Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080201079 | Method and apparatus for remote characterization of faults in the vicinity of boreholes - A method and system for characterization of fault conditions within a subterranean volume. In one embodiment, the system comprises means for generating a mathematical model of stress conditions within the volume, from which breakout conditions along a borehole trajectory can be predicted. The system further comprises means for sensing actual breakout conditions along a borehole extending through the volume. Predictive breakout data is compared with the actual sensed breakout conditions to assess the degree of correlation between the predictive data and the actual data, and thus the accuracy of the stress model. Means are provided for enabling a user to cause the mathematical model to be revised to reflect the presence of at least one active fault plane in the volume, where the presumed fault plane is not intersected by the borehole. The revised model is used to generate new predictive breakout data. The process of revising the stress model and assessing the correlation between predictive breakout conditions derived from the model and actual breakout conditions is repeatable in an iterative fashion to achieve an optimal correlation and hence an optimally accurate stress model reflecting fault conditions in the vicinity of but not necessarily penetrated by the borehole. | 08-21-2008 |
20090065252 | System and Method for Stress Field Based Wellbore Steering - A system and method for the geomechanical steering of the orientation of a wellbore is disclosed. In one embodiment, any available a priori data regarding the stress characteristics of a region of interest are used to develop a preliminary stress model for the region. A geosteered drilling operation is thereafter commenced, with the trajectory being steered in a direction relative to the stress model of the region. While drilling, real-time data is obtained from conventional down-hole instrumentation. The real-time data is used to refine the stress model for the region, such that the trajectory can be guided on an ongoing basis to achieve an optimal relationship with the measured stress characteristics of the region. | 03-12-2009 |
20090185446 | Identification of Stress in Formations Using Angles of Fast and Slow Dipole Waves in Borehole Acoustic Logging - Cross-dipole measurements are obtained in a borehole. By estimating a direction of polarization of the fast shear mode at low and high frequencies and comparing the estimated distances, a cause of anisotropy is established. Formation stresses and directions may be estimated. | 07-23-2009 |
20100286918 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING PROPERTIES OF EARTH FORMATIONS - A method of predicting a property of an earth formation includes: injecting a fluid into at least one pre-existing feature of the formation at a plurality of constant pressures or flow rates; measuring a response from the at least one pre-existing feature at each of the plurality of constant pressures or flow rates; and estimating at least one property of the at least one pre-existing feature based on the response. An apparatus for predicting a property of an earth formation is also disclosed. | 11-11-2010 |
20120163123 | STRESS IN FORMATIONS FROM AZIMUTHAL VARIATION IN ACOUSTIC AND OTHER PROPERTIES - The present disclosure is related to methods and apparatuses for acoustic velocity well logging. The method may include estimating a magnitude of a principal horizontal stress in a borehole in a formation. The method may include obtaining a far field stress orientation and making a measurement of near borehole stress orientation. The present disclosure also includes an apparatus configured to be conveyed into a borehole and perform the method. Formation stresses and directions may be estimated. | 06-28-2012 |
20120217008 | System and Method for Stress Field Based Wellbore Steering - A system, method and computer-readable medium for developing an earth formation is disclosed. A tool conveyed in a borehole induces a stress in the earth formation proximate a borehole. A sensor assembly obtains a measurement of a physical property of the borehole at a plurality of azimuthal locations in the borehole. The values of the physical property are indicative of the induced stress in the formation. A processor forms an image of the borehole using the obtained measurements of the physical property, estimates an azimuthal variation with borehole depth of the induced stress in the formation from the formed image, and alters an operational parameter of a device for developing the earth formation using the estimated azimuthal variation with depth of the induced stress in the formation. | 08-30-2012 |
20120310613 | METHOD TO IMPROVE RESERVOIR SIMULATION AND RECOVERY FROM FRACTURED RESERVOIRS - A method for modeling flow properties over a series of time increments of a reservoir in an earth formation having a plurality of fractures is disclosed. The method includes: building a three-dimensional stress field representing stresses in the reservoir; building a three-dimensional discrete fracture network (NFM) having fracture flow properties using information obtained from a tool or changes to the stress field; running a flow simulation of the reservoir for a time increment using the NFM to model the flow properties of the reservoir for that time increment; computing a latest change in the three-dimensional stress field from the flow simulation; and incrementing the time increment and iterating the building the NFM using the latest change in the stress field, the running of the flow simulation using the latest NFM, and the computing a latest change in the stress field from the latest running of the flow simulation. | 12-06-2012 |
20140058686 | NATURAL FRACTURE INJECTION TEST - A method for estimating a property of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole includes: performing a borehole integrity test at a pressure less than a fracture gradient pressure of the formation to provide leakage data; injecting a fluid into the formation at a first pressure greater than the fracture gradient pressure during a first injection time interval using a fluid injector; measuring pressure versus time using a pressure sensor and a timer during a first test time interval to provide first pressure data; injecting a fluid into the formation at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate during a second injection time interval using the fluid injector; measuring pressure versus time using the pressure sensor and the timer during a second test time interval to provide second pressure data; and estimating the property using the first pressure data, the second pressure data, and the leakage data. | 02-27-2014 |
20140077963 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING PROFILE-BASED ALERTS/ALARMS - A method of processing parameter data includes: receiving at least one alarm value for a selected interval, the at least one alarm value generated based on a comparison of estimated parameter values at one or more respective interval points with limits at the respective interval points; performing, by a processor, a statistical analysis of the at least one alarm value over the selected interval; and generating an alarm indication associated with the selected interval, the alarm indication corresponding to a result of the statistical analysis. | 03-20-2014 |
20140121972 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WELL DATA ANALYSIS - A method of processing data generated from an energy industry or oilfield operation includes: receiving a data set representing parameter values generated during at least a portion of the operation, the parameter values including values of a plurality of parameters relating to the operation; dividing the data set into a plurality of data subsets, each data subset including values for multiple parameters; determining a measure of similarity between data in each subset relative to data in one or more other subsets; displaying a map of the data set in at least two dimensions, the map including a visual representation of each subset positioned relative to a visual representation of the one or more other subsets based on the measure of similarity; and analyzing the map to estimate a condition associated with the operation. | 05-01-2014 |