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Surface tagging system with wired tubularsSurface tagging system with wired tubulars description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090151939, Surface tagging system with wired tubulars. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
1. Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the field of subsurface monitoring and communication techniques. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of tracers or marker materials in combination with wired tubulars for subsurface measurements. 2. Description of Related Art Drilling operations in the oil and gas industry typically entail the circulation of a drilling fluid (“mud”) down the drill string, through the drill bit and up along the annulus to surface. The drilling mud has various functions including cooling, cleaning and lubricating the drill bit and bottom-hole assembly; controlling subsurface pressures to give wellbore stability and prevent fluid influxes, and transporting drill cuttings to the surface where they can be separated and disposed of. Downhole pressure control is a primary function of the drilling mud. Maintaining hydrostatic pressure to prevent fluid influxes which may lead to kicks and a well control situation is crucial. However, the circulating pressure must be controlled to be below the fracture pressure for the formation otherwise fractures can propagate causing loss of drilling fluid from the wellbore. In extreme cases this could cause loss of hydrostatic pressure in part of the annulus where a fluid influx could occur. Various techniques have been considered to monitor flow rates. Efficient cuttings transport is another key function of the drilling mud. The rheological properties of the mud are engineered to suspend and lift the cuttings in the circulating fluid. However, the conditions in the annulus, particularly diameter and inclination, can affect flow rates, and lessen transport efficiency. In horizontal and deviated wells, where flow rates may be insufficient to keep cuttings in suspension, cuttings beds can build up on the bottom side of the hole. This is a particular problem in high angle holes where the cuttings bed may slump down the annulus and packoff the drill string causing pipe sticking, twist offs and potentially lost circulation if a weak formation lies below the obstruction in the annulus. Wellbore washouts can lead to areas of significantly enlarged wellbore diameter, dramatically lowering flow rates which can drop cuttings out of suspension in the fluid. Washout, zones are zones of high formation erosion which can be indicative of, or cause wellbore stability problems and can lead to further problems in efficiently cementing the well. Early detection of trouble zones and timely intervention could prevent costly operational problems Conventional “mud-logging” techniques include monitoring the mud weight at surface as it enters and exits the well and computation of the cuttings load versus the expected load from the rate of cuttings generation. A drawback of these techniques is the inaccuracy due to the methods of mud weight measurement. The wellbore, as drilling continues, is a very dynamic environment and through different processes the fluid flow can often be disrupted, making mudlog determinations subject to inaccuracies. Attempts to evaluate changes in the time it takes cuttings to reach surface (“lag time”) have been crude and basic. Tracers have been used in the oil and gas industry for many years. One conventional technique has been to use radioactive substances as tracers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,190 describes the use of radioactive particles for subsurface tracers. A conventional technique for determining lag time entails the injection of Calcium Carbide pellets, enclosed in a water-proof container, at the surface of the well being drilled for transit down the borehole by the mud stream. When passing through the drill bit, the container is smashed releasing the calcium carbide that reacts with water in the mud to form a gas. Acetylene, which is detected at the surface with a gas analyzer. The lag time can therefore be determined from the time difference between the injection of the Calcium Carbide in the well and the detection of gas at the surface in the return mud. The addition of rice to the mud stream has also been used as a tracking technique to determine lag time. Various chemicals have been used as tracers in subsurface applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,340 describes a method of tracing drilling mud by determining the concentration of Acetate tracer ion in the penetrated strata (by core analysis). The use as tracers of Dichromate, Chromate, Nitrate, Ammonium, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese, Vanadium and Lithium is also mentioned. Some tracer techniques have also been proposed using spectroscopic techniques, including atomic absorption spectroscopy. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, or neutron activation analysis, to identify certain materials as tagging agents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,926 proposes the use of a proppant coated with phosphorescent, fluorescent, or photoluminescent pigments that glow in the dark upon exposure to certain lighting Fluorescence spectrometry techniques entailing the illumination of fluids with a light source have also been proposed (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,084,392, 6,707,556, 6,564,866, 6,955,217). A need remains for improved techniques to determine dynamic subsurface conditions, particularly in the field of oil, gas, or water exploration and production. One aspect of the invention relates to a downhole system that includes at least one tag configured to provide a distinguishable identifier and set for selective release to a subsurface location and at least one sensor disposed in the borehole to detect the at least one tag at a subsurface location. The at least one sensor may be configured to transmit a signal associated with the at least one detected tag a surface. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method that includes detecting at least one tag at a subsurface location with a sensor disposed in the borehole, the tag configured to provide a distinguishable identifier and conveying a signal associated with the at least one detected tag to a surface location. Another aspect of the invention relates to a downhole method that includes activating at least one source or sensor disposed in the borehole to detect a tag at a subsurface location, the tag configured to provide a distinguishable identifier and conveying a signal associated with the detected tag along an interconnected wired tubular. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which like elements have been given like numerals and wherein: Continue reading about Surface tagging system with wired tubulars... Full patent description for Surface tagging system with wired tubulars Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Surface tagging system with wired tubulars patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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