In certain embodiments, the computer-executable instructions of the one or more analysis modules 64, when executed by the one or more processors 66, may cause the one or more processors 66 to generate one or more models described in greater detail herein. Such models may be used by the surface processing system 42 to predict values of operational parameters that may or may not be measured (e.g., using gauges, sensors) during well operations.

In certain embodiments, the one or more processors 66 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a processor module or subsystem, a programmable integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, a digital signal processor (DSP), or another control or computing device. In certain embodiments, the one or more processors 66 may include machine learning and/or artificial intelligence (AI) based processors. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may be implemented as one or more non-transitory computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may include one or more different forms of memory including semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic or static random access memories (DRAMs or SRAMs), erasable and programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) and flash memories; magnetic disks such as fixed, floppy and removable disks; other magnetic media including tape; optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs); or other types of storage devices. Note that the computer-executable instructions and associated data of the analysis module(s) 64 may be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium of the storage media 68, or alternatively, may be provided on multiple computer-readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a large system having possibly plural nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium or media are considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture), which may refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. In certain embodiments, the one or more storage media 68 may be located either in the machine running the machine-readable instructions, or may be located at a remote site from which machine-readable instructions may be downloaded over a network for execution.

In certain embodiments, the processor(s) 66 may be connected to a network interface 70 of the surface processing system 42 to allow the surface processing system 42 to communicate with the multiple downhole sensors 40 and surface sensors 46 described herein, as well as communicate with the actuators 72 and/or PLCs 74 of the surface equipment 76 (e.g., the coiled tubing unit 52, the pump unit 56, the flowback equipment 58, and so forth) and of the downhole equipment 78 (e.g., the BHA 26, the downhole motor 28, the drill bit 30, the downhole well tool 36, and so forth) for the purpose of controlling operation of the oil and gas well system 10, as described in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, the network interface 70 may also facilitate the surface processing system 42 to communicate data to the cloud storage 50 (or other wired and/or wireless communication network) to, for example, archive the data or to enable external computing systems 80 to access the data and/or to remotely interact with the surface processing system 42.

It should be appreciated that the well control system 62 illustrated in FIG. 2 is only one example of a well control system, and that the well control system 62 may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine additional components not depicted in the embodiment of FIG. 2, and/or the well control system 62 may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components depicted in FIG. 2. In addition, the various components illustrated in FIG. 2 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. Furthermore, the operations of the well control system 62 as described herein may be implemented by running one or more functional modules in an information processing apparatus such as application specific chips, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), systems on a chip (SOCs), or other appropriate devices. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with hardware are all included within the scope of the embodiments described herein.

As described in greater detail herein, the embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate the operation of well-related tools. For example, a variety of data (e.g., downhole data and surface data) may be collected to enable optimization of operations of well-related tools such as the downhole well tool 36 illustrated in FIG. 1 by the surface processing system 42 illustrated in FIG. 2 (or other suitable processing systems). In certain embodiments, the data may be provided as advisory data by the surface processing system 42 (or other suitable processing systems). However, in other embodiments, the data may be used to facilitate automation of downhole processes and/or surface processes (i.e., the processes may be automated without human intervention), as described in greater detail herein, by the surface processing system 42 (or other suitable processing system). The embodiments described herein may enhance downhole operations by improving the efficiency and utilization of data to enable performance optimization and improved resource controls.

As described in greater detail herein, the embodiments of the present disclosure also enable a remote field user to configure and/or retrieve data from a battery powered BHA 26 by providing a wireless access point 60 within the BHA 26. Doing so enables the leveraging of edge processing power to analyze data relating to operation of the BHA 26. One of the challenges of utilizing BHAs 26 is obtaining data needed from jobs to improve services. Currently, field users are required to configure components of the BHAs 26 to obtain the correct data and upload configuration data. Wireless remote access enables the configuration of the components of the BHAs 26 for a specific study to obtain data spanning several different jobs. In certain situations, the minimum requirements for the components of the BHAs 26 may be obtained from a client. If there is remaining memory, it may then be configured to obtain additional data to help develop a model of different types of coiled tubing jobs in a controlled manner to obtain data that fills in gaps in the operating envelopes. It also lays the framework to be able to intervene and set up different types of data between sequential runs within different wellbores 14 to either address issues or configuration inefficiencies. Currently, these adaptations would not be possible if the data is not reviewed until after a job is complete.

