Selective control of charging, firing, amount of force, and/or direction of force of one or more downhole jars

Abstract

Methods of jarring include communicating between a surface command device and jars in a drill string, the drill string composed of spaced apart jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired and/or wireless pipe sections. The methods include selectively controlling charging, firing, amount of force, and/or direction of force of the jars using digitally-controlled surface command devices. One method includes firing a sub-set or all of the jars in a controlled manner and determining depth of a stuck drill string section through analysis of behavior or performance of the fired jars. Other methods include subsequently firing one or more of the jars again below the stuck drill string section. Other methods include selectively firing, using digital signals from the surface command device, jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in a constructive or destructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string.

1 . A method of jarring comprising:
 communicating between a surface command device and communication components in two or more jars of a drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired pipe sections; and   selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, and two or more of these parameters, of two or more of the jars via at least one of the surface command devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising firing a sub-set or all of the jars in a controlled manner and determining depth of a stuck drill string section through analysis of behavior or performance of the fired jars. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising subsequently firing one or more of the jars again below the stuck drill string section. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively firing, using a digital signal from the surface command device, two or more jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in a constructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively firing, using a digital signal from the surface command device, two or more jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in a destructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting from the surface command device the direction two or more of the jars will fire sequentially, up the drill string or down the drill string. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selectively controlling comprises digitally selectively controlling one or more of the jars from the surface command device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising generating a model of the drill string, including the jars, and digitally controlling the cocking, firing, direction, and/or amount of force used in selected jars according to the generated model. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising charging one or more of the jars from the surface command device by actuating a digitally-controlled valve in the jar which directs hydraulic pressure from within the drill string to charge the jar. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication components comprise a wireless device in one or more of the jars, the method further comprising sending a wireless electromagnetic signal from the surface command device to two or more of the jars, or from two or more jars to the surface command device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication components comprise wiring in two or more of the jars, the method further comprising sending an electromagnetic signal from the surface command device to two or more of the jars through wired connections in the drill string, or from two or more of the jars to the surface command device. 
     
     
         12 . A method of freeing stuck components of a drill string in a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:
 drilling a borehole using the drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced apart jars and a plurality of wired drill pipe sections, the drill pipe section and jars each comprising electromagnetic components allowing communication at least between the jars and a surface command device;   communicating between the surface command device and the communication components in two or more of the jars; and   selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, of two or more of the jars via the surface command device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising firing a sub-set or all of the jars in a controlled manner and determining depth of a stuck drill string section through analysis of behavior or performance of the fired jars. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising subsequently firing one or more of the jars again below the stuck drill string section. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selectively firing, using a digital signal from the surface command device, two or more jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in a constructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selectively firing, using a digital signal from the surface command device, two or more jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in a destructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting from the surface command device the direction two or more of the jars will fire sequentially, up the drill string or down the drill string. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the selectively controlling comprises digitally selectively controlling one or more of the jars from the surface command device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising generating a model of the drill string, including the jars, and using the model in digitally controlling the cocking, firing, direction, and/or amount of force used in each of the jars. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising charging one or more of the jars from the surface command device by actuating a digitally-controlled valve in the jar which directs hydraulic pressure from within the drill string to charge the jar. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communication components comprise a wireless device in two or more of the jars, the method further comprising sending a wireless electromagnetic signal from the surface command device to two or more of the jars, or from two or more jars to the surface command device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communication components comprise wiring in one or more of the jars, the method further comprising sending an electromagnetic signal from the surface command device to two or more of the jars through wired connections in the drill string, or from two or more of the jars to the surface command device. 
     
     
         23 . A method of jarring comprising:
 communicating between a surface command device and communication components in one or more jars of a drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced apart jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired pipe sections;   digitally selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, of one or more of the jars with the surface command device;   firing a sub-set or all of the jars in a digitally controlled manner and determining depth of a stuck drill string section through analysis of behavior or performance of the fired jars; and   subsequently digitally selectively controlling firing one or more of the jars below the stuck drill string section via the surface command device.   
     
     
         24 . A method of jarring comprising:
 communicating between a surface command device and communication components in two or more jars of a drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced apart jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired pipe sections;   digitally selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, of two or more of the jars via the surface command device;   selectively firing, using one or more digitally controlled signals from the surface command device, two or more jars sequenced in time so that their forces meet in one of a constructive and destructive manner at a preselected point in the drill string.   
     
     
         25 . A method of jarring comprising:
 communicating between a surface command device and communication components in one or more jars of a drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced apart jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired pipe sections;   selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, of one or more of the jars using the surface command device;   charging one or more of the jars from the surface command device by actuating a digitally-controlled valve in the jar which directs hydraulic pressure from within the drill string to charge the jar.   
     
     
         26 . A method of jarring comprising:
 electromagnetically communicating between a surface command device and electromagnetic communication components in one or more jars of a drill string, the drill string comprising a plurality of spaced apart jars positioned in a corresponding plurality of wired pipe sections; and   selectively controlling at least one of charging, firing, amount of force, and direction of force, of two or more of the jars using the surface command device;   wherein the electromagnetically communicating is selected from the group consisting of
 i) sending a wireless electromagnetic signal from the surface command device to two or more of the jars, or from two or more jars to the surface command device, 
 ii) sending an electromagnetic signal through wired connections from the surface command device to two or more of the jars, or from two or more of the jars to the surface command device, and 
 iii) combinations thereof.