SPE/IADC 79885
Telemetry Drill Pipe: Enabling Technology for the Downhole Internet
Michael J. Jellison, SPE, Grant Prideco; David R. Hall, IntelliServ; Darrell C. Howard, SPE, BP America Inc.; H. Tracy
Hall, Jr., IntelliServ; Roy C. Long, SPE, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory; R. Brett Chandler, SPE, Grant
Prideco; David S. Pixton, IntelliServ
Copyright 2003, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference held in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 19–21 February 2003.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE/IADC Program Committee following
review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the
International Association of Drilling Contractors and are subject to correction by the author(s).
The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the SPE, IADC, their
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or
the International Association of Drilling Contractors is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in
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The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper
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Abstract
Drill pipe capable of transmitting high-bandwidth data from
downhole sensors and surface control signals back to those
sensors has been developed and successfully tested. The
system incorporates a high-speed data cable that runs the
length of each joint and downhole tool. The cable terminates
at induction coils that are installed in protecting grooves
machined in the secondary torque shoulders of double-
shoulder tool joints at each end of the pipe. The coils are
recessed in ferrite troughs that focus the magnetic field. The
system is virtually transparent to standard rig procedures and
offers robust, reliable operation.
The paper provides background data on prior work relating
to telemetry drill pipe and contrasts the results of these efforts
with the new system. The new system has successfully
demonstrated data transmission rates of up to 2,000,000
bits/sec. Current mud pulse telemetry is limited to 8 to 10
bits/sec. Electromagnetic technology provides data rates of up
to 100 bits/sec, but suffers from hole depth and formation
related electric impedance limitations.
Full realization of system benefits requires further
development of additional drill stem components with high-
speed telemetry capabilities including HWDP, collars, jars and
top drive subs. A top drive sub that incorporates the telemetry
design has been successfully manufactured and tested and is
described in the paper. Development efforts relating to other
drill stem components are also detailed. The system has been
tested in a laboratory environment and in test wells. Results of
these tests along with plans for field-testing in actual drilling
environments are presented.
Telemetry drill pipe can improve well and field
productivity by providing more complete, real-time logging
information and reduce drilling time and costs and enhance
well control by providing real-time downhole drilling data and
early kick detection.
Background Information
As early as 1939, technology had been proposed to link serial
drill string components to provide a network for the
transmission of power and data from the bottom of the hole to
the drilling platform on the surface. The two technologies
most widely proposed involved the use of direct electrical
contacts at each joint of drill pipe and non-contact coupling of
the pipe, applying Faraday’s law of induction. Both systems
have proven, in the past, to be so problematic that to date
neither has achieved commercial success.
The direct contact methods for coupling the pipe, and the
obstacles present in achieving a working system, are fully
explored in U.S. Patents by Dickson,1 Dennison2 and
Cunningham.3 These obstacles include achieving a reliable
contact-surface-to-contact-surface connection in the presence
of an invasive, high-pressure, abrasive, and often electrically
conductive, drilling fluid. Furthermore, the dynamics of the
vibrating drill string also are inimical to maintaining a reliable
connection at the drill pipe joint.
In 1942, D.C. Hare filed a patent application suggesting the
use of inductive coupling in order to create a data link along
the drill string.4 His system also predicted the use of
condensers, rectifiers, and amplifiers to aid the transmission of
the signal from one pipe to another. The chief drawback to this
system was the high power necessary in order to drive the
signal the length of the string due to magnetic field losses in
the surrounding steel of the drill pipe.
R. T. Cloud also filed a patent application in 1942 for a
serial inductive coupling system.5 Cloud suggested the use of
a v-shaped trough of a magnetic alloy for focusing the
inductive signal, but he did not suggest a means for reducing
the high eddy-current losses that would result from use of an
electrically conductive material.
In 1963, A.H. Lord proposed an improvement to Hare’s
patent to help reduce the power required in the transformer
system.6 Despite the improvement in the power requirements
of this system, the relatively low life of the batteries, and the
difficulties associated with their installation within the drill
pipe joints, probably resulted in a lack of commercial support.
In 1986, R. A. Meador filed a patent application describing
another configuration for transformer coupling of the drill
pipes.7 Meador envisioned a current-coupled system that used
discrete toroidal coils at each joint, insulated from the steel
and joined to coils at the other end of the pipe by a conductor
wire. By insulating the system from the steel, Meador was
able to reduce electrical leakage to the surrounding steel.
2 SPE/IADC 79885
Meador’s system required relatively high power and produced
a low frequency signal that had limited band width and high
noise to signal ratio. However, data rates of this system were
an improvement over mud-impulse systems then in use.
In January 1987, Mig Howard filed an application that was
granted as a patent a year later describing a system that
utilized a Hall Effect sensor as a means to bridge the drill pipe
joint.8 Although this system successfully bridged the joint, the
signal was unidirectional, and it required complex electronic
