MXPA06011981A

MXPA06011981A - Optical fiber equipped tubing and methods of making and using.

Info

Publication number: MXPA06011981A
Application number: MXPA06011981A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Sarmad Adnan; John Lovell; Michael Gay
Original assignee: Schlumberger Technology Bv
Priority date: 2004-04-23
Filing date: 2005-04-22
Publication date: 2007-01-25
Also published as: BRPI0509995A; NO335257B1; DK1743081T3; ATE471434T1; DE602005021874D1; EA010141B1; EP1743081A1; JP2007534862A; NO20065263L; EP1743081B1; WO2005103437A1; US20050236161A1; CA2562019C; JP4712797B2; CA2562019A1; BRPI0509995B1; EA200601962A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical fiber equipped tubing and methods of making and using the same. The optical fiber equipped tubing comprises a fiber optic tube deployed within a tubular, the fiber optic tube having at least one optical fiber disposed within a duct, the duct typically being a metallic metal compatible with wellbore environments. The present invention also relates to a method of making an optical fiber equipped tubing comprising pumping a fluid into a tubular and deploying a fiber optic tube into the tubular by propelling it in the flow of the pumped fluid. The present invention also provides a method of communicating in wellbore using a fiber optic tube disposed within a wellbore tubular. In certain embodiments, this communication may be combined with a wireless communication system at the surface. In certain embodiments, the tubular may be coiled tubing and the fiber optic tube may be deployed in the coiled tubing while the tubing is spooled on a reel or while the tubing is deployed in a wellbore.

Description

Continuous pipework includes the lack of power to the downhole apparatus and the lack of telemetry from the downhole apparatus to the surface. It is known to use conventional steel cable lines in continuous pipe to provide communications between downhole and surface operations, including downhole data transmission, data measured by various well tools and the transmission of commands from the surface towards the bottom of the well to carry out several operations. The use of a steel cable line cable in continuous pipe presents logistic challenges, however, as for example the installation of the steel cable line cable in the continuous pipe and the reduced fluid capacity of the continuous pipe due to the space taken by the steel cable line cable. The addition of a steel cable line to a continuous pipe string significantly increases the weight of a continuous pipe string. The installation of the steel cable line in the continuous pipe string is difficult and the steel cable line has a tendency to accumulate in a "bird nest" inside the continuous pipe. This, and the relatively large external diameter of the steel cable line compared with the internal diameter of the continuous pipe, can undesirably obstruct the flow of fluids through the continuous pipe, said flow through the continuous pipe. it is frequently an integral part of the well operation. In addition, some fluids routinely pumped through continuous pipe such as acids, cement, and fracturing fluid carrying support agents can have a negative effect on the integrity or performance of the steel cable line cable. In addition, pumping fluid down the continuous pipe can create a drag force on the steel wire line cable due to the frictional force between the fluid and the cable surface. The installation of a steel cable line or other electrical cable in a continuous pipe is difficult and complex since its weight and bending stiffness can contribute to a high friction force between the cable and the inner part of the continuous pipe. Methods for installing a line of steel cable in continuous pipe are discussed in U.S. Patent Number 5,573.25 and in U.S. Patent Number 5,699,996, which are incorporated herein by reference. The methods described in each of these patents require a significant installation apparatus on the surface to overcome the high frictional force between the cable and the continuous pipe and to transport the cable in the continuous pipe. The size of said apparatus makes its use not practical in certain operations, especially in offshore operations. The use of optical fiber in several applications and operations is growing. Optical fiber offers many advantages compared to the steel cable line when used as a transmission medium such as small size, low weight, large bandwidth capacity, and high transmission speed. A major challenge in using optical fibers in underground operations in oil fields is that free hydrogen ions will cause fiber dimming at the elevated temperatures commonly found in underground wells. The use of fiber optic cable in steel cable line is known as, for example, from the description in US Patent Number 6,690,866 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This patent teaches the addition of a hydrogen-absorbing material or a stripper gel surrounding the optical fibers within a first metal tube. This patent also teaches that a steel cable line cord disclosed there requires significant tensile strength and teaches that this resistance can be achieved by rigidly holding the first metal tube on the inside of a second metal tube. Both teachings can significantly help decrease the cost and weight of the cable.

