Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090084546 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING DEPTH AND VELOCITY OF INSTRUMENTATION WITHIN A WELLBORE USING A BENDABLE TOOL - An apparatus and method for measuring depth, velocity, or both depth and velocity of instrumentation within a wellbore is provided. The apparatus includes a downhole portion movable within the wellbore in a direction generally parallel to the wellbore. The apparatus further includes a first acceleration sensor mounted at a first position within the downhole portion. The first acceleration sensor generates a first signal indicative of a first acceleration in a first direction generally parallel to the wellbore at the first position. The apparatus further includes a second acceleration sensor mounted at a second position within the downhole portion. The second acceleration sensor generates a second signal indicative of a second acceleration in a second direction generally parallel to the wellbore at the second position. The apparatus further includes a bend sensor generating a third signal indicative of an amount of bend of at least a portion of the downhole portion. | 04-02-2009 |
20100096186 | DOWNHOLE SURVEYING UTILIZING MULTIPLE MEASUREMENTS - Systems and methods for controlling a drill string are provided. A method comprises receiving one or more first signals from a first sensor package mounted in a first portion of the drill string at a first position within a wellbore. The first signals may be indicative of an orientation of the first portion of the drill string. The method also includes receiving one or more second signals from a second sensor package mounted in a second portion of the drill string at a second position within the wellbore. In certain embodiments, the second signals indicative of an orientation of the second portion of the drill string. The drill string may be adapted to bend between the first portion and the second portion and certain embodiments include calculating a first amount of bend between the first portion and the second portion in response to the first signals and the second signals. | 04-22-2010 |
20100100329 | DOWNHOLE SURVEYING UTILIZING MULTIPLE MEASUREMENTS - Certain embodiments described herein provide a measure of the misalignment of multiple acceleration sensors mounted in the downhole portion of a drill string. In certain embodiments, the measure of the misalignment corresponds to a measure of sag which can be used to provide an improved estimate of the inclination of the downhole portion of the drill string and/or the wellbore. Certain embodiments described herein provide an estimate of the magnetic interference incident upon a drilling system using multiple magnetic sensors mounted within a non-magnetic region of the downhole portion of the drilling system. Certain embodiments utilize the magnetic measurements to determine an axial interference resulting from one or more magnetic portions of the downhole portion and to provide an improved estimate of the azimuthal orientation of the downhole portion with respect to the magnetic field of the Earth. | 04-22-2010 |
20100198518 | REDUCING ERROR CONTRIBUTIONS TO GYROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS FROM A WELLBORE SURVEY SYSTEM - A method reduces error contributions to gyroscopic measurements from a wellbore survey system having two gyroscopic sensors adapted to generate signals indicative of at least one component of the Earth's rotation substantially perpendicular to the wellbore and indicative of a component of the Earth's rotation substantially parallel to the wellbore. The method includes generating a first signal indicative of the at least one substantially perpendicular component while the first sensor is in a first orientation; generating a second signal indicative of the at least one substantially perpendicular component while the first sensor is in a second orientation; generating a third signal indicative of the substantially parallel component while the second sensor is in a first orientation; and generating a fourth signal indicative of the substantially parallel component while the second sensor is in a second orientation. The method further includes calculating information regarding at least one of a mass unbalance offset error and a quadrature bias error using the first, second, third, and fourth signals. | 08-05-2010 |
20100295703 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INITIALIZATION OF A WELLBORE SURVEY TOOL - An apparatus for initializing a wellbore survey tool comprises a base portion and a first mounting portion mechanically coupled to the base portion. The first mounting portion can be adapted to be mechanically coupled to at least one directional reference system configured to provide data indicative of an orientation of the at least one directional reference system with respect to a reference direction. The apparatus of certain embodiments further comprises a second mounting portion mechanically coupled to the base portion, the second mounting portion configured to be mechanically coupled to a wellbore survey tool such that the wellbore survey tool has a predetermined orientation with respect to the at least one directional reference system. | 11-25-2010 |
20110067859 | METHOD AND APPRARTUS FOR DETERMINING LOCATIONS OF MULTIPLE CASINGS WITHIN A WELLBORE CONDUCTOR - Certain embodiments described herein provide methods, systems and computer-readable media for determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor. Sensor measurements generated by at least one sensor within the conductor are provided, the measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one casing within the conductor as a function of position along the conductor. In certain embodiments, a data memory stores the measurements. The at least one location of the at least one casing is calculated using the measurements and at least one geometric constraint. The at least one constraint originates at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one casing, or both. In certain embodiments, a computer system or computer-executable component calculates the at least one location of the at least one casing. | 03-24-2011 |
20120089334 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING DEPTH AND VELOCITY OF INSTRUMENTATION WITHIN A WELLBORE USING A BENDABLE TOOL - An apparatus and method for measuring depth, velocity, or both depth and velocity of instrumentation within a wellbore is provided. The apparatus includes a downhole portion movable within the wellbore in a direction generally parallel to the wellbore. The apparatus further includes a first acceleration sensor mounted at a first position within the downhole portion. The first acceleration sensor generates a first signal indicative of a first acceleration in a first direction generally parallel to the wellbore at the first position. The apparatus further includes a second acceleration sensor mounted at a second position within the downhole portion. The second acceleration sensor generates a second signal indicative of a second acceleration in a second direction generally parallel to the wellbore at the second position. The apparatus further includes a bend sensor generating a third signal indicative of an amount of bend of at least a portion of the downhole portion. | 04-12-2012 |
20120095685 | REDUCING ERROR CONTRIBUTIONS TO GYROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS FROM A WELLBORE SURVEY SYSTEM - A method reduces gravity-dependent error contributions to gyroscopic measurements from a first gyroscopic sensor and a second gyroscopic sensor. The method includes receiving a first set of measurement signals and a second set of measurement signals indicative of at least one substantially perpendicular component and indicative of a substantially parallel component of the Earth's rotation. The method further includes receiving one or more measurement signals generated by a triad of accelerometers and calculating a first and second mass unbalance offset error for the first gyroscopic sensor and the second gyroscopic sensor, respectively. | 04-19-2012 |
20120126817 | DOWNHOLE SURVEYING UTILIZING MULTIPLE MEASUREMENTS - Certain embodiments described herein provide a measure of the misalignment of multiple acceleration sensors mounted in the downhole portion of a drill string. In certain embodiments, the measure of the misalignment corresponds to a measure of sag which can be used to provide an improved estimate of the inclination of the downhole portion of the drill string and/or the wellbore. Certain embodiments described herein provide an estimate of the magnetic interference incident upon a drilling system using multiple magnetic sensors mounted within a non-magnetic region of the downhole portion of the drilling system. Certain embodiments utilize the magnetic measurements to determine an axial interference resulting from one or more magnetic portions of the downhole portion and to provide an improved estimate of the azimuthal orientation of the downhole portion with respect to the magnetic field of the Earth. | 05-24-2012 |