Perm Polytechnic University has figured out how to transmit data inside a well via drilling mud

Perm National Research Polytechnic University reported that its scientists have turned the drilling fluid inside an oil well into a data transmission channel. The drill goes several kilometers underground, and there are no simple solutions for transmitting well drilling data to the surface. Scientists from Perm Polytechnic University have found a solution by combining mechanical and digital methods of sending a signal, solving one of the industry’s pressing problems.

Image source: Perm National Research Polytechnic University

To avoid accidents and other unforeseen situations, it is necessary to constantly receive data from drilling equipment at depth – both from the drilling tool and information about the well condition. In such conditions, sound transmission is lost in the noise of the equipment, cables twist and break, and the radio signal is muffled by the multi-kilometer thickness of rocks.

Scientists from the Mining and Petroleum Faculty of PNRPU have implemented a technology for transmitting data via drilling mud, which is usually pumped into a well to cool and clean the tool. The proposed solution ensures stable communication at great depths, is not afraid of vibrations and noise, and is 1.5–2 times cheaper than foreign analogues.

The transmitter of the useful signal was a mechanical “plate” attached to the well control unit. The “plate” blocked the flow of liquid at a given frequency, creating hydraulic shocks in which the information was encoded in binary code. In some ways, this is similar to Morse code: for example, a series of ones meant a long pressure surge.

This signal reaches the surface at high speed, where highly sensitive sensors record the slightest changes in pressure. Then special software, also developed by the Polytechnicians, filters noise and deciphers the data, displaying information about the movement on the screen. As a result, the operator receives an accurate three-dimensional picture of the drilling trajectory in real time on the monitor.

«The main advantage of the technology is its versatility and reliability. The system operates at a depth of up to 3,000 meters, does not require stopping drilling for maintenance and uses the infrastructure already available in the well,” said Alexander Melekhin, associate professor of the Department of Oil and Gas Technologies at PNRPU, PhD in engineering.

The system is currently undergoing industrial testing at fields in the Perm region. This technology opens up new possibilities for safe and precise drilling of complex wells, significantly reducing risks and economic losses.