circuitry and battery power to a coil and the Hall effect sensor
located in the joints. Data rates were limited to about 100
baud (bits/sec).
In July 1987, A.F. Veneruso filed an application that
resulted in a patent.9 A CIP to that application was filed in
1989 and granted in 1990.10 Like Howard, Veneruso’s
applications employed the use of a ferrite core. This system
relied on an unlimited power source at the surface that is
conveyed downhole through a continuous conductor wire.
Telemetry Drill Pipe System
The core technology behind the telemetry drill pipe system is
a passive communications link than connects discrete
components together. This link includes a high-speed data
cable traveling the length of each drill pipe section or
subassembly. The cable is positioned such that it is protected
within the pipe and tool joint, but does not interfere with
mudflow or the deployment of tools through the center of the
assembly. At either end of each section of drill pipe or drill
stem component, a non-contact line coupler is employed to
ensure that the data signal can be passed along to the next
component. Each coupler is encased within and protected by
the tool joints between mating sections. Figure 1 illustrates
this concept.
The non-contact line coupler shown in Figure 1 uses
inductive means to transmit data to an adjacent connection.
This coupler design includes an electrical coil positioned at the
end of each connection. When two connections are brought
together, the coil in one end of the first is brought into close
proximity with the coil in one end of the second. A carrier
signal in the form of an alternating current flowing through the
coil in either segment produces a changing electromagnetic
field that induces current flow in the other coil, thereby
transmitting the signal to the second joint.
Communication between two coils as just described occurs
passively: the coil on the sending side energizes the coil on
the receiving side. The signal is therefore sent from drill stem
component to drill stem component and does not require a
power source until losses in the transmission line require
boosting the signal. This boosting is accomplished by a
powered joint of full-length drill pipe inserted into the string at
approximately 1000 to 2000 ft intervals.
To minimize the required magnitude of the
electromagnetic field induced by the coils and thereby
minimize power loss, the mating coils are brought into close
physical proximity. Unlike previously developed “short hop”
electromagnetic data transmission systems, this link requires
the coupled signal to traverse a very small distance. Thus the
new system may be termed a “milli-hop” system to distinguish
it. The milli-hop system requires comparatively low power for
communications and can transmit high frequency signals in
the MHz range without substantial attenuation.
Tool Joint Configuration. The telemetry drill pipe system is
virtually transparent to rig personnel and operating
procedures. The tool joint incorporates an electrical coil in the
pin nose and corresponding box shoulder. A second-
generation double-shoulder tool joint configuration provides
an ideal location for coil placement.11 The coil is installed in a
protecting groove in the secondary torque shoulder. The
corresponding coils create a non-contacting inductive coupler
that transmits the signal across the tool joint interface.
As a means of minimizing power loss, the coils on either
end of the connection are each placed inside a trough of a
focusing material, such as ferrite. This material is electrically
insulating in a direction parallel to the flow of current through
the coil to minimize eddy current losses, and is highly
permeable magnetically to help “capture” the electromagnetic
field needed for inductive coupling. The low magnetic
reluctance of this material also allows the coil to be recessed
within the trough, thereby affording protection to the electrical
wires comprising the coil.
Figure 2 shows a cutaway view of the communications link
in a drill pipe connection. As shown, the inductive coil
contains a single loop or turn and is large enough in diameter
to fit in a shallow annular space inside the wall of the tool
joint. A protective wire cover is placed atop the inductive loop
within the ferrite trough. The inductive loop is connected to a
coaxial data cable inside a small conduit running lengthwise
through the tool joint. The overall drill pipe and tool joint
design achieves the goal of being transparent to the normal rig
operating procedures. No special handling or make-up
procedures are required. The rig will be equipped with a visual
display (likely a series of lights or an electrical meter) that will
provide a positive indication that the joint has been properly
made-up and an electrical circuit has been established. The
device can also provide an indication of the signal strength
assisting in determining when an amplifier joint is required in
the drill string to increase the signal strength.
Top Drive Sub. A top drive sub capable of receiving the
signal from the rotating drill string and transmitting this signal
to a data acquisition system has also been developed and
tested, see Figure 3. This sub is placed between the top drive
and the top joint of drill pipe in the string. The top drive sub
provides data transmission performance that is comparable to
the tool joint pin/box coupling even though the sub
incorporates a rotating joint.
Operational Testing
Bench–top and prototype testing has successfully
demonstrated that the telemetry drill pipe system can reliably
transmit long-range, high frequency signals. The system
operates efficiently at low power levels. Tests of prototype
couplers have shown that a signal can be transmitted passively
(without amplification) through at least 30 drill pipe joints or
approximately 1,000 ft while drilling in cased or open hole, at
frequencies in the 6 MHz range.
In early bench-top simulation testing, digital data rates of
up to 56 kBaud were achieved through simulated drill pipe
SPE/IADC 79885
joints using simple direct FM modulation of an RS-232 signal.
More recent testing using a more sophisticated digital modem
and the simulated joints has yielded error-free transmission in
the 2 Mbit/sec realm.
Drilling tests in an 100 ft well located near the telemetry
