Apparatuses and methods for at-bit resistivity measurements for an earth-boring drilling tool
First Claim
1. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:
- a body having at least one blade;
a cutting element secured to the at least one blade, the cutting element comprising;
a cutting element body having a cutting surface thereon; and
at least one sensor disposed within the cutting element body and having at least one exposed surface, wherein the at least one sensor includes;
a first pair of electrodes coupled to a voltage source, anda second pair of electrodes coupled to a current source; and
control circuitry operably coupled with the at least one sensor of the cutting element, and configured to;
energize the at least one sensor to cause a current to flow through an earth formation in contact with the cutting element; and
measure the current through the first pair of electrodes and measure a voltage through the second pair of electrodes to determine a resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool comprises a cutting body having a cutting surface thereon, and a sensor coupled with the cutting surface, the sensor configured to determine resistivity of a contacting formation. An earth-boring drilling tool comprises a bit body and an instrumented cutting element coupled with the bit body. The cutting element includes a cutting body having a cutting surface thereon, and at least one sensor located proximate the cutting surface. The at least one sensor is oriented and configured to determine resistivity of a contacting formation. A method of determining resistivity of a subterranean formation during a drilling operation comprises energizing a sensor of an instrumented cutting element of a drill bit, sensing a return signal flowing on or through the subterranean formation through the instrumented cutting element, and determining a resistivity of the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the return signal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:
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a body having at least one blade; a cutting element secured to the at least one blade, the cutting element comprising; a cutting element body having a cutting surface thereon; and at least one sensor disposed within the cutting element body and having at least one exposed surface, wherein the at least one sensor includes; a first pair of electrodes coupled to a voltage source, and a second pair of electrodes coupled to a current source; and control circuitry operably coupled with the at least one sensor of the cutting element, and configured to; energize the at least one sensor to cause a current to flow through an earth formation in contact with the cutting element; and measure the current through the first pair of electrodes and measure a voltage through the second pair of electrodes to determine a resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:
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a body; a first instrumented cutting element secured proximate a vertical side of the body; a second instrumented cutting element secured proximate a horizontal side of the body, wherein the first instrumented cutting element and the second instrumented cutting element each include at least one sensor disposed therein; and control circuitry operably coupled with the at least one sensor of each of the first instrumented cutting element and the second instrumented cutting element, and configured to; energize the at least one sensor of the first instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through an earth formation in contact with the first instrumented cutting element; determine a vertical resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the first instrumented cutting element and flowing between at least two electrodes disposed in the first instrumented cutting element; energize the at least one sensor of the second instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through the earth formation in contact with the second instrumented cutting element; and determine a horizontal resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the second instrumented cutting element and flowing between at least two electrodes disposed in the second instrumented cutting element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:
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a body; a first instrumented cutting element secured proximate a vertical side of the body; a second instrumented cutting element secured proximate a horizontal side of the body; a third instrumented cutting element secured proximate the vertical side of the body; a fourth instrumented cutting element secured proximate the horizontal side of the body, wherein the first instrumented cutting element, the second instrumented cutting element, the third instrumented cutting element, and the fourth instrumented cutting element each include at least on sensor disposed therein; control circuitry operably coupled with the at least one sensor of each of the first instrumented cutting element, the second instrumented cutting element, the third instrumented cutting element, and the fourth instrumented cutting element, and configured to; energize the at least one sensor of the first instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through an earth formation in contact with the first instrumented cutting element; determine a vertical resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the first instrumented cutting element flowing to the third instrumented cutting element; and energize the at least one sensor of the second instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through the earth formation in contact with the second instrumented cutting element, and determine a horizontal resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the second instrumented cutting element flowing to the fourth instrumented cutting element to determine the horizontal resistivity. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:
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a body; a first instrumented cutting element secured proximate a vertical side of the body; a second instrumented cutting element secured proximate a horizontal side of the body; a third instrumented cutting element secured proximate the vertical side of the body; a fourth instrumented cutting element secured proximate the horizontal side of the body, wherein; the first instrumented cutting element, the second instrumented cutting element, the third instrumented cutting element, and the fourth instrumented cutting element each include at least on sensor disposed therein, the first instrumented cutting element and the third instrumented cutting element are coupled as a pair to a voltage source configured to generate a fixed voltage across the first instrumented cutting element and the third instrumented cutting element; and the second instrumented cutting element and the fourth instrumented cutting element are coupled as a pair to a voltage source configured to generate a fixed voltage across the second instrumented cutting element and the fourth instrumented cutting element; and control circuitry operably coupled with the at least one sensor of each of the first instrumented cutting element, the second instrumented cutting element, the third instrumented cutting element, and the fourth instrumented cutting element, and configured to; energize the at least one sensor of the first instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through an earth formation in contact with the first instrumented cutting element; determine a vertical resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the first instrumented cutting element; energize the at least one sensor of the second instrumented cutting element to cause current to flow through the earth formation in contact with the second instrumented cutting element; and determine a horizontal resistivity of the earth formation responsive to the current generated by the second instrumented cutting element.
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20. A method of operating an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:
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energizing a sensor disposed within a cutting body of an instrumented cutting element coupled with a blade of a body of a drilling tool while the sensor is in contact with a subterranean formation during a drilling operation; sensing a signal from a first pair of electrodes of the sensor coupled to a voltage source and sensing another signal from a second pair of electrodes of the sensor coupled to a current source responsive to current flowing through the subterranean formation caused by the energizing; and measuring the current through the first pair of electrodes and measuring a voltage through the second pair of electrodes to determine at least one characteristic of the subterranean formation, based at least in part, on measuring the signal and a determined resistivity for the subterranean formation.
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Specification