Alan A Graham

US Patent:

20220364463, Nov 17, 2022

Filed:

Jul 5, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/810762

Inventors:

- Houston TX, US
Alan Graham - Houston TX, US
Scott David Petrie - Houston TX, US
John Cristopher Whelan - Houston TX, US
Norman Lewis Mackenzie - Houston TX, US
Steven William Bremner - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

FMC Technologies, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

E21B 47/18
E21B 47/16

Abstract:

A communication system employed during wellbore operations, such as during drilling, cementing, fracturing, or other wellbore operations, which utilizes ultrasound (i.e., acoustic waves characterized by ultrasonic frequencies) to communicate sensor and/or control information from inside a riser and/or blowout preventer (BOP) to outside the riser/BOP, and/or vice versa. More specifically, the communication system may include an internal ultrasonic module (IUM) residing inside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to a drill string and/or a centralizer also inside the riser/BOP. The communication system may further include an external ultrasonic module (EUM) residing outside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to the riser/BOP. The ultrasound may traverse from the IUM to the EUM, and vice versa, using a communication path that may include propagation of the ultrasound through the drill string, the centralizer, and the riser/BOP without traversal through fluids contained within a fluid column enclosed by the riser/BOP.

US Patent:

20210270129, Sep 2, 2021

Filed:

Jul 3, 2018

Appl. No.:

17/256714

Inventors:

- Houston TX, US
Alan Graham - Houston TX, US
Scott David Petrie - Houston TX, US
John Cristopher Whelan - Houston TX, US
Norman Lewis Mackenzie - Houston TX, US
Steven William Bremner - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

FMC Technologies, Inc. - Houston TX

International Classification:

E21B 47/18
E21B 47/16

Abstract:

A communication system employed during wellbore operations, such as during drilling, cementing, fracturing, or other wellbore operations, which utilizes ultrasound (i.e., acoustic waves characterized by ultrasonic frequencies) to communicate sensor and/or control information from inside a riser and/or blowout preventer (BOP) to outside the riser/BOP, and/or vice versa. More specifically, the communication system may include an internal ultrasonic module (IUM) residing inside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to a drill string and/or a centralizer also inside the riser/BOP. The communication system may further include an external ultrasonic module (EUM) residing outside the riser/BOP and acoustically coupled to the riser/BOP. The ultrasound may traverse from the IUM to the EUM, and vice versa, using a communication path that may include propagation of the ultrasound through the drill string, the centralizer, and the riser/BOP without traversal through fluids contained within a fluid column enclosed by the riser/BOP.