SUBSURFACE PIPE DIMENSION AND POSITION INDICATING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF D'INDICATION DE DIMENSION ET DE POSITION DE TUYAU SOUTERRAIN

English Abstract

A sensing system provides real time information as to the location of a stand in a tubular string at a predetermined elevation such as where the rams are located. This allows a determination of whether the upsets are aligned with the ramps or whether the stand is aligned with the rams in a manner that the rams will close on the tubular between the end upsets. The surrounding pipe has circumferentially spaced transmitters and receivers to allow a determination of the outer dimension of the pipe and to transmit such information to the surface by conductors or other means. The position of a tubular in an open hole can also be determined by sending a signal from the tubular to the open hole and back to the tubular. Different signal regimes are contemplated as well as power supply options.

French Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système de détection qui fournit des informations en temps réel concernant l'emplacement d'une longueur dans une colonne tubulaire à une élévation prédéterminée, par exemple l'emplacement auquel les pistons hydrauliques sont situés. Ceci permet de déterminer si des refoulements sont alignés avec les pistons hydrauliques ou si la longueur est alignée avec les pistons hydrauliques de manière telle que les pistons hydrauliques se referment sur l'élément tubulaire entre les refoulements d'extrémité. Le tuyau encerclant comprend des émetteurs et des récepteurs espacés de manière circonférentielle pour permettre une détermination de la dimension extérieure du tuyau et pour transmettre de telles informations à la surface par l'intermédiaire de conducteurs ou d'autres moyens. La position d'un élément tubulaire dans un trou découvert peut également être déterminée en envoyant un signal de l'élément tubulaire au trou découvert et en le renvoyant vers l'élément tubulaire. Différents régimes de signal sont envisagés, ainsi que des options d'alimentation en énergie électrique.

Claims

I claim:

1. A sensing system for detecting the outer dimensions of a tubular or a
tool at a specific location or the position of a tubular or tool in cased or
open
hole, characterized by
a plurality of spaced signal transmitters (22) and signal sensors (28) to
detect the spacing of a stand of pipe (16) from the cased or open hole (10) at
a
predetermined depth or the shape of a tool at a predetermined depth;
a processor to compute the outer dimensions of said stand of pipe (16)
or said tool using data from said signal transmitters (22).
2. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said transmitters and sensors are in the same plane.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said transmitters send one of an acoustic, vibration, pressure pulse or
radio frequency signals that are reflected from said stand of pipe to said
sensors.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a blowout preventer (12) in the cased hole;
said processor indicating a small diameter between upsets or said tool
as aligned with rams on said blowout preventer to allow said rams to close
against said stand on said small diameter or to signal that said stand of pipe

needs to be moved to prevent closing said rams on said tool.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said sensors and transmitters are located in casing (10) defining the
cased hole.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said sensors and transmitters are located on the stand of tubular (16).
7. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said sensors and transmitters do not reduce the drift dimension of
casing defining the cased hole.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said transmitters send a signal from said stand of pipe toward the open
hole to sense position of said stand of pipe with respect to the open hole.



9. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said sensors and transmitters are circumferentially spaced, evenly or
unevenly.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said sensors and transmitters are powered locally or from a surface
location of a borehole.
11. A method of positioning a portion of a stand of a string between upsets

(18, 20) in alignment with rams of a blowout preventer (12), characterized by:
sensing the distance from an outer surface of a stand of a tubular string
(16) to a wall of a surrounding tubular (10) from a plurality of
circumferentially spaced locations;
computing the outer dimension of the tubular or of a tool (16) from
said sensing;
repositioning said stand of a tubular (16) before operating said rams
(12) if the outer dimension indicated is not the smallest known outer
dimension of said stand located between opposed upsets (18, 20) or if a tool
is
aligned with said rams (12).
12. The method of claim 11, comprising:
performing said sensing in a common plane adjacent said rams.
13. The method of claim 11, comprising:
equally or unequally spacing pairs of transmitters (22) and respective
sensors (28) that send and receive a signal reflected from said stand of a
tubular (16).
14. The method of claim 13, comprising:
connecting said sensors (28) to a processor to compute the outer
dimension of the stand of tubular to allow real time communication of said
outer dimension to a remote location.
15. The method of claim 14, comprising:
locating said processor near said rams (12) or at a remote location.
16. The method of claim 11, comprising:
using transmitters (22) and sensors (28) in pairs to feed data to a
processor to compute the outer dimension of the stand of pipe;
powering said sensors (28) and transmitters (22) locally or from a
remote location.

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17. The method of claim 11, comprising:
using as a signal (24) to be sensed one of acoustic, vibration, pressure
pulse or radio frequency.
18. The method of claim 11, comprising:
performing said sensing with pairs of signal transmitters and sensors
located on said string or said surrounding tubular.
19. The method of claim 11, comprising:
determining the outer dimension of the stand op pipe even when the
stand (16) is not centered within the surrounding tubular.

