System and method to estimate a property in a borehole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12019198-B2
Application number	US-201916511819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Feb 16, 2012
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for estimating a first property in a borehole penetrating the earth is described. The apparatus includes a carrier configured to be conveyed through the borehole. The apparatus also includes a first sensor disposed at the carrier and configured to perform a first measurement of the first property, the first sensor having a first direction of sensitivity; a second sensor disposed at the carrier and configured to perform a second measurement of a second property, the second sensor having a second direction of sensitivity; and a processor configured to receive the first and second measurements and to correct the first measurement using the second measurement in order to estimate the first property.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for estimating a first property in a borehole penetrating the earth, the apparatus comprising:
a carrier configured to be conveyed through the borehole;
a first sensor disposed at the carrier and configured to perform a first measurement of the first property at a first location;
a second sensor disposed at the carrier and configured to perform a second measurement of a second property at a second location, the first property and the second property being different properties, wherein the first location partially or completely overlaps the second location; and
a processor configured to receive the first measurement and the second measurement and to correct the first measurement using the second measurement in order to estimate the first property.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor further comprises an antenna configured to transmit and receive an electromagnetic signal in response to an electrical property of an earth formation penetrated by the borehole in order to estimate the electrical property.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first property is resistivity, density, gamma radiation, dielectric permittivity, susceptibility, porosity, or conductivity.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises a wireline, a slickline, a drill string, or coiled tubing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor or the second sensor is at least semi-permeable to a signal emitted, respectively, by the second sensor or the first sensor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor defines an aperture through which the signal emitted by the other of the first sensor and the second sensor travels for performing the first measurement or the second measurement.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver, and the other of the first sensor and the second sensor is disposed between the transmitter and the receiver.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises an acoustic transducer configured to transmit and receive an acoustic signal that is related to a distance from the second sensor to a wall of the borehole.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a reflector, wherein the processor is further configured to measure a sound speed of drilling fluid disposed in the borehole based on a distance between the reflector and the second sensor.

10. A method for estimating a first property in a borehole penetrating the earth, the method comprising:
conveying a carrier through the borehole;
performing a first measurement of the first property at a first location using a first sensor disposed at the carrier;
performing a second measurement of a second property at a second location using a second sensor disposed at the carrier, the first property and the second property being different properties, wherein the first location partially or completely overlaps the second location; and
estimating the first property using a processor that receives the first measurement and the second measurement and corrects the first measurement using the second measurement.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the performing the second measurement comprises emitting and receiving an acoustic signal in order to measure a distance from the second sensor to a wall of the borehole.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the performing the second measurement includes receiving the acoustic signal reflected by a reflector to measure a sound speed of drilling fluid disposed in the borehole based on a known distance between the reflector and the second sensor.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the performing the first measurement further comprises emitting and receiving an electromagnetic signal using an antenna in order to estimate an electrical property of an earth formation penetrated by the borehole.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first property is resistivity, density, gamma radiation, porosity, conductivity, dielectric permittivity, or susceptibility.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor or the second sensor is at least semi-permeable to a signal emitted, respectively, by the second sensor or the first sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor defines an aperture through which the signal emitted by the other of the first sensor and the second sensor travels for performing the first measurement or the second measurement.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver, and the other of the first sensor and the second sensor is disposed between the transmitter and the receiver.

18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the carrier comprises a wireline, a slickline, a drill string, or a coiled tubing.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions for estimating a first property in a borehole penetrating the earth by implementing a method comprising:
receiving a first measurement of the first property at a first location using a processor, the first measurement being performed by a first sensor disposed in the borehole;
receiving a second measurement of a second property at a second location using the processor, the second measurement being performed by a second sensor disposed in the borehole, wherein the first location partially or completely overlaps the second location; and
estimating the first property by correcting the first measurement using the second measurement.

Assignees

• Hollstein Sven
• Kirchmeier Eduard
• Faber Hans Juergen
• Fulda Christian
• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Hollstein Sven
• Kirchmeier Eduard
• Faber Hans-Juergen
• Fulda Christian

Classifications

• 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

• E21B47/085

  using radiant means, e.g. acoustic, radioactive or electromagnetic · CPC title

• G01V11/00 Primary

  Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00 · CPC title

• G01V3/30

  operating with electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• G01V1/40 Primary

  specially adapted for well-logging · CPC title