The world is seeing a technological revolution in wireless communication and sensing. With the ever-increasing demand for wireless devices and additional smart functionalities in existing technologies, a significant amount of research has been directed towards wireless technology and sensing devices. As a result, microwave devices and systems, which constitute the backbone of all communication systems, have significantly advanced in recent years. Sensors and sensor networks are used to report very small environmental changes and provide feedback for informed decision-making. They are becoming an inseparable part of daily life and are widely used in many industry sectors. Despite this progress, the oil industry lacks wireless sensing platforms due to the harsh operating environment (high temperature, high pressure, corrosive fluids) and difficulty in transferring power and data down the wellbore. The potential benefits of deploying existing knowledge on wireless ICT (information and communication technology) for the Canadian energy sector are significant.
Here, we propose to provide Canada’s energy industry with a breakthrough in technology for intelligent wellbore completion and operation, with in situ and real-time monitoring of SAGD production wells. This can be achieved through a wireless laboratory in SAGD wells.