Granted Patent B2

US 12,467,337 · App. 18/450,922 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Inventors: Michael Linley Fripp (Singapore, SG); Mark S. Holly (Singapore, SG); Wei Zhang (Houston, TX); Aswin Balasubramanian (Spring, TX)

Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

E21B37/02E21B47/006

Abstract

Claims (49)

1 . An apparatus for cleaning a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:

an autonomous robot, wherein the robot is self-propelled;

a power source for the robot;

a motor for propelling the robot axially within the wellbore;

at least one cleaning tool positioned on the robot;

at least one sensor to detect an initiate-cleaning attribute downhole in the wellbore; and

a processor to direct the robot to initiate a cleaning operation in response to the initiate-cleaning attribute exceeding a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on at least one of a depth of scale, an amount of coverage of scale, a change in an electrical reading, or a change in speed of movement.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is one of a scale sensor and a restriction sensor.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is untethered once positioned downhole.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute indicates an amount of scale build up within an inner diameter of the wellbore.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute indicates an adjustment is needed to an existing cleaning operation, wherein the adjustment includes one of a change in speed of movement of the robot within the wellbore and a change in cleaning intensity of the robot.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute indicates an amount of time has passed after a previous cleaning operation.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute indicates the robot needs to be directed into the wellbore to initiate a cleaning operation.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning tool is one of a brush, a sonic cleaner, and a water jet.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is configured to return to a docking station within a completion of the wellbore.

10 . A system comprising:

a wellbore;

a cleaning apparatus positioned in the wellbore, the cleaning apparatus including:

an autonomous robot, wherein the robot is self-propelled;

a power source for the robot;

a motor for propelling the robot axially within the wellbore;

at least one cleaning tool positioned on the robot;

at least one sensor to detect an initiate-cleaning attribute downhole in the wellbore; and

a processor to direct the robot to initiate a cleaning operation in response to the initiate-cleaning attribute exceeding a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on at least one of a depth of scale, an amount of coverage of scale, a change in an electrical reading, or a change in speed of movement.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a docking station for the robot within a completion of the wellbore.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the docking station includes a charging station for the power source.

13 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the robot is untethered once the cleaning apparatus is positioned within the wellbore.

14 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the sensor is one of a scale sensor and a restriction sensor.

15 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute indicates one of an amount of scale build up within an inner diameter of the wellbore, an adjustment is needed to an existing cleaning operation, that a predetermined amount of time has passed after a previous cleaning operation, and that the robot needs to be directed into the wellbore to initiate a cleaning operation.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the adjustment needed to an existing cleaning operation includes one of stopping a current operation, adjusting a cleaning intensity, and a change in speed of movement of the robot within the wellbore.

17 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the wellbore includes cleaning components positioned downhole for cleaning the cleaning apparatus downhole.

18 . A method comprising:

positioning into a wellbore, an autonomous cleaning apparatus, the autonomous cleaning apparatus including:

a robot, wherein the robot is self-propelled;

a power source for the robot;

a motor for propelling the robot axially within the wellbore;

at least one cleaning tool positioned on the robot; and

at least one sensor;

detecting an initiate-cleaning attribute by the at least one sensor;

determining, by a processor, whether the initiate-cleaning attribute exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on at least one of a depth of scale, an amount of coverage of scale, a change in an electrical reading, or a change in speed of movement; and

initiating, by the processor, a cleaning operation by the autonomous cleaning apparatus in response to determining that the initiate-cleaning attribute exceeds the threshold.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the initiate-cleaning attribute is one of:

an indication of an amount of scale build up within an inner diameter of the wellbore;

an indication that an adjustment is needed to an existing cleaning operation, wherein the adjustment is one of a change in speed of movement of the robot within the wellbore and a change in intensity of the existing cleaning operation;

an indication that a predetermined amount of time has passed after a previous cleaning operation; and

an indication that the robot needs to be sent into the wellbore to initiate a cleaning operation.

20 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting by the processor, that the power source is below a predetermined charge level; and

directing the robot to a charging station within the wellbore to recharge.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (38)