A New Wireless Solution to Real Time Reservoir Surveillance
Mark Brinsden · Proceedings of SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference · 2005
A New Wireless Solution to Real Time Reservoir Surveillance Mark Shelley Brinsden Mark Shelley Brinsden Expro Group Intenational PLC Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Kingdom of Bahrain, March 2005. Paper Number: SPE-93512-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/93512-MS Published: March 12 2005 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Brinsden, Mark Shelley. "A New Wireless Solution to Real Time Reservoir Surveillance." Paper presented at the SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Kingdom of Bahrain, March 2005. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/93512-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference Search Advanced Search AbstractThe transmission of wellbore parameters from near the sandface has traditionally been achieved using a data transmission cable containing a shielded conductor or an optical fibre bundle. The cable is installed as part of the well completion and requires wellhead and packer penetrations. There have been numerous attempts to achieve effective data transmission from the sandface to surface utilizing either the well tubulars or the formation as an acoustic or electromagnetic transmission media, without repeaters. Achieving this type of wireless telemetry has been a goal of many equipment suppliers. Trials of a new electromagnetic system for transmitting data without cables have now shown that it is indeed possible to obtain data without wires. This revolutionary technology opens up two quite contrasting opportunities to operators, firstly in obtaining data from near the sandface in both existing and new wells without permanent monitoring systems and secondly, in providing wireless flow control at the sandface. This paper specifically reviews the data transmission capabilities of the system with the help of two case studies, which demonstrate the application of wireless telemetry data acquisition in retrofit and permanently installed applications.IntroductionIt is recognized that long term reservoir pressure monitoring remains one of the critical requirements for the effective development and optimization of oil and gas reservoirs and is equally important in both new and declining fields. With the exception of prolific fields and their extreme converse, many new well completions now include sophisticated permanent monitoring systems that can transmit data to surface via an electrical or fibre optic cable. These permanently installed data acquisition systems require cable; clamps; wellhead and packer penetrations; surface power supply; and surface data acquisition and transmissions systems. Inevitably, the installation of the data acquisition system requires both significant capital expenditure, in components and rig time; and risk, in terms of premature failure of the system.Recent innovative developments in electromagnetic telemetry technology have resulted in the trial and launch of a data acquisition system which uses the well completion or tubulars as the electromagnetic transmission path, avoiding the need for permanent cables, clamps and penetrations. The electromagnetic telemetry system transmits data at specified intervals to enable effective management of the reservoir.The electromagnetic telemetry system has specific areas of application. The primary application which encompasses retrofit data acquisition includes: - older wells that would have been installed with permanent monitoring systems if they had been available; and newer wells in which the monitoring has failed and re-completion is not justifiable.The second area of application is when a wireless data transmission system is preferred for well design purposes over cabled systems. In this case one or more (at this time up to 20 have been installed in one well) data transmission systems can be installed with the completion. The third area of application is in flow control. In addition to transmitting data the system is capable of receiving commands from surface or in well, which inevitably leads to the development of wireless remotely operated flow control devices installed as part of a completion or retrofit to existing wells. The latter 'Smart' completion application will be covered in later papers.Description and Application of Equipment and ProcessThe electromagnetic telemetry system is a revolutionary, field proven system that finally delivers data from downhole in producing wells without the need for cables.The system transmits extremely low frequency electromagnetic waves from the downhole tool along the metal of the completion to a surface pick-up. The system can either be wireline deployed into existing wells, as a retrofit device, as shown in Figure 1, or installed in new wells in a mandrel deployment as part of the completion. Keywords: drillstem testing, cable, data acquisition, completion, production monitoring, production control, drillstem/well testing, installation, spe 93512, electromagnetic telemetry system Subjects: Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Formation Evaluation & Management, Information Management and Systems, Pressure transient analysis, Drillstem/well testing This content is only available via PDF. 2005. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.