Method of deployment for real time casing imaging

• US 8,025,445 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Abshire, Phillip Edward, Davis, Brad W., Hall, Travis, Rambow, Frederick Henry Kreisler, Childers, Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm
• Application Number:
  US12/474,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 385/95, 385/96, 385/97, 385/98, 385/99, 385/147, 385/133, 385/134, 385/135, 174/88.R, 174/76, 174/91, 174/93, 702/14, 702/16, 736/53, 731/521.6
• US Class Current: 385/95
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/135 using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4446 Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method for imaging a structure disposed in a borehole penetrating the earth, the method including: selecting a splice housing having a first port configured to seal the housing to a first fiber optic cable and a second port configured to seal the housing to a fiber optic sensor configured to image the structure, wherein the housing includes a sealed interior volume sufficient to contain a splice of optical fibers for protection and to enable a functional bend of at least ninety degrees for at least one spliced optical fiber; disposing a splice between an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable and an optical fiber of the fiber optic sensor in the splice housing; disposing the splice housing containing the splice in the borehole; attaching the fiber optic sensor to the structure; and disposing the structure in the borehole after the splice housing is disposed in the borehole.

Claims

1. A method for imaging a structure disposed in a borehole penetrating the earth, the method comprising:

selecting a splice housing configured to be disposed in the borehole and comprising a first port configured to seal the housing to a first fiber optic cable and a second port configured to seal the housing to a fiber optic sensor configured to image the structure, wherein the housing comprises a sealed interior volume sufficient to contain a splice of optical fibers for protection and to enable a functional bend of at least ninety degrees for at least one spliced optical fiber;

disposing a splice between an optical fiber of the first fiber optic cable and an optical fiber of the fiber optic sensor in the splice housing;

disposing the splice housing containing the splice in the borehole;

attaching the fiber optic sensor to the structure; and

disposing the structure in the borehole after the splice housing is disposed in the borehole.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging comprises determining a strain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fiber optic sensor comprises an optical fiber having a fiber Bragg grating configured to measure the strain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising testing the fiber optic sensor prior to disposing the structure in the borehole.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a casing.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising securing the splice housing to the casing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein securing comprises placing the splice housing against the casing wherein a curvature of the splice housing conforms to a curvature of the casing.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein securing comprises using a protector to secure the splice housing to the casing, the protector comprising a first clamp disposed uphole of the splice housing, a second clamp disposed downhole of splice housing, and a shield bridging the clamps and configured to protect the splice housing from an environment in the borehole.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an instrument in the borehole before disposing the splice housing in the borehole, a second fiber optic cable from the instrument being configured to seal to a third port in the splice housing wherein the third port is oriented in a downhole direction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an instrument splice between an optical fiber from the instrument another optical fiber in the first fiber optic cable in the splice housing.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising measuring at least one property with the instrument from a group consisting of pressure, temperature, displacement, acceleration, gravity, force, stress, strain, speed, flow and chemical.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching comprises using an epoxy.

13. An apparatus for imaging a structure disposed in a borehole penetrating the earth, the apparatus comprising:

a fiber optic sensor configured to image the structure;

a first fiber optic cable comprising an optical fiber configured to be spliced to the fiber optic sensor; and

a splice housing configured to be disposed in the borehole and comprising a first port configured to seal the housing to the first fiber optic cable and a second port configured to seal the housing to the fiber optic sensor, wherein the housing comprises a sealed interior volume sufficient to contain a splice of optical fibers from the fiber optic sensor and the first fiber optic cable for protection and to enable a functional bend of at least ninety degrees for at least one spliced optical fiber.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the functional bend is at least 135 degrees.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the functional bend is at least 180 degrees.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the functional bend is at least 360 degrees.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fiber optic sensor comprises an optical fiber having a fiber Bragg grating configured to image the structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the imaging comprises determining a strain.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an optical processing unit coupled to the first fiber optic cable and configured to interrogate the fiber optic sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an adhesive configured to attach the fiber optic sensor to the structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an instrument configured to be disposed downhole of the splice housing, a second fiber optic cable from the instrument being configured to seal to a third port in the splice housing wherein the third port is oriented in a downhole direction.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an instrument splice between another optical fiber in the first fiber optic cable and an optical fiber from the instrument, wherein the instrument splice is disposed in the splice housing.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interior volume is sufficient to store an excess length of each spliced optical fiber.