High Quality Visualization In A Corrosion Inspection Tool For Multiple Pipes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191361-A1
Application number	US-201615303265-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes conveying a pipe inspection tool including one or more sensors into a wellbore having at least one pipe, transmitting an excitation signal from the pipe inspection tool and measuring response signals with the sensors, and processing the response signals to obtain measured responses. A map of the pipe is then generated based on the measured responses, where the map is divided into pipe ranges extending along the length of the pipe and each pipe range corresponds to a percentage of metal loss in the pipe. A photorealistic image is assigned to each pipe range based on the percentage of metal loss, and a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) image is then generated as a combination of each photorealistic image. The 2D or 3D image is then graphically visualized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
conveying a pipe inspection tool including one or more sensors into a wellbore having at least one pipe; transmitting one or more excitation signals from a transmitter antenna of the pipe inspection tool and measuring a plurality of response signals derived from the one or more excitation signals with the one or more sensors; processing the plurality of response signals and thereby obtaining a plurality of measured responses; generating a map of the at least one pipe based on the plurality of measured responses, wherein the map is divided into a plurality of pipe ranges extending along an axial length of the at least one pipe and each pipe range corresponds to a percentage of metal loss in the at least one pipe; assigning a photorealistic image to each pipe range based on the percentage of metal loss; generating a first two-dimensional (2D) image or a first three-dimensional (3D) image using the map, where the first 2D or 3D image is constructed as a combination of each photorealistic image; and graphically visualizing the first 2D or 3D image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the photorealistic image of one or more of the pipe ranges comprises an actual photograph of a real pipe having a defect.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the photorealistic image of one or more of the pipe ranges comprises a shaded or colored rendering of a 3D pipe model.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the photorealistic image to each pipe range comprises:
obtaining the photorealistic image from a projection of a 3D pipe model; and mapping the photorealistic image based on pipe parameters of the at least one pipe that are similar to pipe parameters of the 3D pipe model.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the pipe parameters of the at least one pipe are selected from the group consisting of pipe thickness, pipe diameter, pipe magnetic permeability, pipe eccentricity, pipe conductivity, defect size, perforation density, perforation count, existence of a pipe collar, and pipe collar thickness.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pipe is a first pipe arranged within a second pipe, the method further comprising:
generating a map of the second pipe based on the measured responses, the map being divided into a plurality of pipe ranges extending along an axial length of the second pipe and each pipe range of the second pipe corresponding to a percentage of metal loss in the second pipe; assigning a photorealistic image to each pipe range of the second pipe based on the percentage of metal loss; and generating a second 2D image or a second 3D image using the map of the second pipe, where the second 2D or 3D image is constructed as a collage of each photorealistic image of each pipe range of the second pipe.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising combining the first 2D or 3D image and the second 2D or 3D image and thereby generating a third 2D image or a third 3D image.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein combining the first 2D or 3D image and the second 2D or 3D image comprises at least one of:
stretching the first 2D or 3D image on top of the second 2D or 3D image; and overlaying the first 2D or 3D image on top of the second 2D or 3D image.

9 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising graphically visualizing the second 2D or 3D image.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising graphically visualizing the first 2D or 3D image and the second 2D or 3D image in a multi-layer image format.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising graphically visualizing the first 2D or 3D image and the second 2D or 3D image in a separate image format.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first 2D or 3D image comprises:
generating one or more sets of depths corresponding to one or more ranges of pipe parameters and based on a given thickness loss profile of the at least one pipe; grouping consecutive sets of depths of the one or more sets of depths into corresponding pipe ranges; and generating in a plot a photorealistic image corresponding to each range of pipe parameters and in each pipe range.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the map of the at least one pipe based on the plurality of measured responses comprises:
applying an inversion algorithm to the plurality of measured response and thereby obtaining an equivalent amount of metal loss; and assigning the photorealistic image to each pipe range based on the equivalent amount of metal loss.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first 2D or 3D image is displayed as a 3D image, the method further comprising rotating the at least one pipe in the 3D image and thereby viewing the first and second pipes from different azimuthal angles.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises an azimuthally distributed sensor array.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pipe inspection tool is one of a frequency-domain Eddy current tool or a time-domain Eddy current tool.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each photorealistic image of the first 2D or 3D image includes a common longitudinal axis that corresponds with a depth along a portion of the wellbore.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising undertaking a downhole operation based on analysis of the first 2D or 3D image.

19 . A non-transitory, computer readable medium programmed with computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer unit, perform the steps of:
processing a plurality of response signals derived from one or more sensors of a pipe inspection tool and thereby obtaining a plurality of measured responses corresponding to at least one pipe positioned in a wellbore; generating a map of the at least one pipe based on the plurality of measured responses, wherein the map is divided into a plurality of pipe ranges extending along an axial length of the at least one pipe and each pipe range corresponds to a percentage of metal loss in the at least one pipe; assigning a photorealistic image to each pipe range based on the percentage of metal loss; generating a first two-dimensional (2D) image or a first three-dimensional (3D) image using the map, where the first 2D or 3D image is constructed as a combination of each photorealistic image; and graphically visualizing the first 2D or 3D image.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Khalaj Amineh Reza
• Donderici Burkay

Classifications

• E21B47/085

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

• E21B47/092

  by detecting magnetic anomalies · CPC title

• G01V3/34

  Transmitting data to recording or processing apparatus; Recording data · CPC title

• G01V3/30

  operating with electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• G01V3/28

  using induction coils · CPC title