Measuring Strain in a Work String During Completion Operations

Abstract

A device and method to measure strain in a work string during completion operations. The device can include a tubular body with multiple recesses in an outer surface, with strain sensors positioned in some of the recesses. The device can include a fluid pulser configured to communicate data received from the strain sensors to a surface controller via fluid pulse telemetry, with the fluid pulser positioned within one of the multiple recesses. The strain sensors can measure compression, tension, and/or rotational torque in the work string and communicate the sensed data to the surface for evaluation. The device can include a through-bore that extends through the body and has a substantially constant inner diameter for delivering a ball through the device to operate other downhole wellbore tools.

1 . A measurement device for measuring strain in a work string during completion operations, the device comprising:
 a body with multiple recesses in an outer surface of the body;   strain sensors that detect compression, tension, and/or rotational torque of the body, with the strain sensors positioned in at least two of the multiple recesses, and with the at least two recesses circumferentially spaced an equal distance apart from each other around a circumference of the body;   a fluid pulser that is configured to communicate data received from the strain sensors to a surface controller via fluid pulse telemetry, with the fluid pulser positioned within another one of the multiple recesses; and   a through-bore that extends through the body and has a substantially constant inner diameter.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the strain sensors are positioned in at least three of the multiple recesses, with the at least three recesses circumferentially spaced an equal distance apart from each other around the circumference of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising pressure and temperature sensors positioned in other recesses of the multiple recesses. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the pressure and temperature sensors provide their sensed data to the fluid pulser which is configured to communicate the pressure and temperature sensed data to the surface controller. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the through-bore is configured to pass a ball through the measurement device and deliver the ball to wellbore tools located further into the wellbore than the measurement device. 
     
     
         7 . A method of installing a completion assembly in a wellbore, the method comprising:
 connecting the completion assembly to a running tool;   connecting the running tool to a measurement device;   connecting the measurement device to a work string;   displacing the work string, thereby positioning the completion assembly at a desired location in the wellbore;   commanding the running tool to set the completion assembly, thereby securing the completion assembly to a casing in the wellbore;   manipulating the work string thereby causing strain in the work string and causing a force to be applied to the running tool;   measuring via the measurement device the force applied to the running tool; and   determining that the force applied to the completion assembly exceeds a pre-determined amount, thereby indicating that the completion assembly is properly set.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sensing via sensors pressure and/or temperature downhole and transmitting the sensed pressure and/or temperature data to a surface controller via a fluid pulser in the measurement device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the completion assembly is a liner, a liner hanger, a bridge plug, a frac plug, a whipstock, a packer, a sand screen, a milling tool, a fishing tool, a deflecting device, a completion device, an anchoring device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sensing via sensors compression, tension, and/or rotational torque in the measurement device and transmitting the sensed compression, tension, and/or rotational torque data to a surface controller via a telemetry device included in the measurement device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the telemetry device is selected from a group consisting of a fluid pulser, an acoustic telemetry device, an electromagnetic telemetry device, an electrical signal telemetry device, and an optical telemetry device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the commanding further comprises displacing a ball through the work string to engage a ball seat in the running tool, and wherein the engagement of the ball with the ball seat commands the running tool to set the completion assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the engagement of the ball further commands the running tool to release the completion assembly from the running tool; and   wherein the engagement of the ball in cooperation with manipulations of the work string commands the running tool to release the completion assembly from the running tool.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein work string manipulations include at least one of applying compression, tension and rotational torque to the work string. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein displacing the ball further comprises displacing the ball through a through-bore of the measurement device before engaging the ball seat in the running tool. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of installing a completion assembly in a wellbore, the method comprising:
 connecting the completion assembly to a running tool;   connecting the running tool to a measurement device;   connecting the measurement device to a work string;   displacing the work string, thereby positioning the completion assembly at a desired location in the wellbore;   during the displacing, a pulser of the measurement device is configured to a reduced power configuration, which consumes less power than a full power configuration of the pulser; and   reconfiguring to the pulser to the full power configuration when a pre-determined condition occurs.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising,
 commanding the running tool to set the completion assembly, thereby securing the completion assembly to a casing in the wellbore;   manipulating the work string thereby causing strain in the work string and causing a force to be applied to the running tool;   measuring via the measurement device the force applied to the running tool; and   determining that the force applied to the completion assembly exceeds a pre-determined amount, thereby indicating that the completion assembly is properly set.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the pulser comprises a receiver and a transmitter, and wherein the reduced power configuration has the receiver enabled to receive telemetry data and the transmitter disabled to prevent transmission of telemetry data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the pulser comprises a receiver and a transmitter, and wherein the full power configuration has the receiver enabled to receive the telemetry data and the transmitter enabled to transmit the telemetry data. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the pre-determined condition comprises the completion assembly being positioned at the desired location and/or one of the measurement tool detecting a pre-determined threshold of strain, pressure, and/or temperature during the displacing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising reconfiguring the pulser to the reduced power configuration via commands from the surface to the measurement device.