Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Sensortran, Inc.

David Andrew Barfoot

John L Maida

John Laureto Maida, Jr

Andreas Ellmauthaler

Leonardo De Oliveira Nunes

Neal Gregory Skinner

Daniel Joshua Stark

Christopher Lee Stokely

Etienne M Samson

Mark Elliott Willis

Hua Xia

Avinash Vinayak Taware

Mikko K Jaaskelainen

Michel Joseph LeBlanc

Satyan Gopal Bhongale

Tasneem Mandviwala

Wolfgang Hartmut Nitsche

Yenny Natali Martinez

Paul H McPhail

Xiang Wu

Han-Sun Choi

Jose R Sierra

Kari-Mikko Jaaskelainen

Somit S Mathur

Karl P Herb

Leonardo De Nunes

Peter James Boul

Wei Zhang

Jason Edward Therrien

Ira Jeffrey Bush

Kent Kalar

Henry Clifford Bland

Amit Padhi

Kristoffer Thomas Walker

Glenn Robert McColpin

Kwang Il Suh

Eric Charles Hoenes

Matthew Flint Kepler

Xinwei Lan

Will R Grigsby

Casey Giron

Michael W Shaw

Mark Frank

Benjamin M Banack

Neerja Aggarwal

Christopher Lee Stokley

David L Oles

John Herbert Dailing

Christoper Lee Stokely

Jeffrey Easton

Paul H Mcphail

Distributed sensing systems and methods with spatial location correlation of a reflection produced along an electromagnetic (EM) waveguide. A distributed sensing system comprises an EM waveguide, a distributed sensing interrogator, and a processor. The distributed sensing interrogator comprises a transmitter coupled to the EM waveguide and generates an interrogation pulse through the EM waveguide. The distributed sensing interrogator also comprises a receiver coupled to the EM waveguide and responsive to backscattered EM waves propagating through the EM waveguide. The processor determines a spatial location associated with a reflection produced along the EM waveguide using a return signal generated from the reflection by the interrogator and an interrogation signal including the interrogation pulse.

Distributed sensing systems and methods with spatial location correlation

A system and methods of an active protection system (or 'APS') for a platform. The APS has a threat cueing sensor provided at a first position on the platform where the threat cueing sensor detects a threat launched from a threat guidance system at a distance away from the platform. The APS also has a logic system operably connected to the threat cueing sensor where the logic system is adapted to determine an estimated location of the threat guidance system via a distance away from the platform. The APS also has a laser source operably connected to the logic system where the laser source emits a countermeasure beam directed at the estimated location of the threat guidance system to deter the threat away from the platform.

System and method for active protection system range estimation

Various embodiments include apparatus and methods implemented to take into consideration gauge length in optical measurements. In an embodiment, systems and methods are implemented to interrogate an optical fiber disposed in a wellbore, where the optical fiber is subjected to seismic waves, and to generate a seismic wavefield free of gauge length effect and/or to generate a prediction of a seismic wavefield of arbitrary gauge length, based on attenuation factors of a plurality of wavefields acquired from interrogating the optical fiber. In an embodiment, systems and methods are implemented to interrogate an optical fiber disposed in a wellbore, where the optical fiber is subjected to seismic waves, and to convert a seismic wavefield associated with a first gauge length to a seismic wavefield associated with a different gauge length that is a multiple of the first gauge length. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Gauge length effect and gauge length conversion

A backscattered signal can be received from a sensing fiber that extends into a wellbore. The backscattered signal can have been generated based on an optical signal launched into the sensing fiber. A first delayed signal, a second delayed signal, a first non-delayed signal, and a second non-delayed signal can be generated from the backscattered signal. A polarization control device can shift a polarization of the first delayed signal or the first non-delayed signal. A first demodulated signal can be determined based on the first delayed signal and the first non-delayed signal. A second demodulated signal can be determined based on the second delayed signal and the second non-delayed signal. Data about an environment of the wellbore can be determined by processing the first demodulated signal and the second demodulated signal to compensate for noise in the first demodulated signal or the second demodulated signal.

Distributed acoustic sensing system with a polarization control device for improving signal-to-noise ratio

In some embodiments, a method and apparatus, as well as an article, may operate to determine downhole properties based on detected optical signals. An optical detection apparatus can include an optical detector including a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) for detecting light received at an input section of fiber optic cable. The optical detection apparatus can further include a cryogenic cooler configured to maintain the temperature of a light-sensitive region of the SNSPD within a superconducting temperature range of the SNSPD. Downhole properties are measured based on detected optical signals received at the optical detection apparatus. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Cooled single-photon detector apparatus and methods

A laser mast for attachment to a ground vehicle includes a mast, a rotary stage, a platform, a first laser, and a second laser. The rotary stage is connected to and rotates the mast. The platform is connected to the rotary stage. The first laser is within the mast. The second laser is within the rotary stage or the platform.

