Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Huseyin Rahmi Seren

Max Deffenbaugh

Sebastian Csutak

Miguel Gonzalez

Mohamed Larbi Zeghlache

Christopher Powell

Sunder Ramachandran

Jose Oliverio Alvarez

Gregory D Ham

Gregory Bernero

Thomas Hillman

Anton Gryzlov

Erjola Buzi

Anton Egorov

Marwan Charara

A system and method for using a Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) system to receive signals transmitted from remote autonomous sensors and to locate the autonomous sensors are disclosed. The method includes installing a DAS system in a borehole consisting of at least one fiber-optic cable connected to at least one corresponding interrogator, deploying at least one autonomous sensor and conducting at least one measurement. The methods also include encoding the at least one measurement in at least one encoded acoustic signal, transmitting the at least one encoded acoustic signal to the at least one fiber-optic cable, and detecting the at least one encoded acoustic signal with the DAS system. Furthermore, the methods include recording the at least one encoded acoustic signal received by the DAS system at a surface location and processing the at least one encoded acoustic signal with a processing unit to decode and obtain the at least one measurement.

Distributed fiber-optic telemetry for data transmission and real-time location of downhole autonomous sensing devices

An untethered device includes a tool including circuitry, a ballast weight mechanically attached to the tool, and including a dissolvable ballast, and a sacrificial battery including a first electrode provided by the dissolvable ballast and an electrolytic solution provided by a fluid surrounding the untethered device. The sacrificial battery powers the circuitry.

Underwater tools with sacrificial battery

An untethered device includes a tool and a ballast weight. The ballast weight includes an attachment plate that is securable to the tool, a dissolvable ballast, and attachment elements that secure the dissolvable ballast to the attachment plate. At least one of the attachment elements is dissolvable to release the dissolvable ballast from the attachment plate.

Downhole robots with dissolvable fail-safe ballast

An apparatus includes a ballast that is configured to couple to an untethered downhole tool. The ballast includes a composite material. The composite material includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes metallic particles. The first portion is configured to, while the ballast is coupled to the untethered downhole tool, provide weight to the untethered downhole tool to lower the untethered downhole tool into a well formed in a subterranean formation. The second portion includes a polymer matrix. The metallic particles of the first portion are distributed throughout the polymer matrix of the second portion. The second portion is configured to dissolve in response to being exposed to downhole fluid within the well at specified downhole conditions, thereby releasing the metallic particles of the first portions from the polymer matrix that has dissolved.

Dissolvable ballast for untethered downhole tools

An untethered downhole tool includes a first body, a second body, a logging sensor, a motor, and a controller. Each of the first and second bodies includes a housing that defines an inner volume and a magnetic anchor configured, in an active state, to attach the body to a wellbore tubular. The motor is attached to one of the first or second bodies and coupled to a spooler. The controller is communicably coupled to the motor and the first and second magnetic anchors. The controller is configured to adjust one of the first or second magnetic anchors from the active state to an inactive state; and activate the motor to operate the spooler to spool the cable from the spooler to increase a length of a portion of the cable between the spooler and the detached first or second body.

Downhole logging tool

Embodiments of the invention provide an untethered apparatus for measuring properties along a subterranean well. According to at least one embodiment, the untethered apparatus includes a housing, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The data includes one or more physical, chemical, geological or structural properties in the subterranean well. The untethered apparatus further includes a processor configured to control the one or more sensors measuring the data and to store the measured data, and a transmitter configured to transmit the measured data to a receiver arranged external to the subterranean well. Further, the untethered apparatus includes a controller configured to control the buoyancy or the drag of the untethered apparatus to control a position of the untethered apparatus in the subterranean well. The processor includes instructions defining measurement parameters for the one or more sensors of the untethered apparatus within the subterranean well.

Method and device for obtaining measurements of downhole properties in a subterranean well

A downhole tool includes a body configured to move in a wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation in a direction downhole of the terranean surface independent of a downhole conveyance attached to the body; one or more sensors positioned in the body, the one or more sensors configured to measure a value associated with at least one of the wellbore or the terranean surface; and at least one mass positioned in the body and configured to adjust an orientation of the body in response to one or more forces acting on the body as the downhole tool moves in the wellbore in the direction downhole of the terranean surface.

Orienting a downhole tool in a wellbore

An untethered device includes a housing, a magnetic actuator that is coupled to the housing, and a buoyancy device. The buoyancy device includes an attachment plate that is securable to the magnetic actuator, a degradable ballast weight that is coupled to the attachment plate, and a buoyancy-enhancing feature that is positioned adjacent to the attachment plate.

Untethered logging devices and related methods of logging a wellbore

A method and a system for collecting data at a fixed point in a wellbore are provided. An exemplary method includes dropping an untethered measurement tool (UMT) in the wellbore, switching a first magnet to drop a ballast from the UMT at a ballast drop condition, switching a second magnet to attach the UMT to a wall of the wellbore at a wall attachment condition. Data is collected in the UMT while the UMT is attached to the wall of the wellbore. The second magnet is switched to release the UMT from the wall of the wellbore at a wall release condition. The UMT is collected from the wellbore and the data is downloaded from the UMT.

Semi-permanent downhole sensor tool

Provided here are methods and system to detect an untethered device in a wellhead. The untethered device includes a housing, a transducer, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The transducer emits acoustic signals that are received by microphones on the surface of the wellhead. Based on these acoustic signals, the location of the untethered device is determined and appropriate valves may be opened or closed by an operator.

Methods and systems to detect an untethered device at a wellhead

An untethered apparatus for measuring properties along a subterranean well includes a housing, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The data includes one or more physical, chemical, geological or structural properties in the subterranean well. The untethered apparatus further includes a processor configured to control the one or more sensors measuring the data and to store the measured data, and a transmitter configured to transmit the measured data to a receiver arranged external to the subterranean well. Further, the untethered apparatus includes a controller configured to control the buoyancy or the drag of the untethered apparatus to control a position of the untethered apparatus in the subterranean well. The processor includes instructions defining measurement parameters for the one or more sensors of the untethered apparatus within the subterranean well.

An apparatus for determining properties of an uncharacterized downhole fluid. The apparatus comprises an oscillation driver circuit comprising an amplifier having an output and an input, a feedback loop between the output and input of an amplifier or a logic gate, an electromechanical resonator disposed within the feedback loop such that a the resonator is driven by the oscillation driver circuit, wherein a resonant frequency of the resonator defines an oscillation frequency of the oscillator circuit, and a switch device for causing the oscillator circuit to stop driving the resonator, which thereby enables observation of a decay rate of the oscillation of the electromechanical resonator within the uncharacterized fluid. The electromechanical resonator is enclosed in a conductive layer to protect the resonator against capacitive effects of the downhole fluid.

Method for capacitive cancellation of tuning fork for fluid property measurements

A system and method for targeted delivery of treatment material to a specified depth in a wellbore, including placing a container to the specified depth and allowing the container to fail at the depth due to wellbore pressure to release the treatment material.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Huseyin Rahmi Seren