Shell Oil Comapny

Pleun Marinus Van Der Sman

Paul Dirk Schilte

Gustaaf Louis Van Wechem

Josef Guillaume Christoffel Coenen

William Alexander Mulder

Michael John Betts

Peter Oosterling

Pieter Karel Anton Kapteijn

Alphonsus Paulus Eduard Ten Kroode

A steerable soil penetration system having a steerable penetration head, which compacts and does not cut away the surrounding soil and which is connected to an elongate flexible tubing such that the orientation of the penetration head can be varied relative to the tubing. The elongate tubing and/or a downhole hammer or tractor pushes the penetration head through the subsurface formation. Preferably the tubing is surrounded by a narrow annulus so that buckling of the tubing is inhibited and the tubing protects the pierced hole against caving in. Optionally the tubing is circumferentially expanded after completion of the piercing process thereby increasing the width of the pierced hole and providing a permanent hole lining.

Steerable soil penetration system

A method for creating an image of an underground formation around a borehole. An omnidirectional seismic source is activated in the borehole and a three-component receiver records the components of the reflected energy from the formation. The direction or ray of the returned energy is computed as a function of the two-way travel time A position in the formation is selected as a potential formation reflection point compared with the directional ray and two-way travel time. Where the directional ray and two-way travel time substantially correspond to the selected point, the data is attributed to the selected point The process continues with the selection of additional points and calculation of attributed return energy direction and two-way travel time to such points to comprise a set of reflectors which form the image of the formation.

Obtaining an image of an underground formation

Growing community of inventors

Rijswijk, Netherlands

Pleun Marinus Van Der Sman