Serialization and database methods for tubulars and oilfield equipment

US8463664B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Paul Steven Griggs · Conroe, US
• Patrick M. Ljungdahl · Houston, US
• Stephen Sarradet · Houston, US
• Larry Williams · Weatherford, US
• Matthew G. Miller · Richmond, US
• Simon J. Harrall · Inverurie, GB
• Tuong Thanh Le · Houston, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 28, 2006
• Grant date: Jun 11, 2013
• Expiry date: Aug 24, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/087
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus identify downhole equipment and correlate input data with the equipment to improve planning and/or inventory operations. For some embodiments, oilfield equipment or tubular goods such as drill pipe include a shaped recess along an outer circumference for receiving a tag cartridge by shrink fitting. Once tagged, detector system configurations at pipe yards may facilitate logging the presence and location of each drill pipe and correlating specific data, such as inspection data, to each drill pipe. Further, this correlation populates a database utilized to achieve other business functions such as forecasting number of additional drill pipe needed to purchase, invoicing customers according to actual tracked wear/use of the drill pipe being returned, and providing well or job specific drill string population using known history pipe joints.