Optical fiber equipped tubing and methods of making and using

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.

1 . An optical fiber equipped tubing comprising a fiber optic tube disposed within a tubular.  
   
   
       2 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the fiber optic tube comprises more than one optical fiber.  
   
   
       3 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the fiber optic tube comprises a duct comprising a metallic material.  
   
   
       4 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the tubular is coiled tubing.  
   
   
       5 . The tubing of  claim 4  wherein the coiled tubing is spooled on a reel.  
   
   
       6 . The tubing of  claim 4  wherein the coiled tubing is deployed in a wellbore.  
   
   
       7 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the fiber optic tube is internally pressurized.  
   
   
       8 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the fiber optic tube further contains an inert gas.  
   
   
       9 . The tubing of  claim 1  wherein the fiber optic tube further contains a gel.  
   
   
       10 . A method of making an optical fiber equipped tubing comprising 
 pumping a fluid into a tubular; and    deploying a fiber optic tube into the fluid as pumped in the tubular, the tube having at least one optical fiber disposed therein,    wherein the flow of the pumped fluid propels the tube along the tubular.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the tubular is coiled tubing.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the fluid is pumped into the coiled tubing whilst the tubing is at least partially spooled on a reel.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the fluid is pumped into the coiled tubing whilst the tubing is deployed in a wellbore.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one optical fiber is disposed in the fiber optic tube in an inert environment.  
   
   
       15 . A method of communicating in a wellbore comprising 
 deploying an optical fiber equipped tubing into a wellbore, said tubing comprising a fiber optic tube having at least one optical fiber disposed therein, the fiber optic tubing being disposed in the tubing by fluid flow;    determining a property in the wellbore; and    transmitting the determined property via at least one of the optical fibers disposed in the fiber optic tubing.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the property is determined by the least one optical fiber.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising disposing at least one sensor in the wellbore, wherein at least one sensor determines the property.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the determined property is transmitted from the wellbore to the surface.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising deploying an apparatus into the wellbore and transmitting a signal to the apparatus via at least one of the optical fibers disposed in the fiber optic tubing.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the tubing is coiled tubing and the step of deploying the tubing comprises unspooling the coiled tubing from a reel into the wellbore.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the step of retrieving the coiled tubing from the wellbore by spooling the coiled tubing onto the reel.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the apparatus is conveyed on the tubing into the wellbore.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transmitting a signal from the surface via at least one of the optical fibers.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the transmission includes wireless communication.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said fiber optic tubing is disposed on a reel and a wireless apparatus is mounted on the reel.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 15  wherein more than one optical fiber is disposed within the fiber optic tubing; and further comprising disposing more than one sensor in the wellbore, wherein at least two of the sensors determines a property, each determined property being transmitted on different ones of the optical fibers within the fiber optic tubing.