System and method for monitoring tool orientation in a well
AssigneeVetco Gray Inc.
InventorsStephen Jude Szpunar, Daniel W. Sexton, Chad Eric Yates, Oladapo Akinyede, Samved Bhatnagar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for monitoring the orientation and position of components in an oil well. The system includes a first well component, a second well component, and a transducer attached to the first well component, for generating a pulse. The system also includes a transceiver attached to the second well component for measuring the parameters of the pulse generated by the transducer, and a processor in communication with the transceiver that receives information about the parameters of the pulse as measured by the transceiver, and that calculates the position of the transceiver relative to the transducer.
Claims20
A system for monitoring the orientation and position of components in an oil well, the system comprising:
- a first well component;
- a second well component movable relative to the first well component;
- a transducer attached to the first well component, for generating a pulse;
- a transceiver attached to the second well component for measuring parameters of the pulse generated by the transducer, the parameters corresponding to a distance between the first well component and the second well component;
- and
- a processor in communication with the transceiver that receives information about the parameters of the pulse as measured by the transceiver, calculates the position of the transceiver relative to the transducer, and determines a position of the second well component relative to the first well component based on the parameters of the pulse.
A system for monitoring the orientation and position of components in an oil well, the system comprising:
- a well head member attached to the top of the well;
- a well head sensor attached to the well head member;
- a hanger for insertion into the well head;
- a hanger sensor attached to the hanger, at least one of the well head sensor and the hanger sensor having a sensitivity calibrated to detect presence of the other within a predetermined range and emitting at least one signal when the well head sensor and the hanger sensor are within the predetermined range of one another to indicate that the hanger is properly positioned within the well head member;
- and
- a receiver for receiving the at least one signal from, and in communication with, the hanger sensor, the well head sensor, or both the hanger sensor and the well head sensor.
A method of determining well component location, the method comprising:
- a) moving a moveable component of the well head assembly relative to a stationary component of the well head assembly, the moveable component having a transceiver attached thereto and the stationary component having a transducer attached thereto;
- b) emitting a pulse from the transducer;
- c) receiving the pulse by the transceiver;
- d) determining the position of the transceiver relative to the transducer based on the time of flight of the pulse between the transducer and the transceiver, or the strength of the pulse when received by the transceiver;
- and
- d) determining the position of the moveable component of the well head assembly relative to the stationary component of the wellhead assembly based on the position of the transceiver relative to the transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.