An untethered apparatus for measuring properties along a subterranean well includes a housing, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The data includes one or more physical, chemical, geological or structural properties in the subterranean well. The untethered apparatus further includes a processor configured to control the one or more sensors measuring the data and to store the measured data, and a transmitter configured to transmit the measured data to a receiver arranged external to the subterranean well. Further, the untethered apparatus includes a controller configured to control the buoyancy or the drag of the untethered apparatus to control a position of the untethered apparatus in the subterranean well. The processor includes instructions defining measurement parameters for the one or more sensors of the untethered apparatus within the subterranean well.

An untethered apparatus for measuring properties along a subterranean well includes a housing, and one or more sensors configured to measure data along the subterranean well. The data includes one or more physical, chemical, geological or structural properties in the subterranean well. The untethered apparatus further includes a processor configured to control the one or more sensors measuring the data and to store the measured data, and a transmitter configured to transmit the measured data to a receiver arranged external to the subterranean well. Further, the untethered apparatus includes a controller configured to control the buoyancy or the drag of the untethered apparatus to control a position of the untethered apparatus in the subterranean well. The processor includes instructions defining measurement parameters for the one or more sensors of the untethered apparatus within the subterranean well.

A method and a system for collecting data at a fixed point in a wellbore are provided. An exemplary method includes dropping an untethered measurement tool (UMT) in the wellbore, switching a first magnet to drop a ballast from the UMT at a ballast drop condition, switching a second magnet to attach the UMT to a wall of the wellbore at a wall attachment condition. Data is collected in the UMT while the UMT is attached to the wall of the wellbore. The second magnet is switched to release the UMT from the wall of the wellbore at a wall release condition. The UMT is collected from the wellbore and the data is downloaded from the UMT.

A method of identifying an instruction combination executable by a surface control system of a drilling rig to change settings of a rotary steerable system (“RSS”) tool. The method includes identifying, by an electronic application, a first current RSS setting of the RSS tool; identifying, by the electronic application, a first target RSS setting of the RSS tool; identifying, by the electronic application, a plurality of instruction combinations configured to change the first current RSS setting to the first target RSS setting. Each instruction combination of the plurality of instruction combinations comprises a number of steps, and each step includes a downlink command sequence. The method also includes selecting, by the electronic application, an instruction combination that comprises the least number of steps.

A method of identifying an instruction combination executable by a surface control system of a drilling rig to change settings of a rotary steerable system (“RSS”) tool. The method includes identifying, by an electronic application, a first current RSS setting of the RSS tool; identifying, by the electronic application, a first target RSS setting of the RSS tool; identifying, by the electronic application, a plurality of instruction combinations configured to change the first current RSS setting to the first target RSS setting. Each instruction combination of the plurality of instruction combinations comprises a number of steps, and each step includes a downlink command sequence. The method also includes selecting, by the electronic application, an instruction combination that comprises the least number of steps.

A downhole tool interface is connected to a downhole tool at a surface location. The downhole tool interface retrieves downhole information and wirelessly transmits the downhole information to a remote computing device. The downhole tool interface remains connected to the downhole tool during storage and/or transportation. The downhole tool interface collects status information to transmit to a remote computing device, allowing a drilling operator to better understand the conditions during storage and/or transportation.

A downhole tool interface is connected to a downhole tool at a surface location. The downhole tool interface retrieves downhole information and wirelessly transmits the downhole information to a remote computing device. The downhole tool interface remains connected to the downhole tool during storage and/or transportation. The downhole tool interface collects status information to transmit to a remote computing device, allowing a drilling operator to better understand the conditions during storage and/or transportation.

A depth positioning method to position a production logging tool (1) and a measurement log in a hydrocarbon well (3) in production obtained by means of the tool, the depth positioning method comprises: generating (S1, S2, S3, S1′, S2′, S3′, S11, S12, S13) a set of magnetic measurements (MAG1, MAG) of a depth portion of the hydrocarbon well from a first passive magnetic sensor along the depth portion of the hydrocarbon well, the set of magnetic measurements comprising magnitude and/or direction measurements of the magnetic field that forms a characteristic magnetic field pattern representative of a surrounding magnetic environment of the hydrocarbon well all along the depth portion; comparing (S4, S4′, S14) the set of magnetic measurements (MAG1, MAG) to another set of magnetic measurements (MAG_R, MAG2), the other set of magnetic measurements being a reference set of magnetic measurements generated either by a same or similar passive magnetic sensor deployed and run in the hydrocarbon well earlier, or by a second passive magnetic sensor spaced from the first passive magnetic sensor from a defined distance (DS) deployed and run in the hydrocarbon well simultaneously; and determining (S4, S4′, S14) the maximum of correlation between the set of magnetic measurements (MAG1, MAG) and the reference set of magnetic measurements (MAG_R, MAG2), the maximum being related to identifiable characteristic magnetic field pattern over a part of the depth portion.

A repeater system provided in a wellbore including a plurality of communication units spaced at intervals along a length of a wellbore, the communication units being communicatively coupled via a transmission medium. The communication units are configured to relay data from one communication unit to another communication unit selected from the plurality of communication units along the transmission medium, wherein at least one of the communication units is hopped over as data is relayed across the plurality of communication units along the length of the wellbore.

Hydrocarbon wells and methods of probing a subsurface region of the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore, a downhole sensor storage structure, and a detection structure. The wellbore may extend within a subsurface region and between a surface region and a downhole end region. The downhole sensor storage structure is configured to release a flowable sensor into a wellbore fluid that extends within the wellbore, and the flowable sensor may be configured to collect sensor data indicative of at least one property of the subsurface region. The detection structure may be configured to query the flowable sensor to determine the at least one property of the subsurface region. The methods include releasing a flowable sensor, collecting sensor data with the flowable sensor, and querying the flowable sensor.