Wells – Processes – Producing the well
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-24
2003-12-16
Bagnell, David (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Producing the well
C166S065100, C166S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662875
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the use of at least one unpowered induction choke to form an electrical circuit in a piping structure. In one aspect, it relates to providing power and/or communications to a device downhole in a borehole of a well using an electrical circuit formed in a piping structure by using at least one unpowered induction choke.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Applications in the following table, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
U.S. PROVISIONAL APPLICATIONS
Ser.
T&K #
No.
Title
Filing Date
TH 1599
60/177,999
Toroidal Choke Inductor for
Jan. 24, 2000
Wireless Communication and
Control
TH 1599x
60/186,376
Toroidal Choke Inductor for
Mar. 2, 2000
Wireless Communication and
Control
TH 1600
60/178,000
Ferromagnetic Choke in
Jan. 24, 2000
Wellhead
TH 1600x
60/186,380
Ferromagnetic Choke in
Mar. 2, 2000
Wellhead
TH 1601
60/186,505
Reservoir Production Control
Mar. 2, 2000
from Intelligent Well Data
TH 1602
60/178,001
Controllable Gas-Lift Well
Jan. 24, 2000
and Valve
TH 1603
60/177,883
Permanent, Downhole,
Jan. 24, 2000
Wireless, Two-Way
Telemetry Backbone
Using Redundant
Repeater, Spread Spectrum
Arrays
TH 1668
60/177,998
Petroleum Well Having
Jan. 24 2000
Downhole Sensors,
Communication, and Power
TH 1669
60/177,997
System and Method for Fluid
Jan. 24, 2000
Flow Optimization
TS 6185
60/181,322
Optimal Predistortion in
Feb. 9, 2000
Downhole Communications
System
TH 1671
60/186,504
Tracer Injection in a
Mar. 2, 2000
Production Well
TH 1672
60/186,379
Oilwell Casing Electrical
Mar. 2, 2000
Power Pick-Off Points
TH 1673
60/186,394
Controllable Production Well
Mar. 2, 2000
Packer
TH 1674
60/186,382
Use of Downhole High
Mar. 2, 2000
Pressure Gas in a
Gas Lift Well
TH 1675
60/186,503
Wireless Smart Well Casing
Mar. 2, 2000
TH 1677
60/186,527
Method for Downhole Power
Mar. 2, 2000
Management Using
Energization from
Distributed Batteries or
Capacitors with
Reconfigurable Discharge
TH 1679
60/186,393
Wireless Downhole Well
Mar. 2, 2000
Interval Inflow and Injection
Control
TH 1681
60/186,394
Focused Through-Casing
Mar. 2, 2000
Resistivity Measurement
TH 1704
60/186,531
Downhole Rotary Hydraulic
Mar. 2, 2000
Pressure for Valve Actuation
TH 1705
60/186,377
Wireless Downhole
Mar. 2, 2000
Measurement and Control For
Optimizing Gas Lift Well
and Field Performance
TH 1722
60/186,381
Controlled Downhole
Mar. 2, 2000
Chemical Injection
TH 1723
60/186,378
Wireless Power and
Mar. 2, 2000
Communications Cross-Bar
Switch
The current application shares some specification and figures with the following commonly owned and concurrently filed applications in the following table, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference:
COMMONLY OWNED AND CONCURRENTLY
FILED U.S. PATENT APPLICATIONS
Ser.
T&K #
No.
Title
Filing Date
TH 1599US
09/769,047
Toroidal Choke Inductor for
Jan. 24, 2001
Wireless Communications and
Control
TH 1602US
09/768,705
Controllable Gas-Lift Well
Jan. 24, 2001
and Valve
TH 1603US
09/768,655
Permanent, Downhole,
Jan. 24, 2001
Wireless, Two-Way
Telemetry Backbone Using
Redundant Repeaters
TH 1668US
09/769,046
Petroleum Well Having
Jan. 24, 2001
Downhole Sensors,
Communication, and Power
TH 1669US
09/768,656
System and Method for Fluid
Jan. 24, 2001
Flow Optimization
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Several methods have been devised to place controllable valves and other devices and sensors downhole on a tubing string in a well, but all such known devices typically use an electrical cable along the tubing string to power and communicate with the devices and sensors. It is undesirable and in practice difficult to use a cable along the tubing string either integral with the tubing string or spaced in the annulus between the tubing and the casing because of the number of failure mechanisms are present in such a system. Other methods of communicating within a borehole are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,493,288; 5,576,703; 5,574,374; 5,467,083; and 5,130,706.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,608 describes a surface controlled gas lift valve for use in oil wells. Methods of actuating the valve include electro-hydraulic, hydraulic, and pneumo-hydraulic. Sensors relay the position of the variable orifice and critical fluid pressures to a panel on the surface. However, when describing how electricity is provided to the downhole sensors and valves, the means of getting the electric power/signal to the valves/sensors is described as an electrical conduit that connects between the valve/sensor downhole and a control panel at the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,608 does not specifically describe or show the current path from the device downhole to the surface. The electrical conduit is shown in the figures as a standard electrical conduit, i.e., an extended pipe with individual wires protected therein, such that the pipe provides physical protection and the wires therein provide the current path. But such standard electrical conduits can be difficult to route at great depths, around turns for deviated wells, along multiple branches for a well having multiple lateral branches, and/or in parallel with coiled production tubing. Hence, there is a need for a system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices without the need for a separate electrical conduit filled with wires and strung along side of production tubing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,644 describes a method and system for wireless two-way communications in a cased borehole having a tubing string. However, this system describes a downhole toroid antenna for coupling electromagnetic energy in a waveguide TEM mode using the annulus between the casing and the tubing. This toroid antenna uses an electromagnetic wave coupling that requires a substantially nonconductive fluid (such as refined, heavy oil) in the annulus between the casing and the tubing as a transmission medium, as well as a toroidal cavity and wellhead insulators. Therefore, the method and system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,644 is expensive, has problems with brine leakage into the casing, and is difficult to use for downhole two-way communication. Thus, a need exists for a better system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices without the need for a nonconductive fluid to be present in the annulus between the casing and tubing.
Other downhole communication concepts, such as mud pulse telemetry (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,471 and 5,887,657), have shown successful communication at low data rates but are of limited usefulness as a communication scheme where high data rates are required or it is undesirable to have complex, mud pulse telemetry equipment downhole. Still other downhole communication methods have been attempted, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,467,083; 4,739,325; 4,578,675; 5,883,516; and 4,468,665. Hence, there is a need for a system and method of providing power and communications signals to downhole devices at higher data rates and with available power to operate a downhole device.
It would, therefore, be a significant advance in the operation of petroleum wells if tubing, casing, liners, and/or other conductors installed in wells could be used for the communication and power conductors to control and operate devices and sensors downhole in a petroleum well.
Induction chokes have been used in connection with sensitive instrumentation to protect against surges and stray voltage. For example, most personal computers have some sort of choke incorporated into its AC power cord for such protection. Such protection chokes work well for their intended purpose, but do not operate to define a power or communication circuit.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. To the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein it is incorporated by reference for background purposes, and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problems and needs outlined above are largely solved and met by the pres
Bass Ronald Marshall
Burnett Robert Rex
Carl, Jr. Frederick Gordon
Hirsch John Michele
Savage William Mountjoy
Shell Oil Company
Stephenson Daniel P
LandOfFree
Induction choke for power distribution in piping structure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Induction choke for power distribution in piping structure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Induction choke for power distribution in piping structure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3156108