Soft kill laser configuration for ground vehicle threats

A method and system can include positioning an optical waveguide along a wellbore, and launching one or more optical signals into the waveguide at one or more optical signal frequencies and during one or more time periods, thereby resulting in one or more backscattered signals being received by the receiver, which produces a trace for each of the one of more backscattered signals. Changing an environmental condition in the wellbore, generating additional backscattered light signals at one or more frequencies after the change. Comparing the traces generated before the condition change to those generated after the change, identifying a before trace and an after trace that are substantially equal to each other and identifying a frequency difference between these traces. The frequency difference can be used to determine the amount of change in the environmental condition that occurred when the environmental change event happened.

Detecting changes in an environmental condition along a wellbore

A soft-kill countermeasure system utilizing a tracking radar to enhance existing countermeasures and enable new countermeasures to be utilized to combat the ever evolving and increasing sophistication of threats. The use of the tracking radar may further allow for immediate threat defeat confirmation which may allow for rapid or immediate redirection of the countermeasure system to address additional simultaneous threats.

Methods for enhanced soft-kill countermeasure using a tracking radar

A cementing tool with a top seal and a bottom seal may be positionable within a casing string of a wellbore. A fiber optic line may be coupled to the top seal and to a second fiber optic line coupled to a bottom seal that is deployed within an annulus. An amplifier coupled to the cementing tool may amplify a source optical signal from a light source and a sensing measurement signal from the second fiber optic line and the first fiber optic line. One or more operational parameters, such as cementing parameters, may be adjusted based, at least in part, on the sensing measurement signal.

Mitigation of attenuation for fiber optic sensing during cementing

Faded channels in a distributed acoustic sensing system can be mitigated using a phase modulator. A first pulse and a second pulse of an optical signal can be determined. A phase modulator can modulate the first pulse to have a different wavelength than the second pulse. The first pulse can be launched into a sensing fiber that extends into a wellbore. A first backscattered signal can be received from the sensing fiber in response to the first pulse being launched into the sensing fiber. The second pulse can be launched into the sensing fiber and a second backscattered signal can be received from the sensing fiber. Data about an environment of the wellbore can be determined by processing the first backscattered signal and the second backscattered signal to compensate for fading in the first backscattered signal or the second backscattered signal.

Distributed acoustic sensing system with phase modulator for mitigating faded channels

In some embodiments, a method and apparatus, as well as an article, may operate to determine properties based on detected optical signals. An optical detection apparatus can include an optical detector for detecting light received through a fiber optic cable; a housing for enclosing the optical detector; a light source; and a cooling mechanism having the housing mounted thereto. The cooling mechanism can maintain the temperature of a light-sensitive region of the optical detector within a temperature range below 210 degrees Kelvin. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Cooled optical apparatus, systems, and methods

In some embodiments, a method and apparatus, as well as an article, may operate to determine downhole properties based on detected optical signals. An optical detection system can include a fiber optic cable having a sensing location to generate a backscattered Rayleigh signal representative of measurement parameters. The optical detection system can further include a light source to transmit a measurement signal to cause the sensing location to provide the backscattered Rayleigh signal. The optical detection system can further include an optical detector comprising a single-photon detector (SPD) for detecting the backscattered Rayleigh signal received over the fiber optic cable. The optical detection system can further include circuitry to produce an acoustic signal representative of a downhole property based on the phase of the backscattered Rayleigh signal. Additional apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Arrayed distributed acoustic sensing using single-photon detectors

An example system for detecting mud pump stroke information comprises a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data collection system coupled to a downhole drilling system, a stroke detector coupled to a mud pump of the downhole drilling system configured to detect strokes in the mud pump and to generate mud pump stroke information based on the detected strokes, and a fiber disturber coupled to the stroke detector and to optical fiber of the DAS data collection system configured to disturb the optical fiber based on mud pump stroke information generated by the stroke detector. The system further comprises a computing system comprising a processor, memory, and a pulse detection module operable to transmit optical signals into the optical fiber of the DAS data collection system, receive DAS data signals in response to the transmitted optical signals, and detect mud pump stroke information in the received DAS data signals.

Mud pump stroke detection using distributed acoustic sensing

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

David Andrew Barfoot