Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Tasneem Mandviwala

Etienne M Samson

Burkay Donderici

Ahmed Elsayed Fouda

Glenn Andrew Wilson

David Andrew Barfoot

Han-Sun Choi

Mikko K Jaaskelainen

David L Perkins

Neal Gregory Skinner

Luis Emilio San Martin

Peter James Boul

Robert Paul Freese

John L Maida

Ilker R Capoglu

Satyan Gopal Bhongale

Matthew Chase Griffing

Leonardo De Oliveira Nunes

Michel J Leblanc

Allen Curtis Cekorich

Electromagnetic field monitoring methods and systems for obtaining data corresponding to subsurface rock formations. An electromagnetic field monitoring system includes an electromagnetic transmitter located downhole in a well bore and configured to radiate electromagnetic radiation into a subsurface formation; a fiber optic cable coupled with a fiber optic interrogator, the at least one fiber optic cable and the interrogator located at the surface; and an array of electromagnetic sensors integrally formed in the fiber optic cable and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation radiated through the subsurface formation. A method of detecting electromagnetic radiation at the surface of an oil well includes transmitting, from an electromagnetic transmitter, electromagnetic radiation into a subsurface formation; and sensing, from the subsurface formation, electromagnetic radiation at the surface of the oil well.

Systems and methods for surface detection of electromagnetic signals from subsurface environments

A through-casing formation monitoring system may include a casing string positioned within a wellbore, a power source electrically coupled to a first transmitter configured to produce a magnetic field, a magnetic induction sensor positioned within the casing string such that the magnetic induction sensor allows a continued operation of the wellbore, a fiber optic cable coupled to an electro-optical transducer within the magnetic induction sensor, and an optical interrogation system configured to receive measurements from the magnetic induction sensor via the fiber optic cable.

Through-casing fiber optic magnetic induction system for formation monitoring

A method of monitoring electromagnetic properties of a subsurface formation may include: obtaining a resistivity distribution in the subsurface formation; identifying sensor positions along a borehole; determining an effective resistivity of each region around a sensor position; deriving from the effective resistivities of regions associated with each sensor position an optimum resonance frequency; tuning an array of sensors to provide each sensor with the optimum resonance frequency; deploying the sensor array in the borehole; and collecting electromagnetic field measurements. Each sensor may include: a coil antenna positioned in a subsurface formation having a resistivity, the coil antenna generating a induced voltage signal from an electromagnetic field in the subsurface formation; and a resonant modulation circuit that converts the induced voltage signal into a telemetry signal, the resonant modulation circuit having a resonance frequency optimized for said formation resistivity.

Electromagnetic monitoring with formation-matched resonant induction sensors

A method of monitoring a substance in a well can include disposing at least one optical electromagnetic sensor and at least one electromagnetic transmitter in the well, and inducing strain in the sensor, the strain being indicative of an electromagnetic parameter of the substance in an annulus between a casing and a wellbore of the well. A system for monitoring a substance in a well can include at least one electromagnetic transmitter, and at least one optical electromagnetic sensor with an optical waveguide extending along a wellbore to a remote location, the sensor being positioned external to a casing in the wellbore.

Well monitoring with optical electromagnetic sensing system

A formation monitoring system includes a casing that defines an annular space within a borehole. A distributed magnetomotive force sensor is positioned in the annular space and configured to communicate with the surface via a fiber-optic cable. A computer coupled to the fiber-optic cable receives measurements and responsively derives the location of any fluid fronts in the vicinity such as an approaching flood front to enable corrective action before breakthrough. A formation monitoring method includes: injecting a first fluid into a reservoir formation; producing a second fluid from the reservoir formation via a casing in a borehole; collecting magnetic field measurements with a distributed magnetomotive force sensor in an annular space between the casing and the borehole, communicating measurements to a surface interface via one or more fiber-optic cables; and operating on the measurements to locate a front between the first and second fluids.

Distributed magnetomotive force sensin

A magnetic field sensor unit for a downhole environment includes an optical fiber, a magnetic field sensor, and an optical transducer. The sensor unit also includes a sealed housing that encloses the magnetic field sensor and the optical transducer. The optical transducer is configured to generate a light beam or to modulate a source light beam in the optical fiber in response to a magnetic field sensed by the magnetic field sensor. Related magnetic field measurement methods and systems deploy one or more of such magnetic field sensor units in a downhole environment to obtain magnetic field measurements due to an emitted electromagnetic field.

