US6464004B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Retrievable well monitor/controller system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1998-08-07
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Granted: 2002-10-15
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Expires: 2018-08-07
Abstract
Abstract A well control and monitoring system which may be completely installed downhole and run into a cased well borehole or a production tubing string is disclosed. At least one mandrel having a side pocket instrument section having a downwardly facing entry and a wet connector or inductive coupler is placed in the well. A downhole digital processor and sensors are used to monitor tubing and casing fluid pressures and to control variable orifice valves or ESP pumps to control fluid flow to the production tubing from the casing/tubing annulus. The processor is progammable and reprogrammable in-situ.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark S. Crawford
- 👤 Phillip S. Sizer
- 👤 Kerry D. Jermigan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:47
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B17/00; E21B17/02; E21B17/028; E21B17/0283; E21B23/00; E21B23/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
A tubing carried, retrievable well monitor and control system for deployment in a cased well borehole, comprising: at least one tubing carried, side pocket mandrel(s) capable of being run into a well bore on a production tubing string, said at least one mandrel(s) having a bore extending therethrough for connecting tubing above and below each such mandrel and having at least one downwardly facing side instrument pocket therein, said mandrel(s) being sized to fit inside well casing in the well, said downwardly facing side pocket(s) having controllably sealed fluid ports capable of communicating fluid pressure and flow to the interior thereof, and each such downwardly facing side pocket being electrically interconnected to each other such downwardly facing side pocket; and at least one wireline retrievable, through tubing sized, instrument installed in at least one of such mandrel(s), said instrument having at least one means for monitoring tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the production tubing string in response to said tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for transmitting such pressure measurement data to the surface of the earth from the mandrel(s).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
A tubing carried, retrievable well monitor and control system for deployment in a cased well borehole, comprising: at least one tubing carried, side pocket mandrel(s) capable of being run into a well bore on a production tubing string, said at least one mandrel(s) having a bore extending therethrough for connecting tubing above and below each such mandrel and having at least one downwardly facing side instrument pocket therein, said mandrel(s) being sized to fit inside well casing in the well, said downwardly facing side pocket(s) having controllably sealed fluid ports capable of communicating fluid pressure and flow to the interior thereof, and each such downwardly facing side pocket being electrically interconnected to each other such downwardly facing side pocket; and at least one wireline retrievable, through tubing sized, instrument installed in at least one of such mandrel(s), said instrument having at least one means for monitoring tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the production tubing string in response to said tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for transmitting such pressure measurement data to the surface of the earth from the mandrel(s).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 employing a plurality of such mandrels carried by the tubing in a spaced apart relation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one wireline retrievable instrument comprises an instrument sized and adapted to be run through tubing to said at least one mandrel and installed in said side pocket using a kick over tool.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said side pockets have an electrical wet connector for electrically contacting said installed instrument.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said side pockets have at least one inductively coupled connector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said electrical wet connector interconnects said retrievable instrument and any other such instruments installed in any other such mandrel side pockets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said means for transmitting measurement data to the surface of the earth includes an electrical wireline carried by said production tubing string.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 7 and further including a surface control and display processor capable of two way communication with said at least one retrievable instrument via said electrical wireline.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said means for controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the production tubing string comprises an electrically controllable variable orifice gas lift valve.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The well control and monitor system of claim 9 and further including: means for opening said controllably sealed fluid ports, said ports being initially in their closed position, said opened fluid ports communicating fluid pressure and flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the tubing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling fluid flow comprises a programmable digital downhole processor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 11 wherein said programmable downhole processor is reprogrammable downhole in-situ.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 12 wherein all of the control functions are performed by said programmable downhole processor.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for monitoring and controlling fluid flow from a casing/tubing annulus in a cased wellbore into a production tubing in the wellbore in a producing well comprising the steps of: running into a cased wellbore on a production tubing string, at least one mandrel section and placing said mandrel section in an interval to be monitored and controlled; installing in a downwardly facing side pocket instrument section in said mandrel at least one monitor and control instrument being capable of monitoring casing and tubing pressure data and controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus and means for two way communication of such data and control functions from said mandrel to the surface of the earth.