System and method for detecting structural integrity of a well casing

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system and method for detecting structural integrity of a well casing. The system may detect casing structural integrity events. The casing structural integrity events may include structural failures of the casing and/or potential structural failures of the casing. The well casing may be drilled and/or otherwise embedded into a geologic structure. The well casing may be subject to geologic forces generated by the geologic structure. Unplanned and/or unexpected forces and/or movement may pose a risk to the structural integrity of the casing. Forces and/or movement of sufficient magnitude may result in damage to and/or destruction of the casing. Damage to and/or destruction of the casing may cause a loss of the natural resources being extracted via the well associated with the well casing, contamination of areas surrounding the well, undesirable surface expression, and/or other negative effects.

1 . A system configured to detect structural integrity of a well casing in a well, the system comprising:
 a conductive well casing configured to surround conductive well tubing, the tubing being configured to communicate liquid and/or gas from an underground reservoir to above ground extraction equipment at or near a wellhead, the casing being embedded in a geologic structure;   one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to a structural integrity of the casing and/or a casing-tubing pair, and   one or more processors configured to detect casing structural integrity events based on the output signals, and to generate casing structural integrity event notifications that correspond to the detected casing structural integrity events for delivery to a user responsive to the detections, the casing structural integrity events including one or both of structural failures of the casing or potential structural failures of the casing.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine extraction parameters and to detect the casing structural integrity events based on the extraction parameters, the extraction parameters including information indicating whether the well is operating in a production phase or a pre-production phase. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the casing structural integrity events based on an algorithm, wherein the one or more processors determine algorithm inputs based on the output signals. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more sensor types, the one or more sensors including fluid level sensors, voltage sensors, acoustic sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, current sensors, and strain sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include two or more sensor types, the one or more sensors including fluid level sensors, voltage sensors, current sensors, acoustic sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, and strain sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured such that the casing structural integrity events are detected responsive to one or more forces acting on the casing, the one or more forces including a shear force, a tensile force, a compressive force, and a torsional force, the one or more forces generated by the geologic structure surrounding the casing. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to cluster the information conveyed by the output signals and detect the casing structural integrity events based on the clustering, wherein clustering includes networking and/or arranging the information conveyed by the output signals in a multidimensional space. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors are configured to generate casing structural integrity scores based on the output signals, and detect the casing structural integrity events based on the casing structural integrity scores. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine one or more well parameters based on the output signals, the one or more well parameters including one or more of a fluid level, a voltage, a current, an acoustic parameter, a pressure, a motion parameter, or a strain level,
 wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine well parameter threshold levels, and   wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the casing structural integrity events responsive to the well parameters breaching the well parameter threshold levels such that a first casing structural integrity event is detected responsive to a first well parameter breaching a first well parameter threshold level.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is electrically coupled with the tubing and the casing separately. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is located in the wellhead. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are located at one or more locations along the tubing within the casing. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are located within the casing at or near a tubing hanger between the wellhead and the tubing, the tubing hanger being configured to suspend the tubing in the casing. 
     
     
         14 . A method for detecting structural integrity of a well casing in a well, the method comprising:
 surrounding conductive well tubing with a conductive well casing, the tubing being configured to communicate liquid and/or gas from an underground reservoir to above ground extraction equipment at a wellhead, the casing being embedded in a geologic structure;   generating output signals conveying information related to a structural integrity of the casing;   detecting casing structural integrity events based on the output signals, and   generating casing structural integrity event notifications that correspond to the detected casing structural integrity events for delivery to a user responsive to the detections, the casing structural integrity events including one or both of structural failures of the casing or potential structural failures of the casing.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining extraction parameters and detecting the casing structural integrity events based on the extraction parameters, the extraction parameters including information indicating whether the well is operating in a production phase or a pre-production phase. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detecting the casing structural integrity events based on an algorithm, wherein the algorithm inputs are determined based on the output signals. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, the one or more sensors including one or more sensor types, the one or more sensors including fluid level sensors, voltage sensors, current sensors, acoustic sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, and strain sensors. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors include two or more sensor types, the one or more sensors including fluid level sensors, voltage sensors, acoustic sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, and strain sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the casing structural integrity events are detected responsive to one or more forces acting on the casing, the one or more forces including a shear force, a torsional force, a tensile force, and a compressive force, the one or more forces generated by the geologic structure surrounding the casing. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising clustering the information conveyed by the output signals and detecting the casing structural integrity events based on the clustering, wherein clustering comprises arranging the information conveyed by the output signals in a multidimensional space. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating casing structural integrity scores based on the output signals, and detecting the casing structural integrity events based on the casing structural integrity scores. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining one or more well parameters based on the output signals, the one or more well parameters including one or more of a fluid level, a voltage, an acoustic parameter, a pressure, a motion parameter, or a strain level,
 determining well parameter threshold levels, and   detecting the casing structural integrity events responsive to the well parameters breaching the well parameter threshold levels such that a first casing structural integrity event is detected responsive to a first well parameter breaching a first well parameter threshold level.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, and electrically coupling at least one of the one or more sensors with the tubing and the casing separately. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is located in the wellhead. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are located at one or more locations along the tubing within the casing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating the output signals with one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are located within the casing at or near a tubing hanger between the wellhead and the tubing, the tubing hanger being configured to suspend the tubing in the casing.