Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Sensortran, Inc.

Other

Kwang Il Suh

Mikko K Jaaskelainen

Ira Jeffrey Bush

Chung E Lee

Michel LeBLANC

Glenn Andrew Wilson

John Laureto Maida, Jr

David Andrew Barfoot

Andreas Ellmauthaler

Kent Kalar

Mahesh Ajgaonkar

Neha Sahdev

Rafat R Ansari

Ira Jeff Bush

Chung Lee

A method for distributed acoustic sensing includes sending a first optical pulse down an optical fiber, wherein light from the first optical pulse is backscattered from positions along a length of the optical fiber according to coherent Rayleigh scattering; splitting backscattered light from the first optical pulse into a first portion for a first interferometer and a second portion for a second interferometer, the first interferometer having a first gauge length and the second interferometer having a second gauge length, wherein the first gauge length is different from the second gauge length; detecting a first interferometric signal from the first interferometer responsive to the first portion of backscattered light; detecting a second interferometric signal from the first interferometer responsive to the second portion of backscattered light; and processing the first and second interferometric signals for two different sensing applications adapted for the first and second gauge lengths, respectively.

Simultaneous distributed acoustic sensing with multiple gauge lengths

A method, includes: detecting one or more properties of a waveguide having a downhole end and an uphole end; and responsive to the detected one or more properties, positioning into a passage of a wellbore the waveguide to minimize tension thereof.

Method and system for detecting one or more properties, positioning, and minimizing tension of a waveguide

A fiber optic sensing (FOS) system may include a Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analyzer (BOTDA) unit, a first fiber optical cable optically connected to the BOTDA interrogator unit at a first end, and an optical feedthrough system (OFS) optically connected the first fiber optical cable at a second end of the first fiber optical cable. The FOS system may further comprise a fiber optic cable forming a loop within a wellbore that is optically connected to the first fiber optical cable at the OFS and a second fiber optical cable optically connected to the loop at the OFS and wherein the second fiber optical cable is optically connected to the BOTDA interrogator unit.

Multi-fiber sensing topology for subsea wells

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

An interrogation system includes a light signal switch and a reflection signal switch. The light signal switch may be communicatively coupled to an optical light source. The light signal switch may route a light signal generated by the light source downhole in a wellbore through a single-mode optical fiber cable or a multi-mode optical fiber cable. The reflection signal switch may be communicatively coupled to the single-mode optical fiber cable and the multi-mode optical fiber cable. The reflection signal switch may route a reflection of the light signal from the signal-mode optical fiber cable or the multi-mode optical fiber cable to an optical detector.

Switchable distributed acoustic sensing system for wellbore environment

A distributed acoustic sensing method that includes sending a sequence of optical pulses along an optical fiber, of at least two different widths, demodulating backscattered light from the optical fiber to obtain interferometric phase measurements as a function of position, combining the interferometric phase measurements to obtain a set of fade-resistant phase measurements, and storing or displaying the set of fade-resistant phase measurements. A distributed acoustic sensing system that includes a transmitter that sends a sequence of optical pulses along an optical fiber, of at least two different widths, a receiver that demodulates backscattered light from the optical fiber to obtain interferometric phase measurements as a function of position and combines interferometric phase measurements to obtain a set of fade-resistant phase measurements, and a storage or display device.

Distributed acoustic sensing systems and methods employing multiple pulse widths

Systems and methods for distributed acoustic sensing based on coherent Rayleigh scattering are disclosed herein. A system comprises a pulse generator, an interferometer, a photo detector assembly, and an information handling system. The interferometer comprises a first and second optical switch each comprising a plurality of ports. The information handling system activates one port on each of the first and second optical switches so as to vary the optical path length of the interferometer. A method comprises splitting backscattered light from an optical pulse into a first portion and a second portion, activating one port of a first optical switch and one port of a second optical switch, sending the first portion into a first arm of an interferometer, sending the second portion into a second arm of the interferometer, combining the first and second portions to form an interferometric signal, and receiving the interferometric signal at a photodetector assembly.

Distributed acoustic sensing system with variable spatial resolution

A distributed acoustic sensing system for use in a wellbore can include a shutter positioned between an amplifier and an optical-wave flow controller of the distributed acoustic sensing system for reducing optical noise in the distributed acoustic sensing system. The distributed acoustic sensing system can also include a controller operable to transmit a signal to the shutter to (i) open the shutter for allowing an optical pulse to transmit through the shutter, and (ii) close the shutter for preventing an extraneous optical waveform, that generates at least a portion of the optical noise, from transmitting through the shutter.

Reducing noise in a distributed acoustic sensing system downhole

An automatic and continuous method is presented to improve the accuracy of fiber optic distributed temperature measurements derived from Raman back scatterings utilizing two light sources with different wavelengths, by choosing the wavelengths of the two sources so the primary source's return anti-Stokes component overlaps with the incident wavelength of the secondary light source thereby canceling out the non-identical attenuations generated by the wavelength differences between Stokes and anti-Stokes bands.

Dual source auto-correction in distributed temperature systems

A new step-index multimode pure silica core fiber for DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) system particularly useful for downhole environments is disclosed and described. The new sensor system provides optimum tradeoffs between coupling power, spatial resolution, and temperature resolution.

Pure silica core multimode fiber sensors for DTS applications

A fiber-optic imaging probe is disclosed for use in dynamic light scattering applications. The probe includes two monomode optical fibers and two GRIN lenses to form a pair of identical fiber-lens combinations. Each fiber is positioned off the optical axis of its associated lens. Further, the optical fibers are placed at an image plane of the lenses. The fiber-lens combinations are parallel to and mirror images of each other. The first fiber-lens combination projects a tightly focused spot of light into a scattering volume containing suspended or dispersed microscopic particles, or biological or live tissues. The second fiber-lens combination collects the light which is scattered from the particles in the scattering volume and conveys it to a photo detector and autocorrelator for analysis. The probe minimizes the scattering volume by advantageously using imaging principles of lenses. Further, the probe optimizes sensitivity and spatial coherence. The probe provides rapid determination of particle diffusivities and their respective size distributions in the scattering volume. The probe can be combined with a video and/or microscopic imaging system for visual monitoring of the scattering volume in real time. The probe may be used in a wide variety of optical diagnostic applications. Further, the probe is easy to manufacture and use.

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Stevenson Ranch, CA, United States of America

Kwang Il Suh