Wireless communications in oil and gas wells
September 24, 2014
This paper reviews the techniques of below ground wireless communication in the oil and gas industry. A historical and theoretical analysis of pressure wave and electromagnetic communication is presented. Case studies for both technologies and their current applications are evaluated for the purpose of identifying each method’s limitations and opportunities for innovation. Finally, the possibilities of smart well technology are discussed with focus on wirelessly powered sensors for continuous monitoring of shale oil/gas reservoirs using electromagnetic methods. We conclude that the critical challenges are associated with powering the devices, which must perform for a period of months to years and which must be capable of generating sufficiently powerful signals so as to overcome the large signal attenuation associated with electromagnetic wave propagation through geological media.
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