Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Exxonmobile Research and Engineering Company

Imperial Oil Resources

Limin Song

Yibing Zhang

Mark M Disko

Scott William Clawson

Katie M Walker

Henry Alan Wolf

Mohsen Shahmirzadi Yeganeh

Glen Barry Brons

Ian A Cody

Berne K Stober

Enru Liu

Michael Louis Hergenrother

H Alan Wolf

Alan Mark Schilowitz

Benjamin S Umansky

Robert J Pottorf

Walter David Vann

David A Howell

Peter A Gordon

Zhen Li

Xiaohua Yi

Teh Chung Ho

Mark Alan Greaney

Max Deffenbaugh

Krishnan Kumaran

Ted Alan Long

Thomas M Smith

Amar S Wanni

Timothy D Shaffer

Pamela Jean Wright

Robert J Chimenti

Renzo Moises Angeles Boza

Clarence E Chase

Tapantosh Chakrabarty

Ken N Sury

Brent D Wheelock

Tahmid I Mizan

John Stephen Szobota

Ganglin Chen

James Edward Feather

Robert Charles Welch

Leroy Russell Clavenna

Geoff Keiser

Patricia H Kalamaras

Peng Xu

Julio Danin Lobo

Brian C Seabrook

LeRoy A Clavenna

Gordon Macleod

Dennis Patrick Smith

Jormarie Bitar

Wayne J York

George A Lutz

Geoffrey Marshall Keiser

John Henry Dunsmuir

Shiyu Xu

Jingbo Wang

Kenneth W Desmond

George Akehurst

Badrinarayanan Velamur Asokan

Jasmina Poturovic

San Chhotray

Michael G Starkey

David M Chorneyko

Michael A Payne

Bhaskar Sengupta

Himanshu M Joshi

Patrick M Moore

Mohsen Yeganeh

Jianmin Qu

Laurence J Jacobs

Tapantosh Chakrabary

Jormarie Alvarez

Julio D Lobo

Alan H Wolf

Monica M Lira-Cantu

Alexander Bolkhovsky

Renzo M Angeles Boza

Dennis Smith

Ying Zhang

Jing Bo Wang

Methods of characterizing a spatial property of a previously fractured stage of a hydrocarbon well and hydrocarbon wells that perform the methods. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region. The methods include receiving a received acoustic wave. The received acoustic wave is initiated by a downhole acoustic wave source that is positioned within an uphole region of the wellbore. The uphole region of the wellbore extends within a subsequently fractured stage of the hydrocarbon well and is uphole from a downhole region of the wellbore, which extends within the previously fractured stage of the hydrocarbon well. The received acoustic wave includes a previously fractured stage characteristic acoustic component generated via propagation of the received acoustic wave within the downhole region of the wellbore. The methods also include analyzing the previously fractured stage characteristic acoustic component to characterize the spatial property of the previously fractured stage.

Methods of characterizing a spatial property of a previously fractured stage of a hydrocarbon well and hydrocarbon wells that perform the methods

Methods and systems for measuring cluster efficiency for stages of wellbores are provided herein. One method includes selecting a frequency band for generating broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore and generating the broadband tube waves within the fluid column of the wellbore using a pressure pulse generator that is hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The method also includes recording data corresponding to the broadband tube waves and reflected broadband tube waves using pressure receivers that are hydraulically coupled to the wellbore. The pressure receivers are arranged into arrays with two or more pressure receivers in each array. The data recorded by the pressure receivers relate to characteristics of reflectors (including perforation cluster/fracture interfaces) within the wellbore. The method further includes processing the recorded data using interferometry and performing full waveform inversion(s) on the processed data to determine frequency-dependent, complex-valued reflection coefficients at each perforation cluster/fracture interface.

Systems and methods for measuring cluster efficiency using broadband tube waves

A method of measuring a pressure of a fluid adjacent a wall of a pipe or vessel. A transducer is attached to the wall of the pipe or vessel. A signal is transmitted by the transducer at a characteristic frequency via a plurality of guided wave modes. The characteristic frequency is a frequency at which the guided wave modes are separated in time from each other when received. The signal is received after the plurality of guided wave modes travel in or through the wall a predetermined number of times. The signal has a signal receipt time after the predetermined number of times. The pressure of the fluid is calculated using the signal receipt time.

Apparatus and method for non-intrusive pressure measurement and early identification of solids formation using selected guided ultrasonic wave modes

Communication networks, relay nodes for communication networks, and methods of transmitting data among a plurality of relay nodes utilizing non-dispersive guided acoustic waves are disclosed herein. The communication networks include an elongate tubular body and a wireless data transmission network including a plurality of relay nodes. The relay nodes include an electro-acoustic transmitter array and an electro-acoustic receiver. The methods include inducing a first acoustic wave within the elongate tubular body with a first relay node, conveying the first acoustic wave along the elongate tubular body to a second relay node, and receiving the first acoustic wave with the second relay node. The methods further include inducing a second acoustic wave within the elongate tubular body with the second relay node, conveying the second acoustic wave along the elongate tubular body to a third relay node, and receiving the second acoustic wave with the third relay node.

