wellbore conduit and to a first set of one or more actuators arranged outside the wellbore conduit;
• an intervention tool positioned inside the wellbore conduit and mounted on an electric-line logging cable, the intervention tool for selective placement in the wellbore conduit, the intervention tool comprising a second electromagnetic transceiver having a first transmission antenna and a first receiver antenna spaced apart from the first transmission antenna, the second electromagnetic transceiver for communication with the first electromagnetic transceiver when the intervention tool is positioned with the electric-line logging cable at a location wherein the first transmission antenna and a first receiver antenna are respectively aligned with the second transmission antenna and a second receiver antenna on opposite sides of the non-magnetic portion of the wellbore conduit;
• and
• a downhole interface unit carried by the electric-line cable for controlling communication with the wireless instrument unit to selectively obtain information from the one or more sensors arranged outside the wellbore conduit and to selectively operate the one or more actuators arranged outside the wellbore conduit.

A method of making in-situ wellbore measurements, comprising:

• installing at least one wireless instrument unit outside of a non-magnetic portion of a wellbore conduit, the at least one wireless instrument unit being operatively connected to one or more sensors arranged outside the wellbore conduit and to one or more actuators arranged outside the wellbore conduit, the wireless instrument unit comprising a first electromagnetic transceiver having a second transmission antenna and a second receiver antenna spaced apart from the second transmission antenna;
• suspending an intervention tool inside the wellbore conduit from an electric-line logging cable, the intervention tool having a second electromagnetic transceiver having a first transmission antenna and a first receiver antenna spaced apart from the first transmission antenna, the first transmission antenna and the first receiver antenna for communication with the second transmission antenna and the second receiver antenna of the first electromagnetic transceiver adjusting the position of the intervention tool suspended on the electric-line logging cable to a location wherein the first and second electromagnetic transceivers are located adjacent each other on opposite sides of the non-magnetic portion of the wellbore conduit so that the first transmission antenna and the first receiver antenna are respectively aligned with the second transmission antenna and the second receiver antenna;
• and
• communicating between a downhole interface unit carried by the electric-line cable to selectively obtain information from the one or more sensors arranged outside the wellbore conduit and to selectively operate the one or more actuators arranged outside the wellbore conduit.