US-12618322-B2 - Dispensing microprocessor devices for downhole data collection

US12618322B2US 12618322 B2US12618322 B2US 12618322B2US-12618322-B2

Abstract

A drilling fluid system includes: at least one microprocessor device; a container that defines an interior volume; a container inlet that provides access for entry of the at least one microprocessor device into the interior volume of the container; a container outlet that provides egress for passage of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume of the container into a drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system; and a dispenser apparatus configured to controllably release the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet into the drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system. The at least one microprocessor device includes a power source and one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicating downhole conditions of a well and to wirelessly transmit the sensor data to a computer at a terranean surface.

Inventors

Abrar Alshaikh
Raed Alahmdi
Bodong Li

Assignees

SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240326

Claims (20)

1 . A drilling fluid system, comprising: at least one microprocessor device; a container that defines an interior volume; a container inlet that provides access for entry of the at least one microprocessor device into the interior volume of the container; a container outlet that provides egress for passage of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume of the container into a drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system, the drilling fluid conduit comprising a drilling fluid pipe, and the at least one microprocessor device passes through the container outlet to a portion of the drilling fluid conduit that is positioned at or above a terranean surface, the container outlet having a higher elevation than the portion of the drilling fluid conduit, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet to the drilling fluid conduit is assisted by gravity; and a dispenser apparatus configured to controllably release the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet into the drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system.
2 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device comprises a power source and one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicating downhole conditions of a well.
3 . The drilling fluid system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device is configured to wirelessly transmit the sensor data to a computer at a terranean surface.
4 . The drilling fluid system of claim 2 , comprising: an initiation circuit configured to initiate the microprocessor device when the microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container, wherein initiation of the at least one microprocessor device causes the one or more sensors to begin generating the sensor data.
5 . The drilling fluid system of claim 2 , comprising: a charging circuit configured to electrically charge the power source when the at least one microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container.
6 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the container inlet has a higher elevation than the container outlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the interior volume from the container inlet to the container outlet is assisted by gravity.
7 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , comprising a loading device configured to exert a force on the at least one microprocessor device at the container inlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the interior volume from the container inlet to the container outlet is assisted by the exerted force.
8 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser apparatus comprises a piston operable to exert a force on a microprocessor device of the at least one microprocessor device at the container outlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet is assisted by the exerted force.
9 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser apparatus comprises: a valve comprising a plate defining an aperture; a motor coupled to the valve and operable to move the valve relative to the container outlet to align the plate or the aperture with the container outlet, wherein: the plate aligning with the container outlet prevents egress of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume; and the aperture aligning with the container outlet permits egress of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume through the container outlet.
10 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , comprising: a control system communicably coupled to the dispenser apparatus, the control system configured to operate the dispenser apparatus to automatically insert the at least one microprocessor device into the drilling fluid conduit at a controlled rate of insertion.
11 . The drilling fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device comprises a microchip comprising: a casing enclosing an interior region of the microchip, wherein the casing has a substantially spherical exterior shape, a diameter of the casing being fifteen millimeters or less; and a printed circuit board disposed within the interior region of the microchip.
12 . A method, comprising: feeding at least one microprocessor device at a container inlet of a container that defines an interior volume, wherein the container inlet provides access for entry of the at least one microprocessor device into the interior volume of the container; and controllably releasing the at least one microprocessor device through a container outlet, wherein the container outlet provides egress for passage of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume of the container into a drilling fluid conduit of a drilling system, wherein: the drilling fluid conduit is a pipe; the at least one microprocessor device passes through the container outlet to a portion of the pipe that is positioned at or above a terranean surface; a pressure of the interior volume is lower than a pressure of the portion of the drilling fluid conduit; and controllably releasing the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet comprises exerting a force from a piston onto a microprocessor device to move the microprocessor device through the container outlet from the lower pressure of the interior volume to the higher pressure of the portion of the drilling fluid conduit.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device comprises a power source and one or more sensors and is configured to generate sensor data indicating downhole conditions of the drilling system.
14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising: initiating the at least one microprocessor device with an initiation circuit when the at least one microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container, wherein initiation of the at least one microprocessor device causes the at least one microprocessor device to begin generating the sensor data; and electrically charging the power source with a charging circuit when the at least one microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container.