Communication networks, relay nodes for communication networks, and methods of transmitting data among a plurality of relay nodes

Methods and systems for measuring pipe parameters using guided acoustic wave modes are provided. The method includes receiving data corresponding to an acoustic signal, wherein the data are obtained by transmitting an excitation pulse at a specified frequency and detecting the resulting acoustic signal using an acoustic transducer attached to the outer surface of the pipe wall. The method includes analyzing the data to identify guided acoustic wave modes including at least two of: a C-SH acoustic wave mode that travels within the pipe wall; a C-LT acoustic wave mode that travels within the near-surface region of the pipe wall; and/or a CA acoustic wave mode that travels within the pipe cavity. The method includes calibrating the parameter measurement using the C-SH acoustic wave mode and determining the parameter measurement based on the phase velocity and/or the amplitude of the C-LT acoustic wave mode and/or the CA acoustic wave mode.

Non-intrusive detection of pipe parameters using selected guided acoustic wave modes

A method for collecting data relating to characteristics of a wellbore by generating tube waves within the wellbore using an electro-hydraulic discharge (EHD) source includes generating tube waves that propagate within a fluid column of a wellbore using an EHD source, where the fluid column is defined by a casing string within the wellbore. The method also includes allowing at least a portion of the generated tube waves to interact with acoustic impedance boundaries that act as reflectors within the wellbore, creating reflected tube waves that propagate within the fluid column. The method further includes recording data corresponding to the generated tube waves and the reflected tube waves using a receiver, where the recorded data relate to characteristics of the reflectors within the wellbore.

Generating tube waves within a wellbore using an electrohydraulic discharge source

Embodiments described herein include an acoustic telemetry system for use with an apparatus configured to rotate. The acoustic telemetry system includes one or more sensor nodes and at least one receiver node. In at least one embodiment, the telemetry system also includes at least one hub node positioned on the apparatus. Each sensor node is attached to or embedded in the apparatus. Each sensor node obtains data related to one or more operating conditions of the apparatus and the environment surrounding the apparatus. The one or more sensor nodes encode and transmit the data to the hub node or the receiver node using ultrasonic acoustic waves. In at least one embodiment, the hub node transmits the data to the receiver node. The receiver node decodes the data and monitors the one or more operating conditions of the apparatus.

Ultrasonic telemetry for rotating sensors

Provided are methods and systems for monitoring and modifying stimulation operations in a reservoir. In particular, the methods and systems utilize a downhole telemetry system, such as a network of sensors and downhole wireless communication nodes, to monitor various stimulation operations.

Methods and systems for monitoring and optimizing reservoir stimulation operations

In conjunction with a communication network, for example, a downhole wireless network for transmission of data along a tubular body, disclosed herein are: (1) a variety of hardware interfacing methods with sensors and downhole tools; (2) sensing concepts that are enabled by the unique interfaces; (3) physical implementation of the integrated sensor/communication node structures; (4) related software communication protocols. The interfaces may support both data communication and power transfer.

Downhole wireless communication node and sensor/tools interface

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for operating and maintaining downhole wireless networks. The methods and systems utilize a downhole tool, such as a downhole tool comprising a communications device, to perform maintenance on the downhole wireless network, and for overcoming and/or correcting communications errors along the network. The downhole tool may also be used for updating and reprograming communication nodes in the downhole wireless network.

Methods and systems for operating and maintaining a downhole wireless network

A method and system are described for wirelessly communicating within a wellbore. The method includes constructing a communication network (e.g., which uses aliased signals as part of the configuration) for a wellbore accessing a subsurface region and using the communication network in hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development, and/or hydrocarbon production.

Method and system for performing communications using aliasing

A method and system are described for wirelessly communicating within a wellbore. The method includes constructing a communication network, which communicates during drilling operations along one or more drilling strings. The communication network is used to perform drilling operations for hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development, and/or hydrocarbon production.

Method and system for performing wireless ultrasonic communications along a drilling string

A method and system are described for communicating within a system, which may be along tubular members. The method includes constructing a communication network for tubular member, such as a wellbore accessing a subsurface region or a pipeline, and using the communication network in hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development, and/or hydrocarbon production.

Method and system for performing operations using communications

An apparatus and method for securing a piezoelectric element in an electroacoustic communications node used in a downhole wireless telemetry system. An end mass is secured to the piezoelectric element. At least one fastener attaches a pre-tensioning support plate to a housing of the node. The pre-tensioning support plate and the at least one fastener impart a tensioning force to the end mass and/or the piezoelectric element when the pre-tensioning support plate and the end mass and/or the piezoelectric element are secured to the housing.

Dual transducer communications node including piezo pre-tensioning for acoustic wireless networks and method employing same

A method and system are described for communicating within a system, which may be along tubular members. The method includes constructing a communication network for a hydrocarbon system, which includes one or more wellbores accessing a subsurface region or a pipeline, and using the communication network in hydrocarbon operations, such as hydrocarbon exploration, hydrocarbon development, and/or hydrocarbon production.

Method and system for performing operations using communications for a hydrocarbon system

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West Windsor, NJ, United States of America

Limin Song