Multiple receiver sub-array apparatus, systems, and methods

• US 20070107938A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Schmitt, Denis, Cornish, Bruce, Spross, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/281,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/50
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/14 using acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/44 using generators and receivers in the same well G01V1/52 takes precedence

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to enable moving a drill string through a borehole while acquiring data generated by a plurality of receiver sub-arrays included in a drill string. The sub-arrays may be separated by one or more sources of sonic energy, as well as by a non-aliased receiver spacing distance, a distance associated with a selected aperture of investigation, or a distance associated with a formation slowness. The sonic energy may be received by the sub-arrays at a plurality of stations. Data may be collected at a telemetry receiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus, including:

a first sub-array of receivers included in a drill string;

a second sub-array of receivers included in the drill string; and

a source of sonic energy to be received by the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers, wherein the source is included in the drill string and disposed between the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sub-array of receivers is spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about a non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

at least one borehole clamping device attached to the first sub-array of receivers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a telemetry repeater included in the first sub-array of receivers.

5. An apparatus, including:

a first sub-array of receivers included in a drill string;

a second sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the first sub-array of receivers by about a non-aliased receiver spacing distance; and

a source of surface seismic energy to be received by the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a telemetry repeater included in the first sub-array of receivers.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a third sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about the non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a third sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about a distance associated with a selected aperture of investigation.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a third sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about a distance associated with a formation slowness.

10. An apparatus, including:

a first telemetry repeater to receive and re-transmit data;

a first sub-array of drill string receivers coupled to the first telemetry repeater; and

a first source of sonic energy to be received by the sub-array of drill string receivers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further including:

a borehole clamping device attached to the sub-array of drill string receivers.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further including:

a second telemetry repeater to receive and re-transmit the data;

a second sub-array of drill string receivers coupled to the second telemetry repeater; and

a second source of sonic energy to be received by the sub-array of drill string receivers.

13. An apparatus, including:

a first sub-array of receivers included in a drill string;

a first source of sonic energy included in the drill string and located proximate to and separated from a first end of the first sub-array of receivers; and

a second source of sonic energy included in the drill string and located proximate to and separated from a second end of the first sub-array of receivers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further including:

a second sub-array of receivers spaced apart from the first sub-array of receivers by about a non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receivers are substantially linearly distributed along the length of the drill string and include at least one device selected from a geophone, a hydrophone, or an accelerometer.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further including:

a telemetry repeater included in the first sub-array of receivers.

17. A system, including:

a drill string;

a first sub-array of receivers included in the drill string;

a second sub-array of receivers included in the drill string; and

a source of sonic energy to be received by the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers, wherein the source is included in the drill string and disposed between the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first sub-array of receivers is spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about a non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

19. The system of claim 17, further including:

a first telemetry repeater included in the first sub-array of receivers; and

a second telemetry repeater included in the second sub-array of receivers.

20. The system of claim 19, further including:

a telemetry receiver to receive data from the first telemetry repeater.

21. A system, including:

a drill string;

a first sub-array of receivers included in the drill string;

a second sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the first sub-array of receivers by no more than a non-aliased receiver spacing distance; and

a source of surface seismic energy to be received by the first sub-array of receivers and the second sub-array of receivers.

22. The system of claim 21, further including:

a first telemetry repeater included in the first sub-array of receivers; and

a second telemetry repeater included in the second sub-array of receivers.

23. The system of claim 21, further including:

a third sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by no more than the non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

24. The system of claim 21, further including:

a third sub-array of receivers included in the drill string and spaced apart from the second sub-array of receivers by about a distance associated with one of a selected aperture of investigation or a formation slowness.

25. A method, including:

moving a drill string through a borehole while acquiring data generated by a plurality of receiver sub-arrays included in the drill string and separated by at least one source of sonic energy to be received by at least two of the plurality of receiver sub-arrays at a plurality of stations; and

collecting the data at a telemetry receiver.

26. The method of claim 25, further including:

moving the at least one source to generate one of a horizontal profile and a vertical profile of shot positions while substantially continuously recording during the moving.

27. The method of claim 25, further including:

sending the data via telemetry through at least two telemetry repeaters co-located with the at least two receiver sub-arrays.

28. The method of claim 25, further including:

redundantly collecting the data using a second one of the plurality of receiver sub-arrays to acquire a portion of the data previously acquired by a first one of the plurality of receiver sub-arrays.

29. The method of claim 25, further including:

forming a synthetic sub-array by collecting the data from the at least two of the plurality of receiver sub-arrays spaced farther apart from each other than a non-aliased receiver spacing distance.

30. The method of claim 29, further including:

predicting pressure-related phenomena based on the data.

31. The method of claim 25, further including:

steering the drill string in response to the data.

32. The method of claim 25, further including:

substantially successively activating the one source of sonic energy and a second source of sonic energy; and

executing one of a geometric correction or a fore-aft looking application.

33. An article including a machine-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

collecting data at a plurality of stations in a borehole using a telemetry receiver, wherein a first portion of the data is generated by a first drill string sub-assembly including a first telemetry repeater to receive and re-transmit the first portion of the data, a first sub-array of drill string receivers coupled to the first telemetry repeater, and a first source of sonic energy to be received by the first sub-array of drill string receivers.

34. The article of claim 33, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

collecting a second portion of the data in the borehole using the telemetry receiver, wherein the second portion of the data is generated by a second drill string sub-assembly including a second telemetry repeater to receive and re-transmit the second portion of the data, a second sub-array of drill string receivers coupled to the second telemetry repeater, and a second source of sonic energy to be received by the second sub-array of drill string receivers.

35. The article of claim 33, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

redundantly collecting the first portion of the data as the second portion of the data.

36. The article of claim 33, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

activating a surface source of seismic energy; and

receiving the seismic energy at the first sub-array of drill string receivers.