Advanced materials and sensors in well logging, drilling, and completion operations

Abstract The oil and gas well construction is often associated with the unknowns and uncertainties while executing the operations. Because, while drilling, the drilling bit is under the ground where the information is usually gained through interpreting several surface and downhole sensors. Considering the lack of direct access to and visual of the downhole in real-time, the information from these sensors is vital to carry out safe and engineered operations. Typically, these sensors relay basic information such as the pressure in the pipes via a pressure transducer, the weight of the pipes via load transducer, etc. In the well construction process, there are many events where data is not collected or merely the quality is less than desired. Recent want of automation of the well construction process of several oil and gas companies showed the advance and amount of the existing sensors is inadequate. There is a need for more advanced sensors to collect meaningful data and more advanced materials while constructing the well. In the process of well construction, there are many events that the sensors are not used and no data is collected. At the recent years, the oil and gas industry showed a keen interest in automation of the well construction. Researchers started to seek advanced sensors to automate the parts of the process, for example, automation of drilling fluid measurements, automation of pipe handling, etc. An example of drilling fluid measurement automation sensors and materials is presented. The results of this recent successful endeavor motioned the need for more emphasis on the advanced sensors and materials for well construction. In this chapter, the authors are providing a review of select relatively advanced materials and sensors in various disciplines in well construction. The oil and gas industry needs a stronger highlight on the better, advanced sensors and materials to carry out the operations safely and systematically. We hope that this review will increase awareness in the industry to gain more insight into the advanced sensors and materials and use them to accomplish safe and optimized operations.