Autonomous Downhole Tool Positioning via Casing Collar Locator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multi-zone stimulation techniques in the petroleum industry face challenges such as difficulty in running long perforating guns through lubricators, limited pump rates due to wireline friction, and high completion costs associated with cranes and wireline equipment, necessitating the need for autonomous downhole tools that can be deployed without a lubricator and crane arm, and can perforate and treat multiple intervals without pump rate limitations.
Innovation Solution
The development of autonomous downhole tools that use a casing collar locator to autonomously navigate and actuate within a wellbore, eliminating the need for surface control, and can be deployed in a string of production casing, allowing for sequential perforation and treatment of intervals without the requirement of a lubricator or crane arm, utilizing a moving windowed statistical analysis to correlate magnetic signals with pre-recorded data for precise actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If long perforating guns are run through lubricators using cranes and wireline equipment, then perforation of multiple zones can be achieved, but device complexity and completion costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control function from the surface by deploying autonomous perforating guns that operate independently downhole. The guns are equipped with onboard controllers and casing collar locators that eliminate the need for surface control systems, cranes, and lubricators, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the capability to perforate multiple zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforating guns are designed to be self-navigating and self-actuating. They use onboard casing collar locators to identify target zones and autonomously trigger perforation charges without requiring surface intervention. This self-service capability eliminates complex surface equipment while achieving multi-zone perforation.
2Ease of operation
If wireline is used to control perforating guns, then surface control is achieved, but pump rates are limited due to wireline friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wireline control system with an autonomous electronic control system. The perforating guns use onboard controllers that receive signals from casing collar locators and autonomously activate perforation charges. This substitution eliminates wireline friction limitations and enables high pump rates during subsequent stimulation operations.
3Device complexity
If autonomous downhole tools are deployed without lubricator and crane arm, then device complexity is reduced, but precise positioning and actuation become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces casing collar locators as intermediary devices that detect magnetic signatures of casing collars to provide precise depth positioning. These locators serve as mediators between the autonomous perforating guns and the wellbore environment, enabling accurate positioning without complex surface equipment by correlating detected collar positions with pre-recorded well data.
4Reliability
If multiple zones are stimulated sequentially using traditional methods, then complete formation treatment is achieved, but loss of time occurs due to repeated trips and equipment setup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous multi-zone stimulation by deploying multiple autonomous perforating guns that can operate in sequence without retrieving equipment to surface. Each gun independently perforates its target zone, and stimulation can begin immediately after each perforation, eliminating non-productive trips and maintaining continuous useful action throughout the completion process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and cost-effective stimulation of multiple wellbore intervals with reduced equipment needs, improving hydrocarbon recovery by allowing for high-flow rate treatments and autonomous operation, thereby reducing operational complexity and enhancing well productivity.
Implementation Method 1
a casing collar locator to autonomously navigate and actuate within a wellbore... utilizing a moving windowed statistical analysis to correlate magnetic signals with pre-recorded data for precise actuation
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4A
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for actuating a downhole tool in wellbore includes acquiring a CCL data set or log from the wellbore that correlates recorded magnetic signals with measured depth, and selects a location within the wellbore for actuation of a wellbore device. The CCL log is then downloaded into an autonomous tool. The tool is programmed to sense collars as a function of time, thereby providing a second CCL log. The autonomous tool aslo matches sensed collars with physical signature from the first CCL log and then self-actuates the wellbore device at the selected location based upon a correlation of the first and second CCL logs.