drill pipe research laboratory were conducted using test joints
consisting of pin/box members that were welded together to
form subs. The test well was equipped with a derrick, mud
pump, top drive, power tongs and driller’s consol. The well
permitted drilling of a cemented interval at the bottom of the
well. A conventional tri-cone, roller cutter bit was used for
the testing.
Approximately 34 ft of coaxial cable was run in a spiral
between the pin and box members to simulate Range 2 drill
pipe. A total of 30 subs were used to simulate approximately
1,000 ft of pipe. These tests successfully transmitted the signal
generated by an accelerometer installed in a near bit sub on a
real-time basis.
Grant Prideco XT57 tool joints were modified and used in
this well test program. The XT connection is depicted in
Figure 4. XT57 tool joints are generally welded to 5-1/2 or 5-
7/8 in. drill pipe. This tool joint configuration was selected for
testing because expectations are that initial telemetry drill pipe
applications will focus on deep-water and ERD applications
where the financial stakes are the highest. Table 1 includes
physical performance properties for the 5-7/8 in. 23.4 lb/ft S-
135 XT57 drill pipe with the most common tool joint
configuration of 7 in. OD by 4.250 in. ID. This same
configuration was used in the operational well test.
Finite element analysis of the modified XT57 connection
indicated that the physical performance properties of the
connection were not adversely affected by installation of the
necessary electrical components. Laboratory physical testing
is planned to confirm the FEA results.
A relay or booster joint will be required at intervals along
the length of the drill string. The booster joint is a full-length
drill pipe joint equipped with the necessary electronics to
provide error correction and amplification of the data signal. A
design goal was to transmit the signal a minimum of 1,000 ft
without signal amplification. The testing discussed above
illustrates that this goal has been accomplished. Based on the
bench-top and well tests, it may be possible to extend the
distance between relays beyond 1,000 ft and possibly up to as
far as 2,000 ft.
In the drilling tests, a 6V Peak-to-Peak (PP) signal (90 mW
into 50 ohm) at the bit sub gave a clean 80 mV PP signal (50
ohm load) at the surface, which was 32 inductive couples (30
joints of drill pipe, one connection between the near bit sub
and one connection at the top of the drill string to a top drive
sub) and 1000 electrical feet above the source signal. As can
be seen from the above data, the power requirements of the
telemetry drill pipe system are very low, offering extended
battery life.
In order to provide a suitable signal for the drilling test, a
bit sub was equipped with an accelerometer and an FM
modulator. This rudimentary “smart bit” was able to record
mud turbulence and bit vibration (roller cone bit on concrete)
in real time and send it to the surface by FM-modulation of the
carrier with the accelerometer signal. The audible portion of
the accelerometer signal (below 20 kHz) provided an audio
3
signal that enabled the ear to discriminate mud turbulence and
drilling activity.
To simulate a drilling environment, short joints were added
to the drill string during the course of the test. To assist in
verifying proper operation of the joints as they were added to
the string, an electronic circuit was built to detect the carrier
signal and actuate a light verifying joint makeup. Future field
uses of this carrier detection device include faulty joint
detection, make-up verification, and determination of signal
booster location.
Various rotary shoulder thread compounds were used to
determine if the thread compound adversely effected the
signal transmission. Zinc, copper and Teflon® based
compounds were tested. The results were consistent with each
compound yielding low signal strength losses during the tests.
In addition, attempts were made to disable the connections by
throwing sand on the connection threads and shoulders after
doping. The inductive coupling performed acceptably after
these compromised make-up attempts.
The testing also demonstrated the bi-directional
capabilities of the system. The near bit sub was equipped with
a switch that was activated with a command sent from the
surface. A command from the surface activated the sub from a
stand-by mode and could place it back in a stand-by mode
after completion of a test conserving battery life.
Full Scale Testing. Phase 3 testing included full scale testing
of the telemetry drill pipe system. The test well depth was
extended to 1,000 ft to accommodate 30 joints of Range 2
prototypes. The near bit sub was modified to incorporate a
temperature sensor, battery voltage monitoring capabilities
and to transmit a known, pre-programmed digital signal that
can be used to determine error rates of the system in addition
to the accelerometer and FM modulator. The 1,000 ft well was
used to test full-length prototypes for approximately six
months, using the pipe 8 to 10 days/month for six to
eight hours/day.
Rocky Mountain Oilfield Technology Center (RMOTC)
in Casper, Wyoming has been selected as the location for the
next phase of full-scale testing. The testing facility was
selected based on its ability to accommodate the 5-7/8 in.
23.40 lbf/ft S-135 R2 XT57 telemetry drill pipe and the
facility’s representation of actual rig and well conditions along
with its variety of sedimentary rock strengths over a limited
depth interval. The RMOTC testing facility offers 1,200 well
bores with well types ranging from vertical to highly deviated.
The RMOTC Rig No. 2 has a 112 ft mast that can support
280,000 lbf, and the triplex pump offers 700 H.P.
One hundred forty-five joints (approximately 4,500 ft) of
the 5-7/8 in. range two telemetry drill pipe will be used during
the testing program. A sub positioned above the bottom hole
assembly (BHA) will house an electronics module that will
deliver a known digital signal (data source) to the telemetry
pipe. Using a known digital source will provide the ability to
verify the accuracy of the system’s data transmission by
allowing the known input data to be compared to the output
data at the surface. This method allows the use of a
conventional, rather than “smart” BHA, since there is no