Optical magnetic field sensor units for a downhole environment

Methods and systems of electromagnetic sensing in a wellbore are presented in this disclosure for monitoring annulus fluids and water floods. An array of transmitters and one or more receivers are located along a casing in the wellbore. A transmitter in the array and one of the receivers can be mounted on a same collar on the casing forming a transmitter-receiver pair. The receiver can receive a signal originating from the transmitter and at least one other signal originating from at least one other transmitter in the array, wherein the signal is indicative of a fluid in the wellbore in a vicinity of the transmitter-receiver pair and the at least one other signal is indicative of another fluid in a formation around the wellbore. The receiver can further communicate, via a waveguide, the signal and the at least one other signal to a processor for signal interpretation.

Multipurpose permanent electromagnetic sensing system for monitoring wellbore fluids and formation fluids

A system, in some embodiments, comprises: a fiber optic cable; first and second sensors to control a length of said cable; and first and second receiver coils that control the first and second sensors, respectively, wherein the first and second sensors maintain said length when the first and second receiver coils receive only a direct signal from a transmitter, wherein the first and second sensors modify said length when the first and second receiver coils receive a scattered signal from a formation.

Improving dynamic range in fiber optic magnetic field sensors

Reelable sensors arrays are independently fabricated separate from a downhole tubular. The sensor arrays are then reeled together onto a spool. At the well site, the sensor array is unreeled from the spool and attached to the tubular as it is deployed downhole, resulting in a fast and efficient method of sensor deployment.

Reelable sensor arrays for downhole deployment

An electric field sensing system comprises a magnetic shield, an optical magnetometer shielded from external magnetic fields by the magnetic shield, a conductive coil proximate to the optical magnetometer, and first and second electrodes coupled to opposite ends of the coil. The electrodes are disposed outside of the magnetic shield. The conductive coil generates a magnetic field within the optical magnetometer when electrical current passes through the conductive coil.

High sensitivity electric field sensor

A disclosed subsurface electromagnetic field monitoring system includes at least one fiberoptic cable to optically communicate measurements from an array of electromagnetic field sensors in a borehole. The array of electromagnetic field sensors includes a distributed feedback fiber laser strain sensor with electromagnetic field sensitivity.

Distributed feedback fiber laser strain sensor systems and methods for subsurface EM field monitoring

An optical link including an optical computing device having an integrated computational element (ICE), and a method for using the device to perform a remote measurement of a characteristic of a sample with the optical computing device are provided. The optical computing device provides an optical computing signal proportional to a characteristic of a sample from an interacted light provided to the ICE. The device includes an optical transducer to provide a modulating signal based on the optical computing signal and a modulator to modulate a first portion of a transmission light in an optical waveguide based on the modulating signal.

Methods and systems using an optical receiver and electro-optic methods to transmit data from integrated computational elements

A method and apparatus for magnetic sensing is described. The apparatus includes a strain-sensing fiber coupled to a conducting strip. The strain-sensing fiber may be, for example, a distributed feedback fiber with Bragg gratings. A current may be induced to flow on the conducting strip by electrically coupling a photodiode to the conducting strip and then activating a laser optically coupled to the photodiode. In the presence of a magnetic field, a Lorentz force will be exerted on the conducting strip, causing a displacement of the conducting strip that will induce strain on the strain-sensing fiber. The strain on the strain-sensing fiber may be measured by laser-pumping the strain-sensing fiber and measuring the reflected waves. The measured strain may be used to calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field. Multiple strain-sensing fibers may be optically coupled in series and deployed into a borehole for distributed magnetic field measurements. The magnetic field measurements may be used to determine the resistivity of formations surrounding the borehole and, for example, to monitor the movement of relatively-low resistivity water fronts.

Fiber optic magnetic field sensing system based on lorentz force method for downhole applications

Method and apparatus are disclosed for use of a fiber-optic sensor loop for use within a wellbore; with a plurality of light sources optically coupled to the fiber-optic sensor loop; at least one electromagnetically sensitized region within the fiber-optic sensor loop; and a plurality of detectors optically coupled to the fiber-optic sensor loop; and using the sensing system to detect changes in a magnetic field within the wellbore.

Downhole EM sensing using SAGNAC interferometer for wellbore monitoring

Multiplexed microvolt sensor systems and methods are described. An example system may include a pulsed light source, a first optical waveguide segment operatively coupled to the pulsed light source, an optical circulator including a first port, a second port, and a third port, the first port being operatively coupled to the first optical waveguide segment, a second optical waveguide segment operatively coupled to the second port of the optical circulator, and an array of sensor elements. Each of the sensor elements may include a detector and an electro-optical modulator, the electro-optical modulator being operatively coupled to the second optical waveguide segment. The example system may further include a third optical waveguide segment operatively coupled to the third port of the optical circulator, a compensating interferometer operatively coupled to the third optical waveguide segment, and a time division multiplexed demodulator operatively coupled to the compensating interferometer and the pulsed light source.

Growing community of inventors

Katy, TX, United States of America

Tasneem Mandviwala