Anadrill, Inc.

Alexandre Kosmala

David L Malone

Peter Masak

Methods for recovering a LWD or MWD data signal in the presence of mud pump noise are provided and generally comprise calibrating the drilling mud pressure as a function of the mud pump piston position, and then tracking the piston position during transmission of the LWD or MWD data signal and using the calibration information to subtract out the mud pump noise. Calibration is accomplished in the absence of the LWD or MWD data signal to provide a correlation between mud pump piston position and the drilling mud pressure. Then, when the LWD or MWD data signal is being generated, the mud pump piston position is tracked such that the pressure due to the pump can be subtracted and the LWD or MWD signal recovered. Where a plurality of mud pumps are being utilized, calibration is accomplished by running the mud pumps together in the absence of the LWD or MWD data signal, and processing the received mud pressure signals in the Fourier domain to allocate respective portions of the mud pressure signals to respective mud pumps such that each mud pump is provided with a signature as a function of its own piston position. With the piston position of each mud pump being tracked, the sum of the mud pressure signals generated by the mud pumps based on their piston positions is subtracted from the total received signal to recover the LWD or MWD signal.

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Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Alexandre Kosmala