For oil and gas exploration and production, a network of wells, installations and other conduits may be established by connecting sections of metal pipe together. For example, a well installation may be completed, in part, by lowering multiple sections of metal pipe (i.e., a casing string) into a wellbore, and cementing the casing string in place. In some well installations, multiple casing strings are employed (e.g., a concentric multi-string arrangement) to allow for different operations related to well completion, production, or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) options. From time to time, well installations and the subterranean formation in which the well installations are installed may be analyzed through measurement operations for any number of downhole operations. In some measurement operations, acoustic logging tools may be utilized.
Acoustic togging tools may be used to measure acoustic properties of a subterranean formations from which images, mechanical properties or other characteristics of the formations may be derived. Acoustic energy is generated by the acoustic logging tool and acoustic waves comprising periodic vibrational disturbances resulting from the acoustic energy propagating through the formation or the acoustic togging system are received by a receiver in the acoustic logging tool. Acoustic waves may be characterized in terms of their frequency, amplitude and speed of propagation. Acoustic properties of interest for formations may comprise compressional wave speed, shear wave speed, surface waves speed (e.g., Stoneley waves) and other properties. Acoustic images may be used to depict borehole wall conditions and other geological features away from the borehole. The acoustic measurements have applications in seismic correlation, petrophysics, rock mechanics and other areas. Acoustic measurements and thus acoustic images may be susceptible to direct coupling between the transmitter and receiver on the acoustic logging tool, which may degrade the acoustic image.
As the transmitter and receivers are physically connected by the tool body, direct coupling is acoustic waves propagating between the transmitter and receivers, at the speed of sound in the body of the acoustic logging tool. This speed of sound is much faster in solids, such as the body of the acoustic logging tool, other than that of the borehole fluids. Hence the acoustic waves traveling through the body will be received by the receivers earlier than the desired signals from the casing or borehole and overlay onto the latter. This phenomenon, direct coupling, is the common challenge to acoustic tools. An effective operation of the acoustic logging tools may be hindered by undesirable noise signals encountered downhole by the logging tools.
These drawings illustrate certain aspects of some examples of the present disclosure and should not be used to limit or define the disclosure.
This disclosure may generally relate to system and methods for an acoustic isolator disposed on a conveyance. The acoustic isolator may reduce the acoustic energy transferred through the body of the acoustic logging tool. This may reduce and/or prevent direct coupling between acoustic transmitters and acoustic receivers on the acoustic logging tool.
In logging systems, such as, for example, logging systems utilizing the acoustic logging tool 100, a digital telemetry system may be employed, wherein an electrical circuit may be used to both supply power to acoustic logging tool 100 and to transfer data between display and storage unit 120 and acoustic logging tool 100. A DC voltage may be provided to acoustic logging tool 100 by a power supply located above ground level, and data may be coupled to the DC power conductor by a baseband current pulse system. Alternatively, acoustic logging tool 100 may be powered by batteries located within the downhole tool assembly, and/or the data provided by acoustic logging tool 100 may be stored within the downhole tool assembly, rather than transmitted to the surface during logging (corrosion detection).
Acoustic logging tool 100 may be used for excitation of transmitter 102. As illustrated, one or more receiver 104 may be positioned on the acoustic logging tool 100 at selected distances (e.g., axial spacing) away from transmitter 102. The axial spacing of receiver 104 from transmitter 102 may vary, for example, from about 0 inches (0 cm) to about 40 inches (101.6 cm) or more. In some embodiments, at least one receiver 104 may be placed near the transmitter 102 (e.g., within at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) while one or more additional receivers may be spaced from 1 foot (30.5 cm) to about 5 feet (152 cm) or more from the transmitter 102. It should be understood that the configuration of acoustic logging tool 100 shown on
Transmission of acoustic waves by the transmitter 102 and the recordation of signals by receivers 104 may be controlled by display and storage unit 120, which may comprise an information handling system 144. As illustrated, the information handling system 144 may be a component of the display and storage unit 120. Alternatively, the information handling system 144 may be a component of acoustic logging tool 100. An information handling system 144 may comprise any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, estimate, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system 144 may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. Information handling system 144 may comprise a processing unit 146 (e.g., microprocessor, central processing unit, etc.) that may process EM log data by executing software or instructions obtained from a local non-transitory computer readable media 148 (e.g., optical disks, magnetic disks). The non-transitory computer readable media 148 may store software or instructions of the methods described herein. Non-transitory computer readable media 148 may comprise any instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that may retain data and/or instructions for a period of time. Non-transitory computer readable media 148 may comprise, for example, storage media such as a direct access storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk drive), a sequential access storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compact disk, CD-ROM, DVD, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/or flash memory; as well as communications media such wires, optical fibers, microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic and/or optical carriers; and/or any combination of the foregoing. Information handling system 144 may also comprise input device(s) 150 (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc.) and output device(s) 152 (e.g., monitor, printer, etc.). The input device(s) 150 and output device(s) 152 provide a user interface that enables an operator to interact with acoustic logging tool 100 and/or software executed by processing unit 146. For example, information handling system 144 may enable an operator to select analysis options, view collected log data, view analysis results, and/or perform other tasks
As noted above and illustrated in
Annular groove 210 may be formed to take many different shapes and/or sizes. For example, annular groove 210 may be formed perpendicular and/or parallel to outer surface 206, as illustrated in
Although acoustic energy attenuation may be achieved via a short acoustic isolator 126, for example, from about 2″ to about one foot (about 5 cm to about 31 cm), a longer acoustic isolator 126 may be used by using the disclosed design, with both annular chambers 202 and annular grooves 210 to create zigzag passage 208 for acoustic energy to traverse. Additionally, annular grooves 210 may be filled with other material, for example, plastics, rubber, tungsten rubber composite.
Improvements over current technology comprise methods and systems that may incorporate annular chambers and annular grooves as described above. Utilizing annular chambers and annular grooves may form zigzag passage for acoustic energy to traverse. The methods and system above may attenuate acoustic energy over short sections of an acoustic isolator. In examples, acoustic isolator may range in length from about 2″ to about one foot (about 5 cm to about 31 cm), while current technology requires acoustic isolators may are over a foot in length (31 cm). In addition, this methods and systems may operate to attenuate acoustic energy in a wideband frequency. The systems and methods disclosed herein may comprise any of the various features of the systems and methods disclosed herein, including one or more of the following statements.
Statement 1: An acoustic isolator may comprise a body, one or more annular chambers formed inside the body of the acoustic isolator and positioned along a longitudinal axis of the acoustic isolator, an annular groove formed on an outer surface of the body of the acoustic isolator, and a passage disposed between the one or more annular chambers and the annular groove.
Statement 2. The acoustic isolator of statement 1, wherein the passage is a zigzag passage between the one or more annular chambers and the annular groove.
Statement 3. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1 or 2, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a first annular chamber and a second annular chamber.
Statement 4. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1-3, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a first end of the acoustic isolator and the one or more annular chambers.
Statement 5. The acoustic isolator of statement 4, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a second end of the acoustic isolator and the one or more annular chambers.
Statement 6. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1-4, wherein the annular groove is perpendicular to the outer surface of the body of the acoustic isolator.
Statement 7. The acoustic isolator of statement 6, wherein the annular groove comprises one or more horizontal annular grooves.
Statement 8. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1-4 or 6, wherein the annular groove is angled to the outer surface of the of the body of the acoustic isolator.
Statement 9. The acoustic isolator of statement 8, wherein the annular groove comprises one or more horizontal annular grooves.
Statement 10. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1-4, 6, or 8, further comprising a plurality of annular grooves.
Statement 11. The acoustic isolator of statement 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of annular grooves are disposed between each of the one or more annular chambers.
Statement 12. The acoustic isolator of statement 10, wherein a distance between each of the plurality of annular grooves is from about 0.3″ to about 2″.
Statement 13. The acoustic isolator of statement 10, wherein a distance between each of the plurality of annular grooves varies between each of the plurality of annular grooves.
Statement 14. The acoustic isolator of any preceding statements 1-4, 6, 8, or 10, wherein the annular groove is filled with a material.
Statement 15. The acoustic isolator of statement 14, the material is a plastic, a rubber, tungsten, or a rubber composite.
Statement 16. A method may comprise transmitting an acoustic wave from a transmitter disposed on an acoustic logging tool into a subterranean formation, receiving an acoustic signal from the subterranean formation with a receiver disposed on the acoustic logging tool, and attenuating a second acoustic wave that moves between the transmitter and the receiver and through an acoustic isolator. The acoustic isolator may comprise a body, one or more annular chambers formed inside the body of the acoustic isolator and positioned along a longitudinal axis of the acoustic isolator, an annular groove formed on an outer surface of the body of the acoustic isolator, and a passage disposed between the one or more annular chambers and the annular groove.
Statement 17. The method of statement 16, wherein the passage is a zigzag passage between the one or more annular chambers and the annular groove.
Statement 18. The method of any preceding statements 16 or 17, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a first annular chamber and a second annular chamber.
Statement 19. The method of any preceding statements 17 or 18, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a first end of the acoustic isolator and the one or more annular chambers.
Statement 20. The method of statement 19, wherein the annular groove is disposed between a second end of the acoustic isolator and the one or more annular chambers.
The preceding description provides various examples of the systems and methods of use disclosed herein which may contain different method steps and alternative combinations of components. It should be understood that, although individual examples may be discussed herein, the present disclosure covers all combinations of the disclosed examples, including, without limitation, the different component combinations, method step combinations, and properties of the system. It should be understood that the compositions and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various components or steps, the compositions and methods can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces.
For the sake of brevity, only certain ranges are explicitly disclosed herein. However, ranges from any lower limit may be combined with any upper limit to recite a range not explicitly recited, as well as, ranges from any lower limit may be combined with any other lower limit to recite a range not explicitly recited, in the same way, ranges from any upper limit may be combined with any other upper limit to recite a range not explicitly recited. Additionally, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range are specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values even if not explicitly recited. Thus, every point or individual value may serve as its own lower or upper limit combined with any other point or individual value or any other lower or upper limit, to recite a range not explicitly recited.
Therefore, the present examples are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular examples disclosed above are illustrative only, and may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Although individual examples are discussed, the disclosure covers all combinations of all of the examples. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative examples disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of those examples. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent(s) or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.
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