Cbg Corporation

Halliburton Logging Services, Inc.

Halliburton Company

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Cedar Bluff Group Corporation

Other

Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Paul L Sinclair

Joseph K Clontz

Roland Edward Chemali

Shey-Min Su

Stanley C Gianzero

Thomas A Springer

Robert W Strickland

Tom Springer

Christopher A Schnoor

Dennis Patrick Chesnutt

Michael L Gartner

Kenneth H Hamlin

Derek Crocker

Robert Scott Neves

A method and system for environmental monitoring of logging-while-drilling (LWD) components. In one embodiment the system includes a formation sensor configured to generate a signal related to a property of a surrounding rock formation, and a first environmental sensor fastened to the formation sensor and configured to generate a signal related to a first environmental condition experienced by the first environmental sensor. The formation sensor and first environmental sensor may be contained in a package of an LWD tool.

Environmental monitoring of logging-while-drilling tool components

A logging while drilling (LWD) tool can include a shock mounted sensor package with thermal isolation. For example, a LWD tool can include a pressure housing surrounding a cavity. A sensor package that includes at least one end connection can be coupled within the cavity. The LWD tool can also include a support structure coupled to the pressure housing and supporting the end connection of the sensor package. The support structure is configured to provide damping along at least one of the axial, radial, and azimuthal axes. The end connection is configured to inhibit thermal conductivity between the support structure and the sensor package.

Shock mounted sensor package with thermal isolation

A wet-connect can include a radial array of contacts that are electrically isolated from each other. The wet-connect can include a male connector and a female connector. The contacts are placed at spaced distances from each other around the outside diameter of the male connector and the inside diameter of the female connector. Because the contacts are spaced around the radius of the connectors, the length of the wet-connect does not have to depend upon the number of contacts provided by the wet-connect. This in turn can reduce the length of the wet-connect, making the wet-connect less susceptible to breakage or misalignment and/or allowing the wet-connect to be manufactured using less material.

Radial electrical connector resistant to fluids

Various systems and methods for implementing an azimuthally sensitive resistivity logging tool are disclosed. One such method involves transmitting a primary magnetic field from one or more coils placed on a drill collar and receiving several electrical signals, where each of the electrical signals is received from a respective one of several sensors. The sensors are distributed around a circumference of a drill collar, and an axis of at least one of the sensors is perpendicular to an axis of the drill collar. Each of the electrical signals indicates a respective magnitude of a measurement of a reflected magnetic field, where the reflected magnetic field is reflected from an anomalous geological formation. The method calculates a vector measurement of the reflected magnetic field, based upon the electrical signals.

Azimuthally sensitive resistivity logging tool

A rugged scintillation crystal assembly includes several scintillator crystals, which are optically coupled to each other by resilient optical-coupling material such as silicone pads and/or grease. The scintillator crystals are configured to collectively emit optical signals. Such a stack may combine the advantages of both a long form-factor for the overall assembly with the ruggedness of the assembly's component short crystals.

Rugged scintillation crystal assembly

Various techniques for generating a polar display include a method, which involves receiving information identifying a formation property of an anomaly within a geologic formation from a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool that includes several sensors. The formation property is identified by at least one magnitude and at least one distance. The formation property is also identified relative to a corresponding property of the geologic formation. The method also involves receiving information identifying an azimuthal angle from the MWD tool, where the azimuthal angle relates a position of the anomalous formation to a position of a first sensor. The method then generates a graphic, based upon the at least one magnitude and the at least one distance and the azimuthal angle, and displays the graphic on a polar display, in which a center of the polar display corresponds to a location of the borehole in which the MWD tool is located.

Polar display for use with drilling tools

Various systems and methods for implementing a directional radiation detection tool are disclosed. One such method involves receiving outputs from several radiation sensors (e.g., gamma ray sensors), which are each facing a different direction. The received outputs are then combined, such that a directional error in one of the outputs is reduced, based upon another one of the outputs.

Directional radiation detection tool

Various systems and methods determine a distance, magnitude, and azimuthal angle describing the location of an anomaly within a geologic formation. For example, a method involves identifying an electrical characteristic (e.g., resistivity or conductivity) at each of several sensors in a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool. Based on the electrical characteristic, information identifying a formation property of the anomaly is generated. The information includes at least one magnitude and at least one distance. Information information identifying an azimuthal angle is also generated based upon the electrical characteristic. The azimuthal angle relates a position of the anomalous formation to a position of a first sensor in the MWD tool.