It is common in some operations that the BHA 26 may be rigged up, but that the BHA 26 is not run into a wellbore 14 for several hours or even days. During such intervals where the BHA 26 is not being run into a wellbore 14, the BHA 26 may be disposed in a location at a field site 82 (e.g., the surface 24 of a oil and gas well system 10) where the BHA 26 is not easily physically accessible by a field user 84, for example, when the BHA 26 is currently stored at an elevated location on a rack 86 (or other structure, such as a manlift). The embodiments described herein enable the field user 84 to turn components of the BHA 26 on and off remotely (e.g., when the BHA 26 is not easily accessible, after rig up of the BHA 26, and so forth) to minimize battery usage of the BHA 26 and verify prognostics health status of the components of the BHA 26 before running the BHA 26 into a wellbore 14. For example, during long periods of inactivity, a burst mode may be configured for components of the BHA 26, so that they may wake up and send updated prognostic data at set intervals to ensure that the BHA 26 is prepared for a next job. The embodiments described herein also enable the battery powered BHA 26 to transmit and communicate data with various downhole well tools 36 of the BHA 26. This eliminates the need for a wired field joint between the battery powered BHA 26 and the other BHA products. This enables different tool families to be utilized together without the need for custom joints, adding to the modularity and reuse of tools.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the field user 84 may wirelessly access the components of the BHA 26 using a user computing device 88 configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless access point 60 of the BHA 26, as described in greater detail herein. In general, any wireless communication protocol may be used to facilitate the wireless communication between the user computing device 88 and the wireless access point 60 of the BHA 26. For example, in certain embodiments, the wireless communication protocol may use the Wi-Fi standard due to its relative prevalence in laptop computers, tablet computers, mobile phones, and so forth. However, again, any suitable wireless communication protocol may be used to facilitate the wireless communication between the user computing device 88 and the wireless access point 60 of the BHA 26, as described in greater detail herein. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in certain embodiments, the field user 84 may utilize the user computing device 88 to wirelessly access the wireless access point 60 of the BHA 26 via a cloud access point 50.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example wirelessly-configurable battery-powered BHA 26, as described in greater detail herein. As illustrated, in certain embodiments, the BHA 26 may include a wireless access module 90 that includes the wireless access point 60, which as described herein enables a field user 84 to wirelessly configure various components of the BHA 26 including, but not limited to, a three-axis accelerometer 92, one or more pressure gauges 94, and a load cell chassis 96. In addition, in certain embodiments, the BHA 26 may include one or more batteries 98 configured to provide local power for operation of the BHA 26 in situations where power is not available to the BHA 26 from the surface 24, for example, via a telemetric control line 44. In addition, in certain embodiments, the BHA 26 may include a communication port 100 that enables communication between the surface processing system 42 and the BHA 26 during operation of the BHA 26 when disposed downhole within a wellbore 14.

During operation, the various components of the BHA 26 may enable the collection of data relating to wellbore pressures and temperatures, loads (e.g., tension and compression loads), torques, accelerations, and so forth, being experienced by the BHA 26 during operation. In certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to acquire the data collected by the components of the BHA 26 at a particular sample rate. For example, the sample rate may be between about 10 Hz to about 2,000 Hz (e.g., allowing analysis of the data up to about 1,024 Hz). Additionally, or alternatively, in certain embodiments, up to approximately 60 hours of data may be stored locally within the BHA 26 by the wireless access module 90. In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to function at up to 350° F. It will be appreciated that these sampling rates, storage hours, and operational temperatures are merely exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, in other embodiments, different sampling rates, storage hours, and operational temperatures may be possible.

In certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 facilitates field users 84 to remotely configure myriad different operating settings and/or procedures (e.g., modes of operation, workflows to be followed during operation, and so forth) of various components of the BHA 26. For example, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 also facilitates field users 84 to send command signals to remotely configure (e.g., assign) specific communication channels and/or communication protocols of the components of the BHA 26 that are used to acquire specific types of data, for example, when the BHA 26 is located at the surface 24 of the oil and gas well system 10 (e.g., before the BHA 26 is deployed within a wellbore 14). As a further non-limiting example, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 also facilitates field users 84 to send command signals to remotely set timing triggers of the various components of the BHA 26 to define when the various components wake up (e.g., from low-power standby modes) at certain times to collect certain types of data. In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may facilitate field users 84 to send command signals to download data stored in the wireless access module 90 once the BHA 26 is retrieved at the surface 24 of the oil and gas well system 10 (e.g., after completion of a downhole job).

In addition, in certain embodiments, the wireless access module 90 may facilitate field users 84 to send command signals to cause mechanical features of the various components of the BHA 26 to be physically manipulated (e.g., by changing positions, orientations, and so forth, of the mechanical features) to, for example, enable different operating modes of the components. For example, in certain embodiments, the command signals may be used to cause certain actuators associated with the components of the BHA 26 to physically manipulate valve positions, flow line routings, flow line restrictions, and so forth, of the components in response to the command signals.

Regardless of the types of operating settings and/or procedures of the various components of the BHA 26 that may be adjusted in response to the command signals wirelessly received by the wireless access module 90, the wireless access module 90 may be configured to confirm that the adjustments to the operating settings and/or procedures have been implemented and, in response to the confirmations, may transmit confirmation signals back to the user computing device 88 that wirelessly sent the command signals to the wireless access module 90. For example, in certain embodiments, in response to confirming that requested adjustments to operating settings and/or procedures of various components of the BHA