In US Patent Number 6,557,630, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference, a method for deploying a remote metering apparatus in a well is disclosed, the apparatus comprises a conduit which is a fiber optic sensor and a fiber cable is placed optical, the cable is driven along the conduit by means of a fluid flow in a conduit. In the patent GB 2362909, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, a method is proposed to control sensors that are based on the installation of a hollow conduit first in the continuous pipe and then the subsequent pumping of a second fiber in this conduit . None of this patent tests and suggests the driving of an optically-enabled conduit or cable within a tubular member using fluid flow. The methods of installing optical fibers in tubular elements are often directed towards the installation of optical fiber by pumping or entraining the fiber in the tubular element. US Patent Application Publication 2003/0172752, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, discloses methods for installing an optical fiber through a conduit in a well application using the fluid, wherein a seal is provided between the fiber optics and the conduit. To install an optical fiber in continuous pipe using these methods, it is required to 1) unroll the continuous pipe, 2) extend the continuous pipe (either in a well or on the surface) and 3) unfold the optical fiber. Said process focuses on the installation of a single optical fiber in a tubular element; it takes time and therefore is costly from an operational perspective. In addition, these methods focus on the installation of a single optical fiber in a tubular element and do not lead to the installation of multiple fibers in a tubular element. In addition, these methods do not contemplate the recovery and reuse of optical fiber. The use of multiple optical fibers however can provide advantages in many situations compared to the use of a single optical fiber. The use of multiple fibers offers operational redundancy in case of damage or rupture of a particular fiber. Multiple fibers offer increased transmission capacity in a single fiber and allow flexibility to segregate different types of transmission to different fibers. These advantages may be particularly important in downhole applications where access is limited, environmental conditions may be extreme, and double-directional transmission is required (up in the well and down in the well). The use of multiple optical fibers also allows an individual optical fiber to be used for a specific device or sensor. This configuration is useful since some sensors such as Fabry-Perot devices require a dedicated optical fiber. The configuration is also useful for sensors with digital telemetry for which a separate fiber may be required. Sensors that use a Fiber-Bragg grid for example require a fiber separated from the fiber used to carry digital optical telemetry. For clarity, the term "duct" is used here to identify a small tube or hollow vehicle that encompasses an optical fiber or optical fibers. The term "optical fiber" refers to a fiber or a waveguide capable of transmitting optical energy. The term "fiber optic tube" or "fiber optic belt" is used to identify the combination of an optical fiber or several optical fibers placed in a duct. The term "fiber optic cable" refers to a cable, wire, steel cable line, drag line comprising one or more optical fibers. "Tubular element" and "pipe" refer to a duct of any type of round hollow apparatus in general, and, in the field of applications in oil field to coating, drilling pipe, metal pipe, or continuous pipe or other appliances of this type. Several methods for making fiber optic tubes are known. Examples are laser welding, in accordance with that described in US Patent Number 4,852,790, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety and inert gas welding tungsten (TIG) as described in US Patent Number 4,366,362 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. . No patent teaches or suggests the insertion of such tubes into a tubular member wound through fluid flow. Accordingly, it has been seen that there is a need for an apparatus, methods for making and methods for using a fiber optic pipe placed in a tubular element, and in particular the need for such an apparatus and methods for use in downhole applications. . COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a pipe equipped with optical fiber and methods to manufacture and use it. In a general sense, the present invention relates to a pipe equipped with optical fiber comprising a fiber optic tube deployed within a tubular element. In many embodiments, the fiber optic tube comprises a metallic material and in certain embodiments the fiber optic tube comprises more than an optical fiber. In many embodiments, the fiber optic tube will be constructed in an environment of inert nitrogen such that the optical fiber or optical fibers therein are not exposed to hydrogen or water during manufacture. The tubular element can be, in particular, continuous pipe. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a pipe equipped with optical fiber comprising pumping a fluid in a tubular element, deploying a fiber optic tube in the fluid as it is pumped into the tubular element , in such a way that the flow of the pumped fluid drives the tube along the tubular element. When the tubular element is a continuous pipe, the fiber optic tube can be deployed in the continuous pipe while the pipe is being wound on a reel or while the pipe is being deployed in a well. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for communicating in a well, comprising the deployment of a pipe equipped with optical fiber having at least one optical fiber placed there, the optical fiber pipe is placed in the pipe by means of fluid flow. Determine a property in the well, and transmit the determined property through at least one of the optical fibers placed in the fiber optic pipe. In certain embodiments, at least one optical fiber detects the information to be transmitted. The method may also comprise placing at least one sensor in the well, with the sensor determining the property, and the detected information is transmitted to the surface through the optical fiber in the fiber optic tube. In other modalities, more than one sensor can be placed in the well, each sensor transmitting the property that detects the continuous pipe in a different optical fiber. In many embodiments, the optical fiber or optical fibers will be fixed on a wireless communication device through a pressure wall in such a way that the optical signal can be easily transmitted to a computer on the surface while it is being rolled and extracted. continuous pipeline of the well. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides an apparatus deployed in the well and in communication with the surface to receive signals or transmit information detected in the optical fiber tubing. While presenting a particular embodiment and a specific application area as an example, specifically a continuous pipe equipped with optical fiber useful for well applications, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and is useful for any application where it is desired have a pipe equipped with fiber optics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. Figure 2? is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a typical configuration for continuous pipe operations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention offers a pipe equipped with optical fiber and methods to manufacture and use it. The optical fiber-equipped pipe of the present invention comprises one or more fiber optic tubes placed in a tubular element. One embodiment comprises a method for installing one or more fiber optic tubes in rolled tubing such as continuous tubing. Another method offers a method to install one or more fiber optic tubes in continuous pipe deployed in a well. Within the present invention is the unexpected recognition that a fiber optic tube can be deployed in a tubular element by pumping the fiber optic tube in a fluid without structure or additional protection. Methods for pumping cables in a tubular element are generally considered unfeasible due to the inherent lack of rigidity of the cables under compression. further, the teachings of fiber optic cables suggest that a fiber optic tube requires additional protection or structure for use in a well environment. Accordingly, considering the deployment of a fiber optic tube directly into a tubular element without encapsulating the tube in additional layers, providing a protective coating, or including it in a protection is counterintuitive. Similarly, considering the deployment of a fiber optic tube directly through the pumping of a fluid goes against intuition. An advantage of the optical fiber-equipped pipe of the present invention is that the fiber optic tube has a certain level of compression stiffness, leading it to be completed mechanically more similar to a continuous pipe than to a single fiber optic cable. As such, the use of a fiber optic tube inside a continuous pipe avoids many of the challenges of handling non-tense parts presented by other transmission mechanisms. In addition, the cross section of a fiber optic tube is relatively small compared to the internal area within a continuous pipeline, thus limiting the possible physical influence that the fiber optic tube could have on the mechanical behavior of the continuous pipe during the deployment of said pipeline and its recovery. The relatively small diameter of the fiber optic tube combined with its light weight makes it more tolerant of the pumping action, which is helpful to avoid the formation of "bird nests" or entanglement within the continuous pipe that commonly occurs when a line of steel cable is installed in a continuous pipe. In addition, any problem of handling loose segments is avoided in the present invention, a continuous pipe equipped with optical fiber can be deployed in a well and recovered from a well faster than a continuous pipe with steel cable line. Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a pipe equipped with optical fiber 200 having a tubular element 105 within which is an optical fiber tube 211. In Figure 1, the optical fiber tube 211 comprises a duct 203 in which a single optical fiber 201 is placed. In other embodiments, more than an optical fiber 201 may be provided within the optical fiber duct 203. A surface termination 301 or downhole termination 207 may be provided for physical connections and connections optical fibers between the optical fiber 201 and one or more well sensors or devices 209. The optical fibers can be multimodal or unimodal. Types of well sensors and apparatus 209 may include, for example, meters, valves, sampling devices, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, distributed temperature sensors, distributed pressure sensors, flow control devices, pressure measuring devices, flow rate, oil / water / gas ratio measuring device, flake detectors, actuators, closures, release mechanisms, equipment sensors (for example, vibration sensors), sand detection sensors, water detection sensors , data records, viscosity sensors, density sensors, bubble point sensors, composition sensors, devices and resistivity set sensors, acoustic sensors and devices, other telemetry devices, new infrared sensors, gamma detectors, deteS detectors, C02 detectors, downhole memory units, downhole controllers, devices d e drilling, shape charges, firing heads, locators and other devices. With reference to Figure 2A, a cross-sectional view of the pipe equipped with optical fiber 200 of Figure 1 is shown. Inside the pipe 105 there is shown an optical fiber tube 211 comprising optical fiber 201 located within a duct 203. With reference to Figure 2B, another equipment of the present invention is shown in cross-sectional view, wherein a pipe equipped with optical fiber has more than one fiber optic tube 211 and is positioned in a tubular element 105 and wherein more than one optical fiber 201 is placed inside a duct 203 in at least one of the fiber optic tubes 211. In an optical fiber tube 211, an inert gas such as nitrogen may be used to fill the space between the optical fiber or the optical fibers 201 and the internal part of the pipeline 203. The fluid may be pressurized in certain embodiments in order to decrease the susceptibility of the optical fiber tube to localized buckling. In a further embodiment, this laser welding technique is carried out in a closed environment filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen for the purpose of avoiding exposure to water or hydrogen during manufacture, thereby minimizing any hydrogen induced dimming of optical fibers during operations in oil field. The use of nitrogen to fill the space offers advantages of lower cost and greater comfort compared to other techniques that may require a cushioning material, gel, or sealant in space. In one embodiment, the duct 203 is constructed by bending a metal strip around the optical fiber or the optical fibers 201 and then by welding this strip to form a sheath duct using laser welding techniques in accordance with what is described. in U.S. Patent No. 4,852,790. This provides a significant reduction in the cost and weight of the resulting fiber optic tube 211 compared to fiber optic cables previously known in the art. A small amount of palladium or tantalum containing gel can optionally be inserted at either end of the fiber optic tube to keep the hydrogen ions away from the optical fiber or optical fibers 201 during the transport of optically enabled tubing 200.

Suitable materials for use in duct 203 in fiber optic tube 211 of the present invention offer stiffness to the tube, are resistant to fluids found in petroleum field applications and are rated to withstand the high temperatures and high pressure conditions encountered. in certain well environments. Typically, duct 203 in an optical fiber tube 211 is a metallic material, and in certain embodiments, duct 203 comprises metal materials such as, for example, Inconel ™, stainless steel, or Hasetloy ™. While fiber optic tubes manufactured by any method can be used within the scope of the present invention, laser-welded fiber optic tubes are preferred since the area affected by the heat generated by laser welding is usually smaller than the area affected by other methods such as TIG, which therefore reduces the possibility of damage to the optical fiber during welding. While the dimensions of such fiber optic tubes are small (for example, the diameter of such products, commercially available- in K-Tube, Inc. of California, USA are within a range of 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm), they have a enough internal hollow space to accommodate multiple optical fibers. The small size of such fiber optic tubes is especially useful within the framework of the present invention since they do not detract a significant part of the capacity of a tubular element to accommodate fluids or create obstacles to other devices or equipment to be deployed in the tubular element or through said tubular element. In certain embodiments, a fiber optic tube 211 comprises a duct 203 with an outer diameter of 1.803 mm (0.071 inch) to 3.175 mm (0.125 inch) formed around one or more optical figures 201. In a preferred embodiment, fibers are used standard optics and the 203 duct does not have a thickness greater than 0.508 mm (0.020 inch). While the diameter of the optical figures, the protective tube, and the thickness of the protective tube are given here by way of examples, it is to be noted that the inner diameter of the protective tube may be larger than necessary for a narrow packing of the figures. optical In certain embodiments of the present invention, an optical fiber tube 211 may comprise multiple optical fibers and may be placed in a duct. In certain applications, a particular downhole apparatus may have its own designated optical fiber