15 . The method of claim 12 , comprising exerting, by a loading device, a force on the at least one microprocessor devices at the container inlet to cause the at least one microprocessor device to pass through the interior volume from the container inlet to the container outlet.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein controllably releasing the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet comprises moving a valve comprising a plate and an aperture relative to the container outlet, including: moving the valve to align the plate with the container outlet to prevent microprocessor device egress from the interior volume; and moving the valve to align the aperture with the container outlet to permit microprocessor device egress from the interior volume through the container outlet.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein controllably releasing the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet comprises controlling a rate of inserting the at least one microprocessor devices into the drilling fluid conduit.
18 . A drilling fluid system, comprising: at least one microprocessor device; a container that defines an interior volume; a container inlet that provides access for entry of the at least one microprocessor device into the interior volume of the container; a container outlet that provides egress for passage of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume of the container into a drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system; and a dispenser apparatus configured to controllably release the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet into the drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system, the dispenser apparatus comprising a piston operable to exert a force on a microprocessor device of the at least one microprocessor device at the container outlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet is assisted by the exerted force.
19 . The drilling fluid system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device comprises a power source and one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicating downhole conditions of a well.
20 . The drilling fluid system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one microprocessor device is configured to wirelessly transmit the sensor data to a computer at a terranean surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to dispensing microprocessor devices for data collection in oil and gas applications. BACKGROUND Microprocessor devices, or microchips, can be deployed to a wellbore during a drilling operation in order to collect data from the wellbore. Microchips can be dropped manually from the top of a drillpipe (at surface) to be carried by the flow of the drilling fluid to reach the bottom of the drill string at the bottom-hole assembly (BHA). The microchips continue flowing through the drilling bit nozzles to the open-hole annulus, and then travel up with the drilling fluid flow to the cased-hole annulus, and finally, to surface where they can be recovered for data download. Manual deployment of microchips involves manual tracking of the quantity, status, and time of the microchips dropped in each batch. Additionally, manual deployment of microchips includes unmaking pipe connections and remaking pipe connections each time microchips are to be inserted into a pipe. SUMMARY The present disclosure describes methods, devices, systems and techniques for dispensing microprocessor devices, or microchips, for downhole data collection. The technology relates to techniques for automated charging, initiation, and controlled release of microchips. In an example implementation, a drilling fluid system includes at least one microprocessor device; a container that defines an interior volume; a container inlet that provides access for entry of the at least one microprocessor device into the interior volume of the container; a container outlet that provides egress for passage of the at least one microprocessor device from the interior volume of the container into a drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system; and a dispenser apparatus configured to controllably release the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet into the drilling fluid conduit of the drilling system. In an aspect combinable with the example implementation, the at least one microprocessor device includes a power source and one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicating downhole conditions of a well. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the at least one microprocessor device is configured to wirelessly transmit the sensor data to a computer at a terranean surface. Another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects includes an initiation circuit configured to initiate the microprocessor device when the microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container, wherein initiation of the at least one microprocessor device causes the one or more sensors to begin generating the sensor data. Another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects includes a charging circuit configured to electrically charge the power source when the at least one microprocessor device is within the interior volume of the container. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the container inlet has a higher elevation than the container outlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the interior volume from the container inlet to the container outlet is assisted by gravity. Another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects includes a loading device configured to exert a force on the at least one microprocessor device at the container inlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the interior volume from the container inlet to the container outlet is assisted by the exerted force. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the drilling fluid conduit is a drilling fluid pipe, and the at least one microprocessor device pass through the container outlet to a portion of the drilling fluid conduit that is positioned at or above a terranean surface. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the container outlet has a higher elevation than the portion of the drilling fluid conduit, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet to the drilling fluid conduit is assisted by gravity. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the dispenser apparatus includes a piston operable to exert a force on a microprocessor device of the at least one microprocessor device at the container outlet, and movement of the at least one microprocessor device through the container outlet is assisted by the exerted force. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects, the dispenser apparatus includes a valve including a plate defining an aperture; and a motor coupled to the valve and operable to move the valve relative to the container outlet to align the plate or the aperture with the container outlet. In another aspect combinable with one, some, or all of the previous aspects