requirement to transmit data across the BHA. The sub will
also contain a temperature sensor, an accelerometer and a
4 SPE/IADC 79885
battery voltage monitor. Repeater joints used to amplify and
correct the passive data signal will be positioned at 1,000 ft
intervals along the drill string. The signal quality and strength
shall be measured prior to and after installing the repeater
joints to confirm a 1,000 ft minimum spacing length
requirement and quantify the spacing length that may be
achieved between boosters without amplification of the signal.
The testing program will begin by running 3,500 ft of drill
pipe with a plan to drill 1,000 ft of open hole with an 8-1/2 in.
bit. The packed hole BHA and tri-cone bit used during this
interval should provide drill string dynamics common to
vertical well types, which will subject the telemetry
components to actual vertical well conditions. Data output
from the telemetry system will be monitored continuously
throughout the bit run. Completion of the 1,000 ft interval
with continuous uninterrupted data transmission is the goal of
this test phase.
Upon running of each 1,000 ft interval, signal strength
and quality will be measured prior to installing a repeater
joint. A few stands shall be run immediately after that to
measure the performance of the repeater joint, which will
confirm a 1,000 ft minimum spacing requirement between
repeater joints. Once confirmed, backreaming and rotating off
bottom operations shall be performed with pumps on and off
to confirm data transmission capability during
these operations.
Installation of telemetry electronics is nearing completion
on several joints of Heavy Weight Drill Pipe (HWDP). Based
on availability, several of these joints may also be evaluated
during a portion of the test program.
Objectives for this phase of full-scale testing are
discussed below:
• Demonstrate the full-scale system’s ability to drill
with uninterrupted digital data transmission of at least
1.0 Mbit/sec (1,000 kbaud): further demonstrate the
system’s robustness and ability to provide reliable
digital data transmission during well operations such
as backreaming, rotating off bottom and drilling
when subjected to dynamic loads associated with
these operation types.
• Demonstrate the system’s ability to passively
transmit digital data for at least 1,000 ft before
amplification of the signal is required. Further,
demonstrate the system accurately transmits digital
data by using a known digital input source within the
string and confirming the system’s data output at
the surface.
• Demonstrate the functionality and gauge the
performance of the repeater joints with respect to
amplification and signal error correction.
• Demonstrate the system’s simplicity with respect to
typical running and handling procedures.
Concurrent with production of telemetry drill pipe for the
RMOTC testing, approximately 10,000 ft of additional pipe is
being converted for use in other test applications.
Approximately 3,000 ft of pipe will be sent to a major
MWD/LWD (Measurement-While-Drilling/Logging-While-
Drilling) company for use in their test well and to develop
interface hardware and software between their tools and the
telemetry drill pipe system. Upon successful completion of
this testing, it will be possible to use the telemetry drill pipe
system with commercially available MWD/LWD tools
and services.
An additional 1,000 to 2,000 ft is being readied for use in
the drilling of an actual well by a major operator. This pipe
will be used with an existing conventional string of drill pipe.
The data communication capabilities of the telemetry drill
pipe will not be used during this field test. The goal is to
expose the pipe to an actual field environment for an extended
period of time to determine the ruggedness of the pipe with
typical handling, make-up, running, and tripping procedures
and accumulated rotating hours. After drilling the well to total
depth, the pipe will be returned to the laboratory to verify its
ability to transmit high-speed data after long-term exposure to
field conditions.
Some of remaining pipe will be used in the 1,000 ft test
well at the research facility with the balance of the 10,000 ft
(4,000 to 5,000 ft) available for other future test programs.
The Downhole Internet (Downhole Drilling Network)
The key enabling technology for a downhole drilling network
is a means of real-time data transmission through the drill
string. Mud pulse telemetry is the current standard method for
transmitting MWD/LWD data from downhole tools to the
surface. Mud pulse telemetry data transmission rates are
approximately 8 to 10 bits/sec under ideal conditions.
Electromagnetic (EM) telemetry offers transmission rates of
up to approximately 100 bits/sec. This is significantly faster
than mud pulse but is still many orders of magnitude slower
that the telemetry drill pipe. In addition, EM technology
suffers from depth and formation related limitations. The drill
pipe telemetry system provides an engineered transmission
medium for optimum high-speed data transmission that offers
truly revolutionary gains compared to current transmission
methods. This high-speed drill string transmission line allows
communications between any number of devices along its
entire length. The system permits bi-directional
communication. Consequently, not only is high-speed
transmission of downhole data to the surface possible, but also
commands from the surface to devices downhole or even
between downhole devices can be sent, received and acted on.
Figure 5 shows a downhole network for a drilling
application. As shown, the network includes a number of
“smart” sensing or control devices, potentially including jars,
motors, bits, sensor subs, etc. These are arrayed along the
length of the drill string at strategic locations. The drill string
transmission line is the backbone of the system and provides
the means for forming a drilling network. This transmission
line is composed of telemetry drill pipe, heavyweight, drill
collars and other drill stem components. Each of the devices
mentioned above can be defined as a node on a downhole
network and can gather data or simply relay data from a
previous node to the next node. A transceiver at the top of the
well is used to strip the transmitted signal off the drill string
