Cable-conveyed activation object

Abstract

A technique that is usable with a well includes deploying a cable-conveyed object in a passageway of a string in the well; using the object to sense a property of an environment of the string and communicating an indication of the sensed property to an Earth surface of the well; remotely controlling an operation of the object to change a state of a first downhole valve assembly based at least in part on the communication; and using the object to control a state of the other downhole valve assembly(ies) during deployment of the object in the well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method usable with a well, comprising:
 deploying a cable-conveyed object in a passageway of a string in the well;   using the object to sense a property of an environment of the string and communicating an indication of the sensed property to an Earth surface of the well;   remotely controlling an operation of the object to change a state of a first downhole valve assembly based at least in part on the communication; and   using the object to control a state of at least one other downhole valve assembly during deployment of the object in the well.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the property comprises a physical property. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the physical property comprises a magnetic field produced by a magnetic marker, a geometric discontinuity of the string, an acoustic wave, a pressure or a conductivity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the physical property comprises an element selected from the group consisting essentially of a dedicated marker, a radioactive source, a magnetic, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based marker and a pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deploying the cable-conveyed object comprises deploying the object on a wireline or a slickline. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the first downhole valve assembly to perform a stimulation operation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein remotely controlling the cable-conveyed object comprises transitioning the object between a radially contracted state and a radially expanded state. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the object sense the property comprises sensing a repeating pattern along the string or sensing a feature of the well primarily associated with a function other than identifying a downhole location. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the cable-conveyed object to sense the property comprises sensing a dedicated location identification marker, sensing a current in a coil of the object or sensing a magnetic field. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein remotely controlling the cable-conveyed object further comprises forming a downhole obstruction inside the passageway of the string. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the indication comprises communicating with the Earth surface using tension-based, acoustic-based, electrical signal-based, or electromagnetic wave-based telemetry. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 perforating a segment of the well;   using the first downhole valve assembly to fracture the segment of the well;   perforating at least one other segment of the well; and   using a fluid obstruction formed by the at least one other downhole valve assembly to fracture the at least one other segment of the well.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein perforating the first segment and perforating the at least one other segment comprises using a perforating gun disposed on the object. 
     
     
         14 . A method usable with a well, comprising:
 deploying a cable-conveyed object in a passageway of a string in the well;   using the object to detect a location of the object and communicate an indication of the location to the Earth surface of the well;   in response to the indication, remotely controlling operation of the object from the Earth surface to cause the object to engage a first valve assembly to change a state of the first valve assembly; and   remotely controlling operation of the object from the Earth surface to cause the object to engage at least one additional valve assembly while the object is deployed in the well to change a state of the at least one additional valve assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein remotely controlling operation of the object from the Earth surface comprises remotely controlling the object to cause the object to radially expand to engage a sleeve of the valve assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein remotely controlling the object comprises remotely controlling the object to form a fluid barrier in the string. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein remotely controlling the object comprises remotely controlling the object to shift the valve assembly between open and closed states. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein remotely controlling the valve comprises radially expanding the valve to lodge the valve in a sleeve of the valve assembly and create a fluid barrier, the method further comprising:
 using the fluid barrier to pressurize the string to hydraulically shift the sleeve to cause the valve assembly to transition from a first state to a second state; and   using the fluid barrier to divert fluid to perform a stimulation operation in a stage associated with the valve assembly with the valve assembly in the second state.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 remotely controlling the object from the Earth surface to cause the object to radially retract;   moving the object to another valve assembly in the well;   using the object transition the other valve assembly from a first state to a second state; and   performing another stimulation operation in another stage associated with the other valve assembly with the other valve assembly being in the second state.   
     
     
         20 . A method of  claim 18 , wherein the stimulation operation comprises a hydraulic fracturing operation. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus usable with a well, comprising:
 a conveyance cable; and   an object adapted to be deployed in the well using the cable, the object comprising:
 a sensor to sense an environment of the object; 
 a telemetry interface; 
 an actuator; 
 an expandable element; and 
 a control system to:
 use the sensed environment to determine a location of the object; 
 use the telemetry interface to communicate an indication of the location uphole; 
 use the actuator to selectively expand the expandable element to engage a first valve assembly in response to receiving a first remotely communicated stimulus; 
 use the actuator to retract the expandable element in response to receiving a second remotely communicated stimulus; and 
 use the actuator to expand the expandable element to actuate a second valve assembly in response to receiving a third remotely communicated stimulus. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor is adapted to sense at least one of a conductivity, an electromagnetic coupling, a magnetic field and a radioactivity. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a string comprising a plurality of valve assemblies, each of the valve assemblies being sized to catch an object having substantially the same size; and   the cable-conveyed object is adapted to pass through at least one of the valve assemblies and controllably expand to said same size to cause capture of the cable-conveyed tool by one of the valve assemblies.