Apparatus and method for monitoring a blocking body within an oil-well structure

Abstract

A detection system for detecting when a blocking body has passed through a location within a well. The detection system includes a blocking body that is introducible into the well and is operatively configured to produce a detectable signal, and a detection tool that is configured to detect the detectable signal and to generate an output signal that indicates a detectable event.

1 . A detection system for detecting when a blocking body has passed through a location within a well, the detection system comprising:
 a. a blocking body that is introducible into the well and is operatively configured to produce a detectable signal; and   b. a detection tool that is configured to detect the detectable signal and to generate an output signal that indicates a detectable event.   
     
     
         2 . The detection system of  claim 1  wherein at last a portion of the blocking body comprises a magnetic material and the detection tool generates a magnetic field and comprises at least one sensor that can detect perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the blocking body approaching, moving through or moving away from the detection tool. 
     
     
         3 . The detection system of  claim 2  wherein the detection tool comprises a tubular body and two or more clamp pieces removably coupled about the tubular body, and wherein the two or more clamp pieces generate said magnetic field. 
     
     
         4 . The detection system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the two or more clamp pieces. 
     
     
         5 . The detection system of  claim 4  wherein the detection tool further comprises at least one actuator coupled to the two or more clamp pieces for configuring the two or more clamp pieces to be away from the tubular body in an open condition or to be about the tubular body in a closed condition. 
     
     
         6 . The detection system of  claim 5  wherein the blocking body comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that generates a radio signal and the detection tool comprises at least one sensor that can detect the radio signal. 
     
     
         7 . The detection system of  claim 6  further comprising a display for receiving and displaying the output signal from the detection tool. 
     
     
         8 . A method for detecting a blocking body within a well, the method comprising steps of:
 a. configuring the blocking body to generate a detectable signal;   b. configuring at least a portion of the well to detect the detectable signal; and   c. creating an output signal that identifies when the detectable signal is detected.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the detectable signal is a perturbation of a magnetic field. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the detectable signal is generated by an RFID tag and the at least a portion of the well can detect a radio signal generated by the RFID tag. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the RFID tag comprises a unique identifier, and wherein the output signal comprises said unique identifier.