US 11,722,228 B2
Wireless communication
Bard Tinnen, Stavanger (NO); and Havar Sortveit, Hommersak (NO)
Assigned to TENDEKA B.V., Aberdeen (GB)
Appl. No. 14/377,377
Filed by Tendeka B.V., Aberdeen (GB)
PCT Filed Feb. 20, 2013, PCT No. PCT/GB2013/050403
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 7, 2014,
PCT Pub. No. WO2013/124645, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 29, 2013.
Claims priority of application No. 1202923 (GB), filed on Feb. 21, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2015/0009039 A1, Jan. 8, 2015
Int. Cl. E21B 47/18 (2012.01); H04B 13/02 (2006.01); E21B 43/12 (2006.01); H04B 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 13/02 (2013.01) [E21B 43/12 (2013.01); E21B 47/18 (2013.01); H04B 11/00 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for autonomously controlling communication from a downhole communication system located downhole within a production well, the downhole communication system including a monitoring system, a controller and a flow control device, wherein the method comprises:
(i) obtaining data relating to at least one downhole parameter using the monitoring system;
(ii) using the controller to operate the flow control device to impart a pressure based signal on production fluid flowing along a flowline within the production well such that the pressure based signal is transmitted through the flowing production fluid towards a receiver, the pressure based signal being representative of the data;
(iii) regularly repeating steps (i) and (ii) to transmit multiple pressure based signals through the flowing production fluid;
(iv) using the monitoring system and the controller to monitor for a condition change within the production well indicative of a flowline shut-in event by (a) measuring a wellbore pressure associated with the production well during normal production, (b) monitoring the wellbore pressure to determine if an increase in the wellbore pressure relative to the wellbore pressure during the normal production exceeds a threshold, (c) measuring a length of time the increase in the wellbore pressure exceeds the threshold, and (d) recognizing the flowline shut-in event in response to the length of time the increase in wellborn pressure exceeds the threshold being greater than a set characteristic time factor;
(v) in response to recognising the flowline shut-in event, using the controller to control the flow control device to cease signal transmission through the production fluid and to measure the wellbore pressure during the flowline shut-in event and store at least a maximum value of the wellbore pressure during the flowline shut-in event;
(vi) using the monitoring system and the controller to monitor for a condition change within the production well indicative of a flow initiating event; and
(vii) in response to recognising the flow initiating event repeating at least steps (i) and (ii) and transmitting data indicating at least the maximum value of the wellbore pressure during the flowline shut-in event via the pressure based signal.