or each of a group of devices may have its own designated optical fiber within the optical fiber tube. In other modalities, a series of apparatuses can use the same optical fiber. Referring now to Figure 3, a typical configuration is shown for well operations where a continuous pipe 15 is suitable for use as a tubular element 105 within the framework of the present invention. The surface handling equipment includes an injector system 20 on supports 29 and a continuous pipeline cart assembly 10 on a reel support 12, trailer, truck or other such device. The pipe is deployed in the well or extracted from the well using an injector head 19. The equipment also includes a wire day mechanism 13 for guiding a continuous pipe 15 on and off the spool 10. The continuous pipe 15 passes in a pipe guide arc 18 which offers a bend radius to move the pipe in a vertical orientation for injection through wellhead devices in the well. The pipe passes from the pipe guide arc 18 in the injector head 19 which grips the pipe and pushes it into the well. A cleaning assembly 21 under the injector maintains a dynamic and static seal around the pipe to maintain the well pressure within the well as the pipe passes into the wellhead device under well pressure. The continuous pipe is then moved through an explosion prevention stack (BOP) 23, a flow T 25 and a wellhead or tree valve master valve 27. When the pipeline 15 is placed on a pipeline reel Continuous 10 is deployed in a bore 8 or extracted from a bore 8, the continuous pipe spool 10 rotates.

A fiber optic tube 211 can be inserted into the continuous pipe 15 through various means. One embodiment comprises fixing a hose on the spool 10 at the other end of said hose a seal Y is placed. In this configuration, the fiber optic tube 21 can be inserted into a leg of the Y and the fluid can be pumped on the other leg. The drag force of the fluid on the fiber optic tube 211 then urges the tube down the hose and on the reel 10. It has been found that in preferred embodiments where the external diameter of the belt is less than 3.175 mm (0.125 mm). inch), a pumping rate from 2.65 to 13.25 liters per second (1-5 barrels per minute) is sufficient to drive the belt over the entire length of the continuous pipeline even when it is wound on the spool. In the method and apparatus of the present invention, a fluid such as gas or water can be used to propel an optical fiber tube 211 into a tubular element 105. Typically, the optical fiber tube 211 is placed in unrestricted the pumped fluid. As the fluid is pumped into the tubular element, the fiber optic tube is allowed to self-place in the tubular element without the use of external devices such as for transport or placement devils or restriction anchors. In particular embodiments, the fluid is pumped and the fiber optic tube or fiber optic tubes are deployed in a continuous pipe while said continuous pipe is configured in a state wound on a spool. These modalities offer logistical advantages since the fiber optic tube or the fiber optic tubes can be deployed in the continuous pipe in a manufacturing plant or in other locations far from the site of a well. Thus, the optical fiber-equipped pipe of the present invention can be transported and deployed in the field in the form of a simple apparatus, thereby reducing costs and simplifying operations. The pipe equipped with optical fiber 200 of the present invention can be used in conventional well operations as for example by supplying a stimulation fluid to an underground formation through a continuous pipe. An advantage of the present invention is that the optical fiber tube 211 tolerates exposure to various well treatment fluids that can be pumped into the continuous pipe; in particular, the fiber optic tube or the fiber optic tubes of the present invention can resist abrasion of the support agent or sand and exposure to corrosive fluids such as acids. Preferably, the fiber optic tube is configured in the form of a round tube having a smooth outer diameter, this configuration provides less opportunity for degradation and consequently a longer lifetime for the fiber optic tube. The optical fiber equipped pipe of the present invention is useful for performing various well operations including to determine a well property and transmit information from the well. The determination includes, by way of example, and not in a limitative manner, the detection using the optical fiber, the detection using a separate sensor, the location through a downhole device, and the confirmation of a configuration by an apparatus. from bottom of well. The optical fiber-equipped tubing of the present invention may further comprise sensors such as fiber optic temperature and pressure sensors or electrical sensors, connected to electro-optical converters, placed in a well and connected to the surface through a tube of optical fiber 211. The well conditions that are detected can be transmitted through a fiber optic tube 211. The data detected by electrical sensors can be converted to analog or digital optical signals using digital or wavelength modulation., intensity or polarization and then provided to the optical fiber or optical fibers in optical fiber tube 211. Alternatively, the optical fiber 201 can detect certain properties directly, for example when the optical fiber 201 serves as a