Dart detector for wellbore tubular cementation
AssigneeWeatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
InventorsBurkhard Zippel, Martin Helms, Mark Chandler, Simon J. Harrall
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Abstract
A detector for use in cementing a tubular string in a wellbore includes: a tubular mandrel; an electronics package fastened to an outer surface of the mandrel; a first transducer: fastened to the mandrel outer surface, in communication with the electronics package, and operable to generate ultrasonic pulses; a second transducer: fastened to the mandrel outer surface, in communication with the electronics package, and operable to receive the ultrasonic pulses; and an antenna fastened to the mandrel outer surface and in communication with the electronics package.
Claims20
A detector for use in cementing a tubular string in a wellbore, comprising:
- a tubular mandrel;
- an electronics package fastened to an outer surface of the mandrel;
- a first transducer:
- fastened to the mandrel outer surface, in communication with the electronics package, and operable to generate ultrasonic pulses;
- a second transducer:
- fastened to the mandrel outer surface, in communication with the electronics package, and operable to receive the ultrasonic pulses;
- and
- an antenna fastened to the mandrel outer surface and in communication with the electronics package.
A method for cementing a tubular string into a wellbore, comprising:
- running the tubular string into the wellbore;
- pumping cement slurry into a cementing head coupled to the tubular string;
- after pumping the cement slurry, launching a plug from the cementing head;
- monitoring launching of the plug using ultrasonic transducers of the cementing head, wherein the transducers are located on a lower portion of the cementing head for detecting passage of the plug therethrough;
- and
- driving the launched plug and cement slurry through a bore of the tubular string by pumping chaser fluid into the cementing head.
A method for cementing a tubular string into a wellbore, comprising:
- running the tubular string into the wellbore;
- pumping cement slurry into a cementing head coupled to the tubular string;
- after pumping the cement slurry, launching a plug from the cementing head;
- monitoring launching of the plug using ultrasonic transducers of the cementing head;
- driving the launched plug and cement slurry through a bore of the tubular string by pumping chaser fluid into the cementing head;
- and
- launching a contingency plug to free the plug in response to detecting a failed launch of the plug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.