and send it to locations on the rig floor or, in encrypted form,
to the World Wide Web, making the data accessible to
operations engineers and managers throughout the world.
Proprietary software and hardware will be built into the
nodes to control the flow of information between devices.
SPE/IADC 79885
Since every node is identifiable, events that occur at a specific
node in the string can be correlated with a particular region of
the well. Thus, the downhole drilling network provides
enhanced real time information about the status of the well
and improves connectivity between downhole devices.
Operational Benefits
The technology discussed above has the potential to change
the paradigm of drill pipe from simply a drilling tool to an
information tool. Telemetry drill pipe can provide information
on the oil and gas companies’ most valuable asset:
hydrocarbons in their reservoirs. The system will make it
possible to obtain real time data from MWD/LWD tools on
downhole well parameters: pressure, temperature, directional
data, formation data, etc. This represents enabling technology
that improves drilling efficiency and safety and lowers well
costs. Telemetry drill pipe can also substantially improve well
productivity and enhance reservoir characterization leading to
optimized field exploitation.
With a substantially improved bandwidth, the
commercialization of downhole data should be achievable.
Currently, downhole sensors are common, but data rates are
low and multiple sensors must compete for limited bandwidth
transmission capabilities. With the bandwidth barrier
essentially removed, both the number of sensors and the
variety of sensors can be expanded. The distinction between
MWD and LWD should blur as downhole sensors are
fabricated with common data transmission architecture and
interchangeability of sensors develops. With surface command
a possibility, sensors can be diagnosed, tested and possibly
repaired, without making a special trip.
Drilling Efficiency Improvements. The technological
advancements offered by the downhole drilling network can
improve the overall drilling process promoting faster drilling,
maximizing on-bottom time and minimizing nonproductive
time. As a result, overall well costs can be reduced. Some of
the anticipated areas of drilling enhancements are
listed below:
• Improved bit life – real-time vibration data can be
used to optimize bit life.
• Reduce drill pipe trips to replace worn bits –
downhole vibration, torque at bit and other data can
more precisely assist in determine when a bit run is
necessary. This can increase the time between bit
runs and eliminate unnecessary bit runs.
• Optimize casing point selection – formation
MWD/LWD data can promote precise casing point
selection resulting in timesavings and in some cases
eliminating the use of contingency full or liner
casing strings.
• Enhanced well control – Real-time transmission of
pressure/temperature data can provide near
immediate kick detection improving well safety. A
distributed network of sensors, which can be
incorporated into the booster joints, can also track the
gas influx as it circulated out of the well to optimize
well control.
• Eliminate sidewall coring and wireline log runs.
5
• Reduce or eliminate nonproductive survey time to
retrieve MWD and LWD data – the high speed data
transmission rates permitted with the telemetry drill
pipe can greatly reduce or potentially eliminate off-
bottom survey data transmissions that are currently
necessary before drilling ahead.
• Permit increased use of Underbalanced Drilling
(UBD) techniques – Mud pulse telemetry is
problematic, at best, during UBD operations.
Electromagnetic telemetry can often be used as an
alternative to mud pulse, but depth and formation
related limitations can render this impractical.
Telemetry drill pipe will permit reliable, high-speed
data transmission during UBD. This can expand the
range of applications that can be drilled
underbalanced and improve the safety of
UBD operations.
• Drill string wear and vibration monitoring
capabilities can reduce drill string failures.
Large amounts of data will not intrinsically add value to a
drilling operation. This flood of new, high quality data will be
available at the surface in real time and can open up
opportunities for data mining entrepreneurs to help both
manage and understand the data on a real time basis.
With data rates largely removed as a sensor design
boundary, the industry can expect new tools and sensors that
have needed additional bandwidth to be developed
and commercialized.
More data and higher resolution measurements, coupled
with high data transmission rates will substantially reduce
time spent waiting for sensor data transmissions and retaking
of downhole measurements. With improved sensor
development, logging runs can be reduced or eliminated.
While this strategy is usually desired, the ability to add more
sensors while drilling combined with excellent data rates and
frequency should provide a meaningful challenge to the need
for open hole logging programs.
Productivity Improvements. Significant improvements in
well production should also result from telemetry drill
pipe technology:
• Real time, high-speed directional data will permit
precise entry into hydrocarbon bearing formations.
This can greatly improve production rates especially
in horizontal wells and minimize water production
from sands adjacent to the pay zone.
• Increased use of UBD, as discussed above, can also
improve well productivity by reducing formation
damage from drilling fluids.
• When combined with advanced MWD/LWD
technology that permits detection of formation data
ahead of the bit, telemetry drill pipe will allow
operators to alter the drilling fluid properties prior to
drilling into target formations, resulting in reduced
formation damage.
• Improved reservoir characterization – telemetry drill
pipe combined with advanced MWD/LWD can help
optimize well placement, accelerate the reserve
6 SPE/IADC 79885
prove-up process and enhance identification of
secondary pay zones.
Additional advancements relating to MWD and LWD will
likely be developed to take advantage of the capabilities of the
telemetry drill pipe system.
Recent and Future Development Efforts
Recent and future development efforts for the downhole-