distributed temperature sensor or when the optical fiber 211 comprises a Fiber-Bragg grid and directly detects deformation, stress, stretching, or pressure. The information from the sensors or the property information detected by the optical fiber 201 can be communicated to the surface through a fiber optic tube 211. Similarly, signals or commands can be transmitted from the surface to a sensor or downhole apparatus through a fiber optic tube 201. In one embodiment of this invention, surface communication includes a wireless telemetry link such as, for example, the link described in US Patent Application No. 10/926, 522, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In a further embodiment, the wireless telemetry apparatus may be mounted on the reel in such a manner that the optical signals may be transmitted while the reel is rotating without the need for a complicated optical collector apparatus. In a further embodiment, the wireless apparatus mounted on the reel may include additional optical connectors such that optical surface cables can be fixed when the reel is not rotating. It will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present invention described herein are offered by way of example only and that additional modifications and components may be provided for the purpose of improvement and apparatus without departing from the overall nature disclosed herein.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A pipe equipped with an optical fiber comprising a fiber optic tube placed inside a tubular element.
2. The pipeline according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic tube comprises more than an optical fiber.
3. The pipeline according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic tube comprises a duct comprising a metallic material.
4. The pipeline according to claim 1, wherein the tubular element is a continuous pipe.
The pipe according to claim 4, wherein the continuous pipe is wound on a spool.
6. The pipeline according to claim 4, wherein the continuous pipe is deployed in a well.
The pipeline according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic tube is internally pressurized.
The pipe according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic tube further contains an inert gas.
9. The pipeline according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic tube further contains a gel.
10. A method for manufacturing a pipe equipped with optical fiber, said method comprises: pumping a fluid in a tubular element; and deploying a fiber optic tube in the fluid as it is pumped into the tubular element, the tube has at least one optical fiber placed there, wherein the flow of the pumped fluid drives the tube along the tubular element.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the tubular element is continuous pipe.
The method according to claim 11, wherein the fluid is pumped into the continuous pipe while the pipe is at least partially wound on a spool.
The method according to claim 11, wherein the fluid is pumped into the continuous pipe while the pipe is deployed in a well.
The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one optical fiber is placed in the fiber optic tube in an inert environment.
15. A method for communicating in a well, said method comprises: deploying a pipe equipped with optical fiber in a well, said pipe comprises a fiber optic tube having at least one optical fiber placed there, the fiber optic pipe is placed in the pipeline by fluid flow; determine a property in the well; and transmitting the determined property through at least one of the optical fibers placed in the optical fiber pipe.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the property is determined by at least one optical fiber.
The method according to claim 15, further comprising placing at least one sensor in the well, wherein at least one sensor determines the property.
18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the determined property is transmitted from the well to the surface. The method according to claim 15, further comprising deploying an apparatus in the well and transmitting a signal to the apparatus through at least one of the optical fibers placed in the optical fiber tubing. The method according to claim 15, wherein the pipe is a continuous pipe and the step of deploying the pipe comprises unrolling the continuous pipe from a spool to the well. The method according to claim 20, comprising the step of recovering the continuous pipe from the well by winding the continuous pipe in the spool. The method according to claim 21, wherein the apparatus is transported in the pipeline in the well. The method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting a signal from the surface through at least one of the optical fibers. The method according to claim 15 wherein the transmission includes wireless communication. The method according to claim 24, wherein said fiber optic tubing is placed on a reel and a wireless apparatus is mounted on the reel. The method according to claim 15, wherein more than one optical fiber is placed inside the fiber optic pipeline; and which further comprises placing more than one sensor in the well, wherein at least two of the sensors determine a property, each determined property is transmitted in a different optical fiber within the optical fiber tubing.