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for monitoring and controlling fluid flow from a casing/tubing annulus in a cased wellbore into a production tubing in the wellbore in a producing well comprising the steps of: running into a cased wellbore on a production tubing string, at least one mandrel section and placing said mandrel section in an interval to be monitored and controlled; installing in a downwardly facing side pocket instrument section in said mandrel at least one monitor and control instrument being capable of monitoring casing and tubing pressure data and controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus and means for two way communication of such data and control functions from said mandrel to the surface of the earth.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the monitor and control functions are performed by a downhole digital processor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 15 wherein downhole digital processor is reprogrammable in-situ in the well borehole.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the step of installing said monitor and control instrument into said side pocket is performed through the production tubing string using a kick over tool.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 17 wherein any instrument sized and adapted for passage through the production tubing may be installed or retrieved from downhole side pocket by mandrels use of said kick over tool.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 14 wherein said two way communication means includes an electric wire line carried by said production tubing string.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
206 words
A tubing carried, retrievable well monitor and control system for deployment in a cased well borehole, comprising: at least one tubing carried, side pocket mandrel(s) capable of being run into a well bore on a production tubing string, said at least one mandrel(s) having a bore extending therethrough for connecting tubing above and below each such mandrel and having at least one side instrument pocket therein, said mandrel(s) being sized to fit inside well casing in the well, said side pocket(s) having controllably sealed fluid ports capable of communicating fluid pressure and flow to the interior thereof, and each such side pocket being electrically interconnected to each other such side pocket; and at least one wireline retrievable, through tubing sized, instrument installed in at least one of such mandrel(s), said instrument having at least one means for monitoring tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the production tubing string in response to said tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure, said means for controlling fluid flow comprises a programmable downhole processor which is reprogrammable downhole in-situ, and means for transmitting such pressure measurement data to the surface of the earth from the mandrel(s).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
206 words
A tubing carried, retrievable well monitor and control system for deployment in a cased well borehole, comprising: at least one tubing carried, side pocket mandrel(s) capable of being run into a well bore on a production tubing string, said at least one mandrel(s) having a bore extending therethrough for connecting tubing above and below each such mandrel and having at least one side instrument pocket therein, said mandrel(s) being sized to fit inside well casing in the well, said side pocket(s) having controllably sealed fluid ports capable of communicating fluid pressure and flow to the interior thereof, and each such side pocket being electrically interconnected to each other such side pocket; and at least one wireline retrievable, through tubing sized, instrument installed in at least one of such mandrel(s), said instrument having at least one means for monitoring tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure and means for controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus into the production tubing string in response to said tubing fluid pressures and casing/tubing annulus fluid pressure, said means for controlling fluid flow comprises a programmable downhole processor which is reprogrammable downhole in-situ, and means for transmitting such pressure measurement data to the surface of the earth from the mandrel(s).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 20 wherein all of the control functions are performed by said programmable downhole processor.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for monitoring and controlling fluid flow from a casing/tubing annulus in a cased wellbore into a production tubing in the wellbore in a producing well comprising the steps of: running into a cased wellbore on a production tubing string, at least one mandrel section and placing said mandrel section in an interval to be monitored and controlled; installing in a side pocket instrument section in said mandrel at least one monitor and control instrument being capable of monitoring casing and tubing pressure data and controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus, wherein the monitor and control functions are performed by a downhole digital processor which is reprogrammable in-situ in the well borehole, and means for two way communication of such data and control functions from said mandrel to the surface of the earth.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
135 words
A method for monitoring and controlling fluid flow from a casing/tubing annulus in a cased wellbore into a production tubing in the wellbore in a producing well comprising the steps of: running into a cased wellbore on a production tubing string, at least one mandrel section and placing said mandrel section in an interval to be monitored and controlled; installing in a side pocket instrument section in said mandrel at least one monitor and control instrument being capable of monitoring casing and tubing pressure data and controlling fluid flow from the casing/tubing annulus, wherein the monitor and control functions are performed by a downhole digital processor which is reprogrammable in-situ in the well borehole, and means for two way communication of such data and control functions from said mandrel to the surface of the earth.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-10-14 | 2006-04-15 | 2006-10-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-10-14 | 2010-04-15 | 2010-10-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-10-14 | 2014-04-15 | 2014-10-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |