Downhole device for data acquisition during hydraulic fracturing operation and method thereof

Abstract

A downhole system including a downhole device for data acquisition during fracing operations is disclosed. It includes a bypass device ( 102 ) operatively coupleable to for instance a frac plug ( 10 ) and is adapted to allow downhole fluid flow through the bypass device ( 102 ) and frac plug ( 10 ) but also permits the closure of that path whilst providing at least one second fluid path ( 120 ) for fluid communication between at least one data acquisition device ( 108 ) provided to detect at least one physical property such as pressure and a region inside the wellbore located uphole of the bypass device ( 102 ).

1 . A downhole device for data acquisition during fracing operations, the device comprising:
 a bypass device operatively coupleable to a wellbore selective obturation member and adapted to provide a selectively closable first fluid path for fluid communication through said wellbore selective obturation member between a region inside the throughbore of the wellbore located uphole of said downhole device and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said downhole device when in situ; and   at least one data acquisition device, adapted to detect at least one physical property and operatively coupled to said bypass device, wherein said bypass device is further adapted to provide at least one second fluid path for fluid communication between said at least one data acquisition device and said region inside the wellbore located uphole of said bypass device.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is operatively coupled to said bypass device directly or via a data acquisition device carrier mountable to said bypass device and adapted to accommodate said at least one data acquisition device. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a centralizing member operatively coupled to said at least one data acquisition device and adapted to centralize and/or rotationally stabilize said at least one data acquisition device within the wellbore. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a centralizing member operatively coupled to said data acquisition device carrier and adapted to centralize and/or rotationally stabilize said data acquisition device carrier within said wellbore. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein a seat member located within or at an end of said first fluid path is adapted to engage with a drop member so as to at least unidirectionally selectively prevent fluid flow through said first fluid path. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole device adapted according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fluid path is adapted to bypass said first fluid path. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device comprises an integrated data storage device adapted to record a predetermined maximum amount of data. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole device according to  claim 7 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device comprises a data interface adapted to permit download of at least part of said predetermined maximum amount of data to a remote data storage means. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is adapted to transmit data to a remote location uphole of said downhole device within the wellbore. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is any one or all of a pressure data acquisition device and/or a temperature data acquisition device and/or a geophone and/or a micro seismic sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole device according to  claim 2 , wherein said data acquisition device carrier is adapted to irretractably engage with a data acquisition device catcher mechanism when moving along a longitudinal axis inside a pick-up device of said data acquisition device catcher mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole device according to  claim 11 , wherein said data acquisition device carrier comprises at least one recess or shoulder or other formation provided on or in the outer surface of said data acquisition device carrier and is adapted to cooperate with said data acquisition device catcher mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The downhole device according to  claim 12 , wherein said data acquisition device catcher mechanism comprises at least one spring loaded catcher member. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said bypass device is located inside a mandrel of said wellbore selective obturation member when in situ. 
     
     
         15 . The downhole device according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of said data acquisition device and the data acquisition device carrier is located downhole of said bypass device. 
     
     
         16 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said bypass device is located uphole of said wellbore selective obturation member when in situ. 
     
     
         17 . The downhole device according to  claim 16 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device and the data acquisition device carrier is operatively located inside a mandrel of said wellbore selective obturation member. 
     
     
         18 . The downhole device according to  claim 1 , wherein said bypass device is located downhole of said wellbore selective opturation member when in situ. 
     
     
         19 . The downhole device according to  claim 18 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device and the data acquisition device carrier is located downhole of said bypass device. 
     
     
         20 . The downhole device according to  claim 2 , wherein said second fluid path comprises an incompressible fluid sealingly encased within said second fluid path and said data acquisition device carrier by a membrane located at the uphole end of said second fluid path. 
     
     
         21 . The downhole device according to  claim 20 , wherein said membrane is typically pressure sensitive such that it can transmit pressure from one side to the other side of said membrane. 
     
     
         22 . The downhole device according to  claim 20 , wherein said membrane is sufficiently flexible and diathermic to prevent distortion of said physical properties that are measured with said at least one data acquisition device. 
     
     
         23 . A method for acquiring data during fracing operations in a subterranean formation having a wellbore penetrating the formation, the method comprising:
 (a) running in a downhole device having a data acquisition device into a wellbore along with a wellbore selective obturation member;   (b) placing said downhole device and wellbore selective obturation member at a location inside the wellbore;   (c) initiating at least one data acquisition device of said downhole device for monitoring at least one physical property;   (d) initiating a fracing operation while monitoring said at least one physical property; and   (e) recovering said monitored physical property after the fracing operation is completed.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23  wherein the downhole device comprises:
 a bypass device operatively coupleable to a wellbore selective obturation member and adapted to provide a selectively closable first fluid path for fluid communication through said wellbore selective obturation member between a region inside the throughbore of the wellbore located uphole of said downhole device and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said downhole device when in situ; and 
 at least one data acquisition device, adapted to detect at least one physical property and operatively coupled to said bypass device, wherein said bypass device is further adapted to provide at least one second fluid path for fluid communication between said at least one data acquisition device and said region inside the wellbore located uphole of said bypass device. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein there is an additional step in between steps c) and d) of:—
 closing a first fluid path for fluid communication through the wellbore selective obturation member between a region inside the wellbore located uphole of said downhole device and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said downhole device when in situ; and 
 wherein step (d) includes monitoring said at least one physical property through said at least one second fluid path. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is adapted to record a predetermined amount of data of said at least one physical parameter. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is adapted to transmit said predetermined amount of data to a remote data storage means. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said at least one monitored physical property is recovered via a remotely located communication device operatively connectable to said at least one data acquisition device. 
     
