Obstacle detection systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12078771-B2
Application number	US-202217834562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 21, 2019
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A system and method of detecting subsurface karst features includes receiving surface mapping data. A potential surface pad location can be identified in view of the surface mapping data. A resistivity survey for the potential surface pad location can be designed. The resistivity survey can include at least one long line extending through a surface hole for each of one or more wellbores in the potential surface pad location, and a short line extending through the surface hole of one of the one or more wellbores, each short line intersecting the long line substantially at the surface hole of one of the one or more wellbores. High resistivity areas exceeding approximately 150 Ohm per meter can be identified as sub surface karst features within the resistivity survey.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obstacle avoidance in a subterranean formation in connection with a drilling operation, the method comprising:
receiving a data set for an area of interest of the subterranean formation from at least one of one or more light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, one or more satellite imagery systems, one or more air-borne gravity systems, or one or more three-dimensional seismic systems;
identifying a potential surface pad location for the area of interest using the data set, the potential surface pad location including a surface hole for a wellbore;
generating a survey for the potential surface pad location based on the data set;
determining, using the survey for the potential surface pad location, whether one or more obstacles are present in the subterranean formation disposed relative to the potential surface pad location; and
adjusting the potential surface pad location when the one or more obstacles are present in the subterranean formation disposed relative to the potential surface pad location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the survey includes a resistivity survey, the one or more obstacles include karst features disposed shallow in the subterranean formation relative to the surface hole.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the one or more obstacles are present in the subterranean formation using a three-dimensional (3D) seismic data set acquired for the potential surface pad location, wherein, the one or more obstacles include karst features disposed deep in the subterranean formation relative to the surface hole.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the survey includes a resistivity survey.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the resistivity survey is generated using one or more first lines and one or more second lines.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more first lines extend through the surface hole and the one or more second lines intersect the one or more first lines at the surface hole.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more first lines and the one or more second lines include a plurality of electrodes.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are disposed along a length of at least one of the one or more first lines or the one or more second lines with an even spacing.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more first lines are longer than the one or more second lines.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a distal electrode is linearly disposed from an end of the one or more first lines.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set includes surface mapping data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set includes surface topography data.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set includes an airborne gravity data set.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set includes a seismic data set.

15. A method for obstacle avoidance in a subterranean formation in connection with a drilling operation, the method comprising:
receiving a data set for an area of interest of the subterranean formation;
identifying a potential surface pad location for the area of interest using the data set, the potential surface pad location including a surface hole for a wellbore;
generating a survey for the potential surface pad location based on the data set;
generating a resistivity profile for the potential surface pad location;
detecting one or more obstacles present in the subterranean formation disposed relative to the potential surface pad location based on the resistivity profile; and
adjusting the potential surface pad location when the one or more obstacles are present in the subterranean formation disposed relative to the potential surface pad location.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more obstacles include karst features disposed in the subterranean formation.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the data set includes at least one of surface mapping data, surface topography data, an airborne gravity data set, or a seismic data set.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the survey is generated using one or more first lines and one or more second lines, the one or more first lines extending through the surface hole and the one or more second lines intersecting the one or more first lines at the surface hole.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more first lines and the one or more second lines include a plurality of electrodes.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the data set is received from at least one of one or more light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, one or more satellite imagery systems, one or more air-borne gravity systems, or one or more three-dimensional seismic systems.

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Hoang Phuong
• Soofi Khalid A
• Lascaud Benjamin
• Boyle Patrick R

Classifications

• G01C15/002

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title

• G01C11/00

  Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying · 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

• G01V3/04

  using DC · CPC title

• G01C11/025

  by scanning the object · CPC title