Downhole wireless communication in the form of mud pulse telemetry enabled directional drilling over the past 60 years and has been hugely successful. Technologies like Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), and Geosteering would simply not exist without it. But in the Production and Producing end of the business, applications for downhole wireless communication have been less clear, especially where long distances and long-term monitoring are concerned. Several wireless technologies are in use today for long-term production applications. Electromagnetic (EM), acoustic, and pressure pulse telemetries are finding application as wireless production gauges, drill stem test tools, and drilling alternatives to pressure pulse. But the large-scale vision of, "Breaking the Wire!" in production wells has not yet occurred. Permanent Downhole Gauges (PDG) with an umbilical to surface are still the product of choice for long-term production monitoring. A history of wireless approaches in production applications will be given and the different methods used in the industry will be explained. A comparison and contrast of wireless telemetry methods will be explored, explained, and evaluated. Advantages and disadvantages will be listed for each approach. A ranking system will be employed to illustrate the evaluation results of the different wireless telemetry methods. New variants for wireless telemetry, power supplies, and measurement methods will be proposed. Preferred applications for each gauge type will be given. Downhole gauges can be improved by integrating pressure pulse, a downhole power generator, and downhole flow rate measurement into a single unit. The overall size can be ten times shorter than existing systems while still generating a larger wireless signal. Such a system would make wireless downhole gauges much more practical and should significantly increase their uptake in the industry. Real-time measurement of downhole pressure and downhole flow rate transforms the accuracy and effectiveness of Pressure Transient Analysis (PTA). Better reservoir understanding can be gained by using only drawdown tests, without shutting in the well. Smaller tools are generally more cost effective.

Downhole power harvesting is an enabling technology for a wide range of future production systems and applications, including self-powered downhole monitoring, downhole robotics, and wireless intelligent completions. This paper presents the field experience of an innovative energy harvesting system that was successfully deployed and tested in the harsh downhole conditions of an oil producer. There is a critical need for robust and reliable downhole power generation and storage technologies to push the boundaries of downhole sensing and control. This paper provides an analysis of available ambient energy sources in the downhole environment, and various energy harvesting techniques that can be employed to provide a reliable solution. Advantages and limitations of conventional technique like turbine are compared to advanced energy harvesting technologies. The power requirements and technical challenges related to different downhole applications have also been addressed. The field experience of the novel flow-based energy harvesting system are presented, including the details of both the lab and field prototype design, deployment and testing.

As the number of Extended Reach Wells (ERW) with multilaterals and restricted access due to electric submersible pumps (ESP) increases, so does the challenge to enable access and stimulation to these wells to maintain production rates. This paper describes a Slim Access and Stimulation System (SASS) development program launched to develop a game changing technology to give operators the ability to maintain high production rates in unconventional developments. There is available technology today to accurately access extended reach lateral wells, even with restricted access. But the technology is limited to logging only, as the tools and/or control wire are not acid resistant and would limit the pump rate through the coil tubing for pumping acid. The new system would require a tool suite which was acid resistant, enable slim access to the laterals, and have the ability to perform multiple stimulation jobs in one run, with monitoring and control from surface without a wire inside the coiled tubing. The SASS development program gave birth to three separate and revolutionary new technologies: two-way wireless communication and energy harvesting with integrated production logging suite, slim and high-power open hole tractor with a wire bypass to power the tool string, and semi-autonomous lateral access sub, which finds, enters, and confirms the lateral access. The three game changing technologies have application as standalone products, however the real value occurs when they combined as a Slim Access and Stimulation System, run on conventional coiled tubing. The paper will describe working methods and technology incorporated to provide access to restricted extended reach laterals and perform multiple stimulation jobs in a single run. The SASS development program is a testament of how the industry can tackle complex challenges, introducing new technologies across in multiple domains while still adapting to conventional methods. The paper highlights the full system design approach method used to understand and combine features of downhole tools, surface equipment, and operational and handling routines to achieve the overall design goal.