Fossil recognition apparatus, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690989-B2
Application number	US-201214370925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2012
Priority date	Jan 19, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to acquire fluid image information from an imaging device having a field of view including fluid, the fluid image information including fossil image information. Additional activities may include processing the fossil image information to identify fossil types in the fluid as data that associates the fossil types with a formation from which the fluid was acquired, determining the location of a first borehole in the formation based on the data and offset records associated with a second borehole, and publishing the data in conjunction with indications of the location. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method, comprising:
acquiring digital fluid image information utilizing an imaging device in a down hole tool operated downhole in a first borehole, the imaging device having a field of view including a fluid sample, the digital fluid image information including digital fossil image information of fossils in the fluid sample, said acquiring digital fluid image information including,
drawing the fluid sample from a formation around a borehole into a sampling tool;
adding dye from a reservoir in the down hole tool to the fluid sample captured between an optically transparent window and another surface within a receptacle; and
the imaging device acquiring the digital fluid information for the captured fluid sample;

electronically comparing the digital fossil image information with one or more references to identify fossil types in the fluid sample and to generate fossil data that is representative of the identified fossil types, the fossil data associated with the formation from which the fluid sample was acquired;
determining a location of the first borehole in the formation associated with the fluid sample based on the fossil data and offset records associated with a second borehole; and
publishing the fossil data in conjunction with indications of the location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dye is to enhance contrast of fossils in the fluid sample or to enhance contrast of particles other than fossils in the fluid sample, or both.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after electronically comparing the digital fossil image information, adding acid from a reservoir in the down hole tool to the fluid to dissolve fossils in the fluid sample.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronically comparing comprises:
electronically comparing the digital fluid image information to the one or more references using an image recognition algorithm to determine the fossil image information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the image recognition algorithm comprises a facial recognition algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
capturing the fluid sample by pumping the fluid sample into the receptacle within the down hole tool.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
pumping a cleaning fluid from a reservoir in the down hole tool to flush fossils and other objects from the windowed receptacle.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the receptacle to move fossils into the field of view, to provide new values of the digital fossil image information.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining spectral information from the fluid sample to augment the digital fluid image information and to locate fossils in the fluid sample.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
steering a borehole drill bit during a drilling operation based at least in part on the fossil data, including presence or absence of selected ones of the fossil types.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating an Earth formation model based on the fossil data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the publishing comprises:
publishing trends in the fossil data.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
compressing fossils in the fluid sample between the optically transparent window and a compliant surface.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting a focal plane of the imaging device using focal markers on a surface used to contain the fluid sample.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating or shifting a focal plane associated with the imaging device into the field of view to focus an observation lens of the imaging device.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting at least a portion of the fossil data from down hole to a surface processor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
transmitting the at least a portion of the fossil data via telemetry.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adding dye and a first clean fluid to form dyed fluid that is used to flush out the captured fluid from the receptacle; and
washing the dyed fluid out with a second clean fluid to expose fossils associated with the fossil types between an optically transparent window and another surface forming part of the receptacle.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
agitating a wall of the formation to cause fossils associated with the fossil types to mix into the fluid.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the fluid sample containing fossils associated with the fossil types in a container for transport.

Assignees

• Hay Richard Thomas
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Hay Richard Thomas

Classifications

• E21B49/08 Primary

  Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• G01N33/241

  for hydrocarbon content · CPC title

• G06K9/00221

  Physics · mapped topic

• E21B49/081

  with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample (E21B49/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B47/0002

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic