Passive cased well image logging

• US 10,641,919 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rock Visualization Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rock Visualization Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Kuespert, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US15/405,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/04 specially adapted for well-logging
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/045 Transmitting data to recording or processing apparatus; Recording data
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/06 for detecting naturally radioactive minerals
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/232 having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor G01V5/226 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of creating a well image log of a cased well is provided. A passive cased well image logging tool assembly including a logging tool body, a plurality of gamma ray radiation sensors and a spatial positioning device is moved through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed of no greater than 750 feet per hour. Corrected gamma ray radiation data is vertically sampled at a vertical distance sampling rate of once every vertical distance sampling interval, wherein the vertical distance sampling interval is no greater than 1.75 inches. Based on the sampled data, a well image log is prepared. A passive cased well image logging tool assembly for use in a cased well is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of creating a well image log of a cased well having a casing with an inner diameter, comprising:

providing a passive cased well image logging tool assembly, said logging tool assembly including;

a logging tool body;

a plurality of gamma ray radiation sensors attached to said logging tool body within the inner diameter of the casing, each gamma ray radiation sensor being capable of continuously collecting gamma ray radiation data from one or more geologic units surrounding or adjacent to the wellbore as said logging tool assembly is moved through the wellbore, wherein three or more of the gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to the logging tool body around a circumference of the tool body at an overlapping vertical location and two or more of the gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to the logging tool body at an overlapping radial location;

a vertical and radial radiation shield at each radiation sensor that allows gamma ray radiation from a vertical and radial angular portion of a geologic unit to reach the sensor and reduces the effect of gamma ray radiation noise; and

at least one spatial positioning device attached to said logging tool body that is capable of continuously collecting sensor position data reflecting the xyz spatial position of said gamma ray radiation sensors in the wellbore relative to the wellbore and the Earth as said logging tool assembly is moved through the wellbore;

moving said logging tool assembly through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed of no greater than 750 feet per hour;

as said logging tool assembly is being moved through the wellbore, using said gamma ray radiation sensors to continuously collect gamma ray radiation data that is emitted by the one or more geologic units;

as said logging tool assembly is being moved through the wellbore, using said spatial positioning device to continuously collect sensor position data reflecting the xyz spatial position of said gamma ray radiation sensors within the wellbore relative to the wellbore and the Earth;

using said collected sensor position data to correct said collected gamma ray radiation data;

vertically sampling said corrected gamma ray radiation data at a vertical distance sampling rate of once every vertical distance sampling interval, wherein said vertical distance sampling interval is no greater than 1.75 inches;

interpolating gamma ray radiation data between the radiation sensors; and

preparing a well image log based on said sampled gamma ray radiation data and interpolated gamma ray radiation data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said well image log is a spectral gamma ray log.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said spatial positioning device is a gyroscope.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said gamma ray radiation data that is continuously collected by said gamma ray radiation sensors is naturally emitted by the geologic units.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said logging tool assembly is moved through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed in the range of from about 30 feet per hour to about 600 feet per hour.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said logging tool assembly is moved through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed in the range of from about 60 feet per hour to about 300 feet per hour.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said vertical distance sampling interval is in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 1.75 inches.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said vertical distance sampling interval is in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 1 inch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the counting time associated with each gamma ray radiation sensor attached to said logging tool body is in the range of from about 0.40 seconds per inch to about 60.00 seconds per inch.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to and equally spaced around said logging tool body.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a sufficient number of gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to and equally spaced around and along the logging tool body to allow gamma ray radiation data to be collected at sufficient points around the circumference of the wellbore and an image log of an entire geologic unit surrounding the wellbore to be prepared.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said cased well is inactive.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said cased well is an inactive well for which a well image log is not available.

14. A method of creating a well image log of a cased well having a casing with an inner diameter, comprising:

providing a passive cased well image logging tool assembly, said logging tool assembly including;

a logging tool body;

a plurality of gamma ray radiation sensors attached to and equally spaced around said logging tool body within the inner diameter of the casing, each gamma ray radiation sensor being capable of continuously collecting gamma ray radiation data that is naturally emitted by one or more geologic units surrounding or adjacent to the wellbore as said logging tool assembly is moved through the wellbore, wherein three or more of the gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to the logging tool body around a circumference of the tool body at an overlapping vertical location and two or more of the gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to the logging tool body at an overlapping radial location;

a vertical and radial radiation shield at each radiation sensor that allows gamma ray radiation from a vertical and radial angular portion of a geologic unit to reach the sensor and reduces the effect of gamma ray radiation noise; and

at least one gyroscope attached to said logging tool body that is capable of continuously collecting sensor position data reflecting the xyz spatial position of said gamma ray radiation sensors in the wellbore relative to the wellbore and the Earth as said logging tool assembly is moved through the wellbore;

moving said logging tool assembly through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed of about 30 feet per hour to about 600 feet per hour;

as said logging tool assembly is being moved through the wellbore, using said gamma ray radiation sensors to continuously collect gamma ray radiation data that is emitted by the one or more geologic units;

as said logging tool assembly is being moved through the wellbore, using said spatial positioning device to continuously collect sensor position data reflecting the xyz spatial position of said gamma ray radiation sensors within the wellbore relative to the wellbore and the Earth;

using said collected sensor position data to correct said collected gamma ray radiation data;

vertically sampling said corrected gamma ray radiation data at a vertical distance sampling rate of once every vertical distance sampling interval, wherein said vertical distance sampling interval in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 1.75 inches;

interpolating gamma ray radiation data between the radiation sensors; and

preparing a well image log based on said sampled gamma ray radiation data and interpolated gamma ray radiation data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said well image log is a spectral gamma ray log.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said logging tool assembly is moved through at least a portion of the wellbore at a logging speed in the range of from about 60 feet per hour to about 300 feet per hour.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said vertical distance sampling interval is in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 1 inch.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the counting time associated with each gamma ray radiation sensor attached to said logging tool body is in the range of from about 0.40 seconds per inch to about 60.00 seconds per inch.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a sufficient number of gamma ray radiation sensors are attached to and equally spaced around and along the logging tool body to allow gamma ray radiation data to be collected at sufficient points around the circumference of the wellbore and an image log of an entire geologic unit surrounding the wellbore to be prepared.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said cased well is an inactive well for which a well image log is not available.