drilling network are focused in several areas: performance
optimization of the telemetry link, telemetry drill pipe design
optimization for manufacturing efficiency, development of
commercial manufacturing equipment and techniques and the
broadening of development efforts to include other
applications for the telemetry link so that a complete surface-
to-bottom system will be available.
Efforts to optimize the telemetry link include making the
transmission line more efficient to reduce the amount of power
lost in the passive portion of the downhole network. This
effort includes: 1) construction of a physical tabletop model
that is the electrical equivalent of 30 joints, 2) testing of
various coupler designs in that model, 3) building a
mathematical model using data from the physical model for
calibration and 4) several iterations to optimize physical
geometry and electrical configuration of the cable, coil, and
focusing material in the transmission line. Considerations for
optimization include transmission range, power requirement,
robustness of the connection and manufacturability. This
development phase is essentially complete for what is
anticipated as the initial commercial design configuration.
Attenuation per joint has been reduced from 1.2 dB to
0.56 dB.
A means of wire protection has been developed and initial
tests have been performed. This protection incompases two
areas: sealing of the data cable, particularly in regions of
electrical connections, and protection of the cable along the
length of the drill pipe. Wire protection must be sufficient to
prevent gross failure (fatigue, impact damage, etc) or intrusion
of drilling fluid in the wire. Certain minimum system
robustness was achieved prior to initial laboratory and field
applications. This level of robustness has been verified by
testing the prototype pipe in drilling mud at high flow rates.
Continued development is expected beyond this minimum
level to yield system life comparable to the life of the drill
pipe. In addition to flow testing, connections will continue to
be tested for their ability to withstand multiple high torque
make-up and breakout cycles.
Auxiliary efforts will be expended in further proving and
demonstrating the mechanical and electrical robustness of the
telemetry drill pipe over an extended period of operation. It is
anticipated that approximately 2,000 – 3,000 ft of drill pipe
will be tested at a well test facility for a term of approximately
one year. In addition to this field-testing, laboratory testing to
quantify fatigue and ultimate strength of the modified drill
pipe and transmission line components is planned.
Included in the optimization of the transmission line, is the
formalization of the network design. This effort has focused
on providing hardware and software necessary to move from
the prototype unidirectional, single data source system to a bi-
directional communications system with multiple data inputs
arrayed anywhere along the length of the transmission line.
This task has encompassed completion of a formal network
design specification, development of the hardware and
software protocols to implement this system, development of a
top-hole data server and improvement of the repeater joint
designs to allow input of data at each of the repeater nodes as
well as data collection tools in the BHA. A first version of this
network has been bench tested and is currently being tested in
the 1,000 ft well at the research facility.
In parallel with the above work, development efforts will
be broadened to include the design and production of various
telemetry downhole tools so a complete surface-to-bottom
system will be available. This task includes the development
of means to wire non-upset tubulars such as drill collars,
HWDP, subs, stabilizers, jars, motors and other various
downhole tools. Of first importance is the design and
production of telemetry drill collars, HWDP and jars. Since
these tools are commonly run above the MWD/LWD,
completion of the telemetry designs for these tools will
provide a telemetry link direct to the surface from the
MWD/LWD data collection tools. One of the more
challenging tools identified to date is the jar due to the large
axial motion of the tool and the need to establish a high
integrity transmission line throughout the jar’s axial motion.
Efforts to convert these components are already ongoing with
HWDP and drill collars designs almost completed. As
mentioned above, wired HWDP joints are under construction
for possible use in the RMOTC test.
Once the link between the MWD/LWD is successfully
established, more development efforts can be placed toward
designing and retrofitting tools commonly run beneath the
MWD/LWD such as motors. This should then provide a
complete bit-to-surface high-speed telemetry link and open up
high bandwidth hungry technologies such as
seismic-at-the-bit technology.
Throughout the future development phases, full scale field-
testing will be ongoing. Current plans are to produce two full-
length telemetry drill strings for data collection testing in
actual wells. Results from this testing program will feed back
to the ongoing optimization and development efforts.
Conclusion
A reliable, rugged telemetry drill pipe system has been
developed. The system has the potential to change drill pipe
from simply a drilling tool to an information tool. Laboratory
and prototype testing has been successfully completed
demonstrating the potential of the system. Full scale testing in
a test well environment is planned for the near future. Testing
under actual field conditions will follow.
The system offers data transmission rates that are orders of
magnitude beyond the transmission rates for current mud
pulse and electromagnetic telemetry. Two-way or bi-
directional communication is possible with the system.
Commands from the surface or between downhole devices can
be sent, received and acted on.
Real-time data transmission through the drill string can be
used to establish a downhole drilling network. The downhole
drilling network can improve drilling efficiency, enhance well
safety and lower overall drilling costs. The network can also
significantly improve well productivity and enhance reservoir
characterization leading to optimized field development.
SPE/IADC 79885 7

