The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 10, 1997
Baroid Technology, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for correcting for the distorting effect of cross-axial magnetic interference on the readings of a well survey tool using a reduced number of measurements and measuring locations. A well survey tool connected to a drill string assembly measures the gravitational and distorted terrestrial magnetic fields at two or more axially displaced locations in an axially extending well bore. The measurements are made from two or more different orientations (tool faces) of the tool about the well axis. Initial values for the tool inclination, azimuth and tool face angle are first determined without correction for the cross-axial magnetic interference introduced by the drill string assembly and the survey tool. Measurements made at each location and tool face are referred to the toots coordinate system and variations introduced by the different tool face angles are used to estimate the cross-axial interference. The estimated interference is used to improve the estimate of the azimuth. Where the azimuth and inclination vary between measurement, the process is iterated until a desired degree of convergence is reached or until no further improvement in the azimuth is possible. Where azimuth and inclination remain substantially constant between readings, the azimuth correction is directly calculated without iteration. Where the cross-axial interference varies slowly and systematically between measurements, a variational trend in the cross-axial interference is calculated with trend analysis techniques. Where rapid variations between cross-axial measurements are detected such that the only information obtained is that the cross interference exists, the method is used to determine that the related azimuth calculations may be identified as being faulty. After correction for the cross-axial interference, the existence of an external magnetic field acting on the measurements is also determined from residual error that varies in magnitude and direction along the well bore trajectory.