Branch patch array for real time monitoring of surface micro-seismic waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939544-B2
Application number	US-201615073821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for acquiring seismic wave data includes a network of geophones and a seismic wave data receiving device coupled to the network and configured to receive the seismic wave data as an optical signal and process the seismic data in real time to provide locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in an earth formation. The network of geophones includes: a plurality of geophone channels, each channel having an array of geophones coupled to a field digitizer unit; an array of geophone patches having geophone channels connected in series by a metallic conductor; a plurality of geophone branches having a metallic conductor and a branch digitizer unit to connect geophone patches in series; a plurality of electrical to optical signal converters for converting signals received from branch digitizer units for transmission using an optical fiber; and a plurality of optical fiber segments for transmitting optical signals to the receiving device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for acquiring seismic wave data, the apparatus comprising:
a network of geophones; and
a seismic wave data receiving device coupled to the network of geophones and configured to receive the seismic wave data as an optical signal and process the seismic data in real time to provide locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in an earth formation;
the network of geophones comprising:
a plurality of geophone channels, each geophone channel comprising an array of geophones coupled to a field digitizer unit configured to convert an analog electrical signal from the geophones to an digital electrical signal, the array of geophones for each geophone channel being coupled to the corresponding field digitizer unit by a metallic conductor;
an array of geophone patches, each geophone patch comprising a unique subset of the plurality of geophone channels with the field digitizer units of the subset being connected in series by a metallic conductor;
a plurality of geophone branches, each geophone branch comprising a metallic conductor and a branch digitizer unit configured to connect to one geophone patch or multiple geophone patches in series to relay a received digital electrical signal having seismic wave data from the one or multiple geophone branches;
a plurality of electrical signal to optical signal (E/O) converters configured to convert an electrical signal received from a branch digitizer unit at an end of the multiple geophone patches in series or single geophone patch to an optical signal for transmission using an optical fiber; and
a plurality of optical fiber segments, each optical fiber segment configured to convey an optical signal received from an E/O converter, wherein at least a subset of the E/O converters are connected in series with one E/O converter at an end of the series connected to the seismic wave data receiving device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the array of geophones in at least one geophone channel in the plurality of geophone channels comprises a plurality of geophone strings with each geophone string comprising multiple geophones electrically connected in parallel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of geophone strings are electrically connected in parallel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each field digitizer unit is configured to provide a unique identifier to the corresponding digital electrical signal to identify that field digitizer unit so that measurements performed by the corresponding array of geophones are uniquely identified.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein geophone patches in the array of geophone patches do not overlap an area of coverage with each other.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each geophone patch is separated from one or more adjacent geophone patches by at least 500 feet.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a single geophone patch is connected to one E/O converter by a geophone branch.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a geophone branch in the plurality of geophone branches comprises multiple geophone branches connected in series.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein seismic wave data is transmitted to the seismic wave data receiving device at a speed of at least eight mega-bits per second.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each E/O converter is locally powered by a battery.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the seismic wave data receiving device comprises a recorder configured to record received seismic wave data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the seismic wave data receiving device comprises a processor configured to invert the received seismic wave data in accordance with an inversion algorithm to provide the locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the seismic wave data receiving device further comprises an output interface configured to transmit a signal comprising the locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic fracturing system configured to fracture the earth formation in order to emit seismic waves into the earth formation, the hydraulic fracturing system comprising a variable or element used in fracturing the earth formation, wherein the variable or element is changeable based upon the locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the variable or element of hydraulic fracturing system comprises a fracturing pressure, a fracture fluid flowrate, a type of sand injected into the fractures, or some combination therein.

16. A method for acquiring seismic wave data, the method comprising:
fracturing an earth formation to emit seismic waves using a hydraulic fracturing system;
receiving seismic waves that travel through the earth formation using a network of geophones disposed at a surface of the earth that provides seismic wave data;
transmitting the seismic wave data to a seismic wave data receiving device coupled to the network of geophones in real time, the seismic wave data receiving device being configured to receive the seismic wave data as an optical signal and process the seismic data in real time to provide locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation;
transmitting the locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation to a user; and
changing a variable or element of the hydraulic fracturing system based on the locations and corresponding sizes of fractures in the earth formation;
wherein the network of geophones comprises:
a plurality of geophone channels, each geophone channel comprising an array of geophones coupled to a field digitizer unit configured to convert an analog electrical signal from the geophones to an digital electrical signal, the array of geophones for each geophone channel being coupled to the corresponding field digitizer unit by a metallic wire;
an array of geophone patches, each geophone patch comprising a unique subset of the plurality of geophone channels with the field digitizer units of the subset being connected in series by a metallic wire;
a plurality of geophone branches, each geophone branch comprising a metallic conductor and a branch digitizer unit configured to connect to one geophone patch or multiple geophone patches in series to relay a received digital electrical signal having seismic wave data from the one or multiple geophone branches;
a plurality of electrical signal to optical signal (E/O) converters configured to convert an electrical signal received from a branch digitizer unit at an end of the multiple geophone patches in series or single geophone patch to an optical signal for transmission using an optical fiber; and
a plurality of optical fiber segments, each optical fiber segment configured to convey an optical signal received from an E/O converter, wherein at least a subset of the E/O converters are connected in series with one E/O converter at an end of the series connected to the seismic wave data receiving device.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising fracturing the earth formation using the hydraulic fracturing system with the changed variable or element.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the variable or element of hydraulic fracturing system comprises a fracturing pressure, a fracture fluid flowr

Assignees

• Perez Gilberto Gomez
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Perez Gilberto Gomez

Classifications

• G01V2210/1425

  Land surface · CPC title

• G01V1/226 Primary

  Optoseismic systems · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• G01V1/40 Primary

  specially adapted for well-logging · CPC title