Telemetry drill pipe and the downhole drilling network SI Metric Conversion Factors
will encourage oil industry engineers and scientists to create ft x 3.048* E - 01 = m
further MWD/LWD innovations to fully utilize the capabilities ft-lbf x 1.355 818 E + 00 = N-m
of this technology. gal x 3.785 412 E - 03 = m3
in. x 2.54* E + 00 = cm
Acknowledgments lbf x 4.448 222 E + 00 = N
The authors thank the management of Grant Prideco, psi x 6.894 757 E + 00 = kPa
IntelliServ and BP and the U.S. Department of Energy for * Conversion factor is exact.
their support and encouragement in publishing this paper.

References
1. Dickson, L.L. Jr. and Ward, E.G.: “Telemetering Drill String Table 1
with Self-Cleaning Connectors,” U.S. Patent No. 5-7/8 in. 23.4 lbf/ft (0.361 in. wall) S-135 XT57
3,696,332 (1972). Performance Properties
2. Denison, E.B., Dickson, L.L. and Marsh, G.L.:
“Telemetering Drill String with Piped Electrical Conductor,” XT57 7.000 in. OD x 4.250 in. ID
U.S. Patent No. 4,095,865 (1978). Tool Joint Torsional Strength- 79,000 ft-lbf
3. Cunningham, R.A.: “Telemetry Drill Pipe with Pressure Tool Joint Working Torque- 56,600 ft-lbf
Sensitive Contacts,” U.S. Patent No. 4,445,734 (1984). Pipe Body Performance Ratings:
4. Hare, D.G.C.: “Signal Transmission System,” U.S. Patent New Premium
No. 2,379,800 (1945). Torsion-ft-lb 105,500 83,000
5. Cloud, R.T.: “Transmission System,” U.S. Patent No. Tension-lb 844,200 666,500
Int. Pres.-psi 14,520 13,610
2,414,719 (1947). Collapse-psi 10,830 6,200
6. Lord, A.H.: “Signal Transmission System,” U.S. Patent No.
3,090,031 (1963)
7. Meador, R.A.: “Transformer Cable Connector,” U.S. Patent
No. 4,605,268 (1986).
8. Howard, M.A.: “Well Bore Data Transmission System,”
U.S. Patent No. 4,788,544 (1988).
9. Veneruso, A.F.: “Apparatus for Electromagnetically
Coupling Power and Data Signals Between Well Bore
Apparatus and the Surface,” U.S. Patent No.
4,806,928 (1989).
10. Veneruso, A.F.: “Apparatus for Electromagnetically
Coupling Power and Data Signals Between a First Unit and a
Second Unit and in Particular Between Well Bore Apparatus
and the Surface,” U.S. Patent No. 4,901,069 (1990).
11. Jellison, M.J., Hassmann, S.P., and Snapp, D.S.: “New
Developments in Drill Stem Rotary Shoulder Connections,”
paper IADC/SPE 62785 presented at the 2000 IADC/SPE
Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference. Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, September 11-13.
8 SPE/IADC 79885

High-speed
data cable

Non-contact
line couplers

Figure 1 – The non-contact line coupler uses induction to transmit data from one connection to another.

Double-Shoulder
Tool Joint

Line Coupler

High-speed
Data Cable

Protective
Wire Cover

Ferrite Trough

Inductive
Loop

Figure 2 – Cutaway view of the telemetry drill pipe system in a drill pipe connection. The inductive coil fits in a
shallow groove inside the secondary torque shoulder of the tool joint.
SPE/IADC 79885 9

Top Drive
Connection

Stator

Line Coupler
Figure 3 – A top drive sub provides a communication link between the rotating drill string and a data
acquisition system.

Figure 4 – High-performance, double shoulder tool joint used for the telemetry drill pipe. The inductive coupler is
incorporated into the secondary torque shoulder located at the end of the pin nose and corresponding
box location.
10 SPE/IADC 79885

WORLD WIDE WEB

Drillstem
Server
CPU

NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS
GATEWAY RELAY STATION
Intelligent Components

TRANSMISSION
LINE
Telemetry
Drill Pipe DOWNHOLE
Drill Collars NETWORK NODES
HWDP
Jars
Stabilizers
Motors

MWD, MCWD
POSITION FEEDBACK
AND CONTROL
BIT SENSORS

Figure 5 – The downhole drilling network includes a number of “smart” sensing or controlling devices,
potentially including jars, motors, bits, sensor subs, etc.