Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations. The development of subterranean operations and the processes involved in removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation are complex. Typically, subterranean operations involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling the wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
It is desirable to obtain and monitor information pertaining to performance of subterranean operations. For instance, it is desirable to obtain information regarding formation characteristics, operational and directional parameters and the various components used to perform the subterranean operations. This information may then be provided to an operator in real-time and may be used to optimize overall system performance and improve efficiency. For instance, the data may be used to determine the location and quality of hydrocarbon reserves; the data may be used to determine whether hydrocarbon reserves can be produced through the wellbore; the data may be used to optimize performance of various components utilized; and the data may be used for well control during drilling operations. To that end, various logging-while-drilling (“LWD”) or measurement-while-drilling (“MWD”) packages have been developed to acquire data downhole and transmit that data to a desirable location, for instance, an operator at the surface. Typically, data transmission to the surface (or other locations within the wellbore) is accomplished using a hard-wire connection (e.g., electrical lines, wireline or cable), through acoustic or seismic signals, or by transmission of electromagnetic signals through the formation.
While a hard-wire connection may permit data transmission at a relatively high speed, such systems have various disadvantages. First, these systems require attachment of a hard-wire connector to the drill string, which subjects the connectors to wear (especially at the point of connection between sections of the drill pipe) and may prove costly. Moreover, the other equipment and methods commonly used when performing subterranean operations may have to be modified to accommodate these hard-wire connectors. Similarly, typical acoustic and seismic data transmission systems and the electromagnetic transmission of data through the formation have a number of disadvantages. For instance, a large amount of power is typically required in order to generate a signal that can be detected at the surface. Moreover, signal attenuation and noise adversely impact the transmission of electromagnetic signals through the formation. Additionally, typical data transmission systems are not well suited to facilitate downhole addition or interpretation of the data being transmitted between two different axial positions in the wellbore. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop an efficient mechanism to reliably transmit data between different axial positions within the wellbore.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.