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Description

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SUBSURFACE PIPE DIMENSION AND
POSITION INDICATING DEVICE
Inventor: Steve M. Cortez
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of the invention is measuring systems that sense the
outer
dimension of a component of a tubular string or the shape of a tool or other
string component at a specific location in a borehole and more particularly
devices that provide such information in real time without reducing the drift
dimension of the supporting pipe for the sensing and transmission equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In certain situations it is helpful to know the position of the
string
in the hole at a specific elevation and more particularly where the upsets are

positioned. In the case of a blowout preventer set of rams it is advantageous
to
close the rams on a tubular string component between the upset ends rather
than on the upset portions. In the past approximations were made based on
footage run into the hole however there were many uncertainties as to the pipe

position with respect to the placements of the upsets with regard to the plane

in which the rams were to be operated. What was needed was a way to gauge
the position of a stand in a string with respect to the plane of operation of
the
rams without decreasing drift dimension of the surrounding tubular. In other
instances the position of the string with respect to the surrounding tubular
may
need to be known. Alternatively, the position of a string with respect to a
surrounding open hole can be determined with variations of the present
invention.
[0003] Signal transmitters and sensors for the reflected signals are
provided in circumferentially spaced locations with power being supplied
locally such as from a battery or remotely by wires or other conductors that
can extend from the zone of interest to a convenient surface location. The
orientation of the transmitters and sensors can be inwardly directed to sense
the dimension of a stand of pipe inside a surrounding tubular or the
orientation
can be outwardly oriented so as to sense the position of a tubular with
respect
to a surrounding open hole for example. The transmission and sensing
equipment can be preinstalled on the surrounding pipe or can optionally be
installed on the inner pipe to direct a signal to the surrounding outer pipe
for
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reflection back to the inner pipe. Sound, vibration, pressure pulses or RF
among other signal formats are contemplated. Measurement of cylindrical as
well as other shapes are contemplated. These and other aspects of the present
invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a
review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated
drawing with the understanding that the full scope of the invention is to be
determined from the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A sensing system provides real time information as to the
location
of a stand in a tubular string at a predetermined elevation such as where the
rams are located. This allows a determination of whether the upsets are
aligned with the ramps or whether the stand is aligned with the rams in a
manner that the rams will close on the tubular between the end upsets. The
surrounding pipe has circumferentially spaced transmitters and receivers to
allow a determination of the outer dimension of the pipe and to transmit such
information to the surface by conductors or other means. Measurement of
other or irregular shapes such as of tools is also contemplated. The position
of
a tubular in an open hole can also be determined by sending a signal from the
tubular to the open hole and back to the tubular. Different signal regimes are

contemplated as well as power supply options.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0005] The FIG. illustrates an elevation view of the sensor and
transmitter
on a surrounding tubular to measure the dimension of a stand of an inner
string
at a predetermined location.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0006] The FIG. shows a tubular string 10 which supports a schematically
illustrated blowout preventer 12 that has sliding rams that are not shown. The

blowout preventer is of a type well known in the art with opposed rams
designed to encircle the string 14 preferably at a location on a stand of
tubular
16 between upsets 18 and 20. The problem in the past has been the lack of
specific knowledge that the portion of tubular 16 between the upsets 18 and 20

is in general alignment with the rams of the blowout preventer 12.
[0007] A signal transmitter array 22 is preferably mounted in a single
place and circumferentially evenly spaced although an uneven spacing is also
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contemplated. A signal 24 goes out to the tubular 16 and is reflected back 26
to a respective signal receiver 28 into a multipurpose conductor 30 for
transmission of the data to a surface location. Conductor 30 can also supply
power to array 22 and receivers 28 or as an alternative a local power supply
such as batteries can be used. In either event the transmitters 22 and
receivers
28 are preferably mounted to the surrounding tubular string 10 with an
orientation toward the tubular string 14. The reverse arrangement is also
contemplated with the transmitters 22 and receivers 28 located on string 14
sending a signal and receiving a reflected signal from the surrounding tubular

10.
[0008] Other alternatives are contemplated such as location of the
transmitters 22 and receivers 28 on a tubular string such as 10 when that
string
is run into open hole as a way of either determining the open hole shape,
which can be irregular, at a given location or/and the position of the string
10
with regard to the shape of the hole. While the open hole shape can be
irregular especially in poorly consolidated formations, in more consolidated
formation the hole dimension is more reliably constant and data on the
position of the string within the hole at a particular location will be more
reliable.
[0009] Different signal types are contemplated such as pressure pulses,
RF, acoustic or vibration to name a few examples. With the use of multiple
circumferentially spaced transmitters 22 and receivers 28 accurate measure of
the dimension of the string 14 can be obtained even if the string 14 is
sitting
eccentrically in the surrounding tubular 10. Using this technique allows real
time knowledge of the alignment of the string 14 so that the smaller dimension

between upsets 18 and 20 is in general alignment with the blowout preventer
rams.
[0010] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the described
system
can detect pipe outer dimension as well as outer dimension of irregular shapes

such as well tools, with the aid of a local or surface mounted processor as
being present in a given depth in a borehole with accuracy and in a real time
manner. Using known internal dimension of the surrounding pipe and distance
computed from the surrounding pipe to the internal pipe or tool from spaced
apart locations, the processor can then confirm that the smaller dimension of
a
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stand of pipe is in alignment with the rams, in one proposed application. In
that way the string can be manipulated so that the rams close on a desired
tubular dimension between upsets as it is designed to do. Alternatively, the
presence and shape of a specific tool at a specific location can also be
determined. The inaccuracies of the previous methods are eliminated as is the
possibility of human error. In still other applications the position of the
sting
or a tool on the string with respect to a surrounding pipe such as in a
deviated
borehole can also be computed apart from the determination of the external
pipe dimensions. The transmitters 22 and receivers 28 can be on the outer pipe

as shown in the FIG. or on the surrounding pipe and in either case should be
configured to not reduce the drift dimension of the surrounding tubular. This
can be accomplished with use of a recess or a wide spot in the line.
Alternatively the transmitters 22 and receivers 28 can be on a tubular
exterior
facing open hole to detect the pipe position or the position of a tool on the
pipe
with respect to the open hole.
[0011] The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment
and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal
and equivalent scope of the claims below:
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Representative Drawing