Systems and methods for backup communications

• Main Author: FREEMAN, James Joseph
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.04.2021
• Subjects: EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; TRANSMISSION; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

Systems and methods for enabling communication in a downhole power and communications system installed in a well, where one or more components of a wired backbone of the system have failed. Equipment positioned at the surface of a well is connected to a wired power and communication backbone that has one or more conductors and one or more nodes with standardized interfaces that enable downhole devices to be interchangeably connected to the wired backbone. When the wired backbone has failed at one or more points, preventing wired communications between the surface equipment and one or more downhole devices installed at the nodes, one or more wireless-enabled modules are installed at corresponding nodes of the wired backbone to establish wireless channels that bridge the failed portion of the wired backbone and thereby enable communication between the surface equipment and the downhole devices.