Systems and methods for determining well conditions below a suspension tool

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining well conditions below a suspension tool installed in a well so that it can be determined whether the suspension tool can safely be removed or unsealed. The suspension tool has a simple sensor which is normally unpowered, but receives power when engaged by a shifting tool to enable the sensor to measure well conditions below the suspension tool and to communicate this information back to the shifting tool, which is coupled to equipment at the surface of the well by a digital slickline or similar means. The information provided by the sensor enables the operators of the well to determine whether it is safe to proceed with a procedure to remove or unseal the suspension tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a suspension tool installed in a well and configured to prevent fluid communication between a lower portion of the well and an upper portion of the well,
 the suspension tool having a sensor configured to measure one or more well conditions in the lower portion of the well; ad 
   a shifting tool configured to be lowered into the well to engage the suspension tool and to selectively shift the suspension tool,
 the shifting tool being coupled to a power source, 
 wherein when the shifting tool engages the suspension tool, the sensor is coupled through the shifting tool to the power source, and 
 wherein when the sensor is coupled to the power source, the sensor makes one or more measurements of the one or more well conditions in the lower portion of the well and communicates the one or more measurements through the shifting tool to an operator of the well. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shifting tool includes a first set of electrical contacts and the suspension tool includes a second set of contacts, wherein when the shifting tool engages the suspension tool, the first set of electrical contacts comes into contact with the second set of electrical contacts and thereby couples the sensor to the power source. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is configured to make the one or more measurements of the one or more well conditions in response to being coupled to the power source. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein in response to being coupled to the power source, the sensor is further configured to provide the one or more measurements of the one or more well conditions to the shifting tool via the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is unpowered except for the coupling of the sensor to the power source 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suspension tool comprises a suspension plug and the shifting tool comprises a pulling tool adapted to engage the suspension plug and pull the suspension plug out of the well. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the suspension tool comprises a sliding sleeve tool and the shifting tool comprises a shifting tool adapted to engage the sliding sleeve tool and shift a sliding sleeve of the sliding sleeve tool between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more well conditions include a pressure in the lower portion of the well and the sensor comprises a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more well conditions include a temperature in the lower portion of the well and the sensor comprises a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shifting tool is connected to a digital slickline that extends to the surface of the well. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the digital slickline includes one or more electrical lines configured to convey power and data between the shifting tool and equipment positioned at the surface of the well. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the power source is positioned at the surface of the well and is coupled to the digital slickline to provide power to the shifting tool. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 providing a shifting tool which is coupled to a power source;   lowering the shifting tool into a well;   engaging, by the shifting tool, a suspension tool which is installed in the well, the suspension tool providing a seal between an upper portion of the well above the suspension tool from a lower portion of the well below the suspension tool, the suspension tool including one or more sensors configured to measure one or more well conditions in the lower portion of the well, the engaging including engaging a first set of electrical contacts on the shifting tool with a second set of contacts on the suspension tool and thereby coupling the one or more sensors to receive power from the power source;   in response to the one or more sensors receiving power from the power source, making, with the one or more sensors, one or more measurements of the one or more well conditions in the lower portion of the well and providing the one or more measurements to the shifting tool via the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of contacts;   determining whether the one or more measurements are within one or more corresponding ranges of acceptable values; and   if the one or more measurements are within the one or more corresponding ranges of acceptable values, moving, with the shifting tool, the suspension tool to enable fluid communication between the upper portion of the well and the lower portion of the well.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, if the one or more measurements are not within the one or more corresponding ranges of acceptable values, performing one or more actions to remediate the well and to thereby bring measured values of the one or more well conditions within the one or more corresponding ranges of acceptable values and thereafter moving, with the shifting tool, the suspension tool to enable fluid communication between the upper portion of the well with the lower portion of the well. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 :
 further comprising connecting the shifting tool to a digital slickline which extends to the surface of the well, the digital slickline having one or more electrical lines configured to convey power and data between the shifting tool and equipment positioned at the surface of the well, wherein the power source is positioned at the surface of the well and is coupled to the digital slickline to provide power to the shifting tool;   wherein the one or more measurements are communicated from the one or more sensors through the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of contacts, the shifting tool and the digital slickline to the surface of the well;   wherein determining whether the one or more measurements are within the one or more corresponding ranges of acceptable values is performed by a well operator.