     
         29 . A method for recovering at least one downhole device having a data acquisition device from a downhole location inside a wellbore typically after completing fracing operations, the method comprising:
 (a) running a plug milling device, comprising at least one data acquisition device retrieval mechanism, downhole inside a wellbore;   (b) engaging a first of said at least one downhole device so as to irretrievably move a data acquisition device carrier and/or data acquisition device of said at least one downhole device into and along a longitudinal axis of said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism, milling away any parts of said at least one downhole device exceeding an inner diameter of said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism; and   (c) removing said plug mill including said at least one downhole device from said wellbore.   
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein the downhole device comprises:
 a bypass device operatively coupleable to a wellbore selective obturation member and adapted to provide a selectively closable first fluid path for fluid communication through said wellbore selective obturation member between a region inside the throughbore of the wellbore located uphole of said downhole device and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said downhole device when in situ; and   at least one data acquisition device, adapted to detect at least one physical property and operatively coupled to said bypass device, wherein said bypass device is further adapted to provide at least one second fluid path for fluid communication between said at least one data acquisition device and said region inside the wellbore located uphole of said bypass device.   
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising a step between steps (b) and (c) of engaging any subsequent second of said at least one downhole device so as to irretrievably move at least one of a data acquisition device carrier and a data acquisition device of said second of said at least one downhole device into and along a longitudinal axis of said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism, milling away any parts of said second of said at least one downhole device exceeding an inner diameter of said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said plug milling device and data acquisition device retrieval mechanism is adapted to be operated on coiled tubing or drill pipe or any other suitable work string. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism comprises at least one catcher mechanism adapted to engage with said at least one of the at least one data acquisition device and the data acquisition device carrier of said downhole device so as to prevent downhole movement of said data acquisition device and/or data acquisition device carrier with respect to said data acquisition device retrieval mechanism in situ. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein said catcher mechanism is at least one spring loaded catcher member adapted to engage with at least one recess or shoulder located on the outer surface of said at least one data acquisition device and the data acquisition device carrier. 
     
     
         35 . A drop device for data acquisition during fracing operations, the drop device comprising:
 an obturation member adapted to at least one of actuatingly and sealingly engage with at least one downhole tool; and   at least one data acquisition device operatively coupled to said obturation member and adapted to detect at least one physical property.   
     
     
         36 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said obturation member is adapted to sealingly engage with a seat member of said downhole tool so as to prevent fluid communication through said downhole tool between a region inside the throughbore of the wellbore located uphole of said obturation member and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said obturation member when in situ. 
     
     
         37 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is located uphole of said obturation member when in situ. 
     
     
         38 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is operatively coupled to said obturation member via a data acquisition device carrier removably mountable to said obturation member and adapted to accommodate said at least one data acquisition device. 
     
     
         39 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , further comprising a centralizing member operatively coupled to said at least one data acquisition device and adapted to at least one of centralize, fixate, and rotationally stabilize said at least one data acquisition device within the wellbore. 
     
     
         40 . The drop device according to  claim 39 , wherein said centralizing member is operatively coupled to said at least one data acquisition device via said data acquisition device carrier. 
     
     
         41 . The drop device according to  claim 39 , wherein said centralizer member comprises a plurality of spreading elements adapted to spread radially towards and in engagement with the inner wall of at least one of the wellbore and the drill string. 
     
     
         42 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , further comprising a flange member operatively coupled to said at least one data acquisition device and adapted to provide a contact surface for fluid flowing through the wellbore. 
     
     
         43 . The drop device according to  claim 42 , wherein said contact surface is selectively retractable so as to allow fluid flow between a region located uphole of said contact surface and a region located downhole of said contact surface. 
     
     
         44 . The drop device according to  claim 43 , wherein said contact surface comprises an uphole contact surface adapted to operatively engage with fluid flowing in an uphole direction, and a downhole surface adapted to operatively engage with fluid flowing in a downhole direction when in situ. 
     
     
         45 . The drop device according to  claim 42 , wherein said flange member is adapted to actuate said centralizing member. 
     
     
         46 . The drop device according to  claim 42 , wherein said flange member is adapted to slidingly actuate said centralizing member. 
     
     
         47 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device comprises an integrated data storage device adapted to record a predetermined maximum amount of data. 
     
     
         48 . The drop device according to  claim 47 , wherein the at least one data acquisition device comprises a data interface adapted to permit download of at least part of said predetermined maximum amount of data to a remote data storage means. 
     
     
         49 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said data acquisition device is further adapted to transmit data to a remote location uphole of said downhole tool within the wellbore. 
     
     
         50 . The drop device according to  claim 35 , wherein said at least one data acquisition device is any one or all of a pressure data acquisition device, a temperature data acquisition device, a geophone, and a micro seismic sensor. 
     
     
         51 . The drop device according to  claim 42 , wherein said flange member is a wiper. 
     
     
         52 . A method for acquiring data during fracing operations in a subterranean formation having a wellbore penetrating the formation, the method comprising:
 (a) providing the drop device according to  claim 35  at a predetermined location and in engagement with a predetermined downhole tool;   (b) initiating at least one data acquisition device of said downhole device for monitoring at least one physical property;   (c) closing a first fluid path for fluid communication through the downhole tool between a region inside the wellbore located uphole of said drop device and a region inside the wellbore located downhole of said drop device when in situ;   (d) initiating a fracing operation while monitoring said at least one physical property through at least one data acquisition device of said drop device; and   (e) recovering said monitored physical property after the fracing operation is completed.   
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 52 , wherein said drop device is recovered by fluid flowing uphole through at least one of the wellbore and the drill string and engaging with a contact surface of a flange member of said drop device. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 52 , wherein said drop device is recovered by running a milling device comprising at least one data acquisition device retrieval mechanism downhole inside a wellbore. 
     
     
         55 . A frac plug comprising a downhole device according to  claim 1 .