Dielectric logging tool comprising high-impedance metamaterials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656302-B2
Application number	US-201515512395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

An example logging tool may include at least one transmitter antenna and at least one receiver antenna. A first high-impedance metamaterial may be disposed between the transmitter antenna and the receiver antenna. The first high-impedance metamaterial may include a periodic arrangement of patches, each of the patches being electrically coupled to a ground plane using a via.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A logging tool, comprising:
a first transmitter antenna;
a second transmitter antenna;
a plurality of receiver antennas adjacent to each other and disposed between the first transmitter antenna and the second transmitter antenna, wherein the first transmitter antenna, the second transmitter antenna and the plurality of receiver antennas share a common ground plane; and
a first metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between the first transmitter antenna and a first receiver antenna of the plurality of receiver antennas and a second metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between the second transmitter antenna and a second receiver antenna of the plurality of receiver antennas to block one or more surface currents between the first and second transmitter antennas and the plurality of receiver antennas and to at least one of attenuate or remove direct coupling between the first and second transmitter antennas and the plurality of receiver antennas, wherein the first metamaterial is disposed at a distance from both the first transmitter antenna and the first receiver antenna and the second metamaterial is disposed at a distance from both the second transmitter antenna and the second receiver antenna.

2. The logging tool of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial comprises a periodic arrangement of patches, each of the patches being electrically coupled to a ground plane using a via.

3. The logging tool of claim 2 , wherein the via is coupled to each patch in the center of the patch.

4. The logging tool of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial comprises a Sievenpiper metamaterial.

5. The logging tool of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial has an electromagnetic bandgap property.

6. The logging tool of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic bandgap property includes an electromagnetic bandgap of 10 MHz to 5 GHz.

7. The logging tool of claim 1 , further comprising a third metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between a first end of the logging tool and the first transmitter antenna and a fourth metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between a second end of the logging tool and the second transmitter antenna.

8. The logging tool of claim 7 , wherein the third metamaterial and the fourth metamaterial are configured to cause electromagnetic waves to be directed in a particular direction.

9. The logging tool of any one of claim 2 , wherein the vias electrically couple each of the patches to the ground plane through a dielectric substrate.

10. The logging tool of claim 1 , further comprising a metallic pad, wherein one or more of the at least the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial is disposed on or embedded in the metallic pad, the metallic pad forms the common ground plane.

11. The logging tool of claim 10 , further comprising a shaft to which the metallic pad are coupled, and a microlog (ML) tool coupled to the shaft.

12. The logging tool of claim 10 , further comprising a dielectric coating disposed on the metallic pad such that each of the first transmitter antenna, the second transmitter antenna, the plurality of receiver antennas, the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial are disposed between the metallic pad and the dielectric coating.

13. A method, comprising:
positioning a logging tool in a wellbore within a subterranean formation;
emitting electromagnetic waves into the subterranean formation from at least one of a first transmitter antenna and a second transmitter antenna disposed on the logging tool; and
receiving responsive electromagnetic waves from the subterranean formation by at least one of a plurality of receiver antennas disposed on the logging tool, wherein a first metamaterial is disposed on the logging tool between antenna and between the second transmitter and a first receiver antenna of the plurality of receiver antennas and a second metamaterial is disposed between the second transmitter antenna and a second receiver antenna of the plurality of receiver antennas to block one or more surface currents between the first and second transmitter antennas and the plurality of receiver antennas and to one of attenuate or remove direct coupling between the first transmitter antenna and the first receiver antenna and the second transmitter antenna and the second receiver antenna, wherein the first metamaterial is disposed at a distance from both the first transmitter antenna and the first receiver antenna, and wherein the first transmitter antenna, the second transmitter antenna and the plurality of receiver antennas share a common ground plane.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial comprises a periodic arrangement of patches, each of the patches being electrically coupled to a ground plane using a via.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the via is coupled to each patch in the center of the patch.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial comprises a Sievenpiper metamaterial.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial has an electromagnetic bandgap property.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic bandgap property includes an electromagnetic bandgap of 10 MHz to 5 GHz.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the logging tool comprises a third metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between a first end of the logging tool and the first transmitter antenna and a fourth metamaterial disposed on the logging tool between a second end of the logging tool and the second transmitter antenna.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein
emitting electromagnetic waves into the subterranean formation from at least one of the first and second transmitter antennas disposed on the logging tool comprises directing the emitted electromagnetic waves in a particular direction through the third metamaterial and the fourth metamaterial; or
receiving responsive electromagnetic waves from the subterranean formation at the plurality of receiver antennas disposed on the logging tool comprises directing the emitted electromagnetic waves in a particular direction through the third metamaterial and the fourth metamaterial.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the via electrically couples each of the patches to the ground plane through a dielectric substrate.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the logging tool comprises a metallic pad and wherein at least one of the first metamaterial and the second metamaterial are disposed on or embedded in the metallic pad, the metallic pad forms the common ground plane.

23. The method of claims 22 , wherein the logging tool comprises a dielectric coating disposed on the metallic pad such that each of the transmitter antenna, the receiver antenna, and the first metamaterial are disposed between the metallic pad and the dielectric coating.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Ewe Wei-Bin
• Song Rencheng
• Wilson Glenn Andrew

Classifications

• G01V3/30 Primary

  operating with electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title