Logging a deviated or horizontal well
A downhole tool to log a horizontal or deviated wellbore includes a production unit and a logging unit. The production unit can fluidly couple to a production tubing positioned in a wellbore that includes a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The production unit can be positioned in the vertical portion. The logging unit is coupled to a downhole end of the production unit. The logging unit includes a tractor and logging sensors. The tractor can detach from the logging unit and carry the sensors through the wellbore downhole of the production unit and into the horizontal portion. The sensors can perform logging operations within the wellbore, and the tractor can carry the sensors back to the logging unit. The tractor can be reattached to the logging unit.
1. A downhole tool, comprising:
a production unit configured to fluidly couple to a production tubing positioned in a wellbore that is formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation and that comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the production unit configured to be positioned in the vertical portion of the wellbore, the production unit comprising an inlet configured to fluidly couple to the wellbore to receive a production fluid; and
a logging unit coupled to a downhole end of the production unit, the logging unit comprising:
a cable spooler positioned downhole of and coupled to the downhole end of the production unit,
a cable spooled on the cable spooler, the cable comprising one or more logging sensors, the cable spooler configured to store and spool off the cable to log the wellbore using the one or more logging sensors,
a cable motor configured to operate the cable spooler to move the cable through the wellbore downhole of the logging unit, the cable motor positioned downhole of and coupled to the downhole end of the production unit, the cable motor positioned uphole of the cable spooler, and
a tractor attached to the cable spooler, the tractor positioned downhole of and coupled to the downhole end of the production unit, the tractor positioned downhole of the cable spooler, an end of the cable attached to the tractor and another end of the cable attached to the cable spooler such that the cable resides between the cable spooler and the tractor, the tractor configured to detach from the cable spooler, to travel from the vertical portion of the wellbore to the horizontal portion of the wellbore, and responsively to carry the cable from the cable spooler into the horizontal portion of the wellbore downhole of the production unit.
2. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the tractor comprises:
a tractor body;
a plurality of extendable and retractable arms, each arm attached to the tractor body; and
a plurality of rotatable wheels, each wheel attached to a respective arm of the plurality of arms.
3. The downhole tool of claim 2 , wherein the tractor is configured to be actuated by hydraulic or electrical power, wherein the plurality of arms are configured to extend or retract in response to the tractor being actuated.
4. The downhole tool of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of rotatable wheels are configured to rotate in response to the tractor being actuated.
5. The downhole tool of claim 2 , wherein the tractor is configured to travel within the horizontal portion in response to instructions received from the terranean surface.
6. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a fiber optic cable.
7. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the logging unit further comprises a weight attached to a downhole end of the cable.
8. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the one or more logging sensors is configured to record at least one of a resistivity, a conductivity, a pressure, a temperature, or a sonic property of the subterranean formation.
9. A method, comprising:
running a downhole tool into a wellbore on a production tubular, the wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation and that comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the downhole tool comprising a production unit and a logging unit coupled to a downhole end of the production unit;
positioning the downhole tool in the wellbore adjacent the subterranean formation;
unspooling, by a cable spooler positioned downhole of and coupled to the downhole end of the production unit, a cable from the logging unit in a direction downhole of the production unit, wherein the cable travels through the vertical portion;
carrying, by a tractor positioned downhole of and attached to the cable spooler, the cable through the horizontal portion to a downhole location that is downhole of the production unit within the horizontal portion;
logging, by one or more logging sensors carried by the cable, the horizontal portion of the wellbore with the unspooled cable; and
after logging the wellbore:
carrying, by the tractor, the cable through the horizontal portion from the downhole location in an uphole direction toward the logging unit, and
spooling the cable in the uphole direction towards the logging unit until the tractor reaches a downhole end of the cable spooler.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein carrying the cable through the horizontal portion to the downhole location within the horizontal portion comprises:
attaching an end of the cable to a tractor configured to detach from the logging unit and to travel from the vertical portion of the wellbore to the horizontal portion of the wellbore;
detaching the tractor, to which the end of the cable is attached, from the logging unit, wherein the tractor travels through the vertical portion under gravity until the tractor reaches an entrance to the horizontal portion; and
after the tractor reaches the entrance to the horizontal portion, controlling the tractor to travel through the horizontal portion while the tractor is attached to the end of the cable.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tractor comprises:
a tractor body;
a plurality of extendable and retractable arms, each arm attached to the tractor body; and
a plurality of rotatable wheels, each wheel attached to a respective arm of the plurality of arms,
wherein controlling the tractor to travel through the horizontal portion comprises, after the tractor reaches the entrance to the horizontal portion:
extending the plurality of arms until each wheel on each arm contacts an inner surface of the horizontal portion, and
rotating each wheel.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after the tractor reaches the entrance to the horizontal portion, actuating the plurality of arms by hydraulic or electrical power.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein logging the wellbore comprises measuring one or more parameters of the subterranean formation with the cable that comprises a fiber optic cable.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more measured parameters of the subterranean formation comprises at least one of a resistivity, a conductivity, a pressure, a temperature, or a sonic property.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising producing wellbore fluid from the wellbore by receiving the wellbore fluid into an inlet of the production unit.
16. A downhole tool system, comprising:
a production unit configured to fluidly couple to a production tubing positioned in a wellbore that is formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation and that comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the production unit configured to be positioned in the vertical portion of the wellbore, the production unit comprising an inlet configured to fluidly couple to the wellbore to receive a production fluid; and
a logging unit coupled to a downhole end of the production unit, the logging unit comprising:
a receptacle configured to couple to a downhole end of the production unit, the receptacle configured to receive power via a cable extending from the terranean surface,
a tractor attached to the receptacle and positioned downhole of the receptacle, the tractor configured to detach from the receptacle in response to the receptacle receiving power and to travel from the vertical portion of the wellbore to the horizontal portion of the wellbore, and
a plurality of sensors attached to the tractor, the plurality of sensors configured to log wellbore data in the horizontal portion of the wellbore, the tractor configured to transmit the logged wellbore data to the terranean surface,
wherein the receptacle comprises a data transfer system to receive the logged wellbore data from the plurality of sensors, and a transmitter configured to transmit the received logged wellbore data to the terranean surface via the cable.