Azimuthal measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool

System and method for borehole compensation. The method includes simultaneously transmitting at least two modulated signals from one or more transmitters; receiving the at least two modulated signals by at least one receiver; and processing the received at least two modulated signals to determine a phase difference and an amplitude attenuation of the transmitted modulated signals, the processing providing borehole compensated data.

Borehole compensation system and method for a resistivity logging tool

Method, apparatus and system for compensating the effects of borehole variations

A method and apparatus for a downhole antenna comprising a housing having an outer surface and a longitudinally bored inner cavity, the outer surface having a first slot and a corresponding second slot extending from the outer surface to the longitudinally bored inner cavity; a first removable downhole antenna segment disposed in the first slot in a first transverse cross section of the housing, the first removable downhole antenna segment comprising at least one coil to inductively couple a signal from the longitudinally bored inner cavity to the earth formation. A second removable downhole antenna segment, interchangeable with the first removable downhole antenna segment, disposed in the corresponding second slot, the second slot in a second transverse cross section of the housing, the second removable downhole antenna segment comprising at least one coil to inductively couple a signal from the earth formation to the longitudinally bored inner cavity.

Method and apparatus for a downhole antenna

An apparatus and method is disclosed for induction logging of electrical properties of earth formations that operates at low frequencies while remaining resistant to skin effect and maintaining mutual balancing. The apparatus includes a plurality of transmitter coils that are at a plurality of distances from a measure point located at an end of the apparatus, and a receiver coil array coupled to receive induced voltages resulting from currents induced in the earth formations by one or more transmitters of the plurality of transmitter coils, wherein the common measure point is located within the receiver coil array, and wherein one or more of the plurality of distances from the measure point are determined according to a function of one or more frequencies associated with one or more transmitters of the plurality of transmitters. According to an embodiment, the function includes determining the distance that is inversely proportional to a square root of the frequency associated with the one or transmitter. In another embodiment, the distances include {square root over (2)}*N, {square root over (2)}/2*N, {square root over (2)}/4*N, 2N, N, N/2 and N/4, wherein N is a fixed distance such as one meter. An embodiment of the method includes subtracting signals received from a borehole compensation array disposed at the end of the tool from signals received at the receiver coil array, the subtracting reducing the influence of local changes in borehole diameter.

Multi-frequency array induction tool

A directional induction logging tool is provided for measurement while drilling. This tool is preferably placed in a side pocket of a drill collar, and it comprises transmitter and receiver coils and an electromagnetic reflector. The reflector, which may be a layer of highly conductive material placed between the coils and the body of the drill collar, serves to focus the electromagnetic fields generated and sensed by the tool in the direction away from the reflector, thus providing a directional response to formation conductivity with a relatively high depth of investigation. In preferred embodiments of the invention, magnetically permeable cores are placed within the coils to concentrate the magnetic fields that pass through them. Circuitry is described for balancing the mutual inductive coupling of the coils by injecting a direct current signal through one or more of the coils, which alters the magnetic permeability of the core material. The magnitude of the direct current required to achieve a balanced condition may be derived from the quadrature phase component of the return signal. Circuitry is also provided for generating a transmitted signal and for processing the return signals, including digital-to-analog conversion circuitry for providing digital data for transmission to the surface. This tool may be employed to provide real-time directional conductivity information that may be used to detect and follow bed boundaries in geosteering operations.

Method and apparatus for directional measurement of subsurface

An inductive collar locator tool is provided that provides improved sensitivity and precision in locating collars and other discontinuities in a casing string. In a preferred embodiment, the collar locator includes a transmitter coil that produces an oscillating magnetic field, which couples to the casing string proximate the tool. The tool also includes a pair of spaced receiver coils connected to signal processing circuitry which provides an output signal representing the difference in the phase of the magnetic field detected by the receiver coils. The phase difference is relatively constant when the tool is in plain casing pipe, but it changes rapidly when the tool passes through pipe that includes discontinuities, such as joints or collars. The collar locator tool may include an on-board oscillator and digital signaling capabilities. The collar locator is preferably enclosed in a titanium pressure housing that is adapted for through-tubing operations.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Paul L Sinclair