Borehole imaging and orientation of downhole tools

• US 8,201,625 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Almaguer, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, KIPP CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US11/964,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090166035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 166/255.2, 166/240, 166/384, 166/383, 166/330, 166/320, 166/321, 166/250.08, 175/4.51, 181/105
• US Class Current: 166/250.08
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/00 Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/11 Perforators; Permeators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/002 by visual inspection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0025 generating an image of the borehole wall using down-hole measurements, e.g. acoustic or electric
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/061 the tool shaft advancing relative to a guide, e.g. a curved tube or a whipstock

Abstract

Methods of generating radial survey images of a borehole and methods of orienting downhole operational tools are disclosed. The disclosed techniques are used to generate a radial survey of the borehole in the form of one or more rose-plots and/or a radial image of the borehole and surrounding area that can be used to properly orient downhole operational tools in the desired direction. The tool string includes, from the top to bottom, a telemetry module, a non-rotating centralizer, a motor module, an imaging sonde used to survey the borehole, a rotating centralizer and a downhole operational tool. The motor module can be used to rotate the imaging sonde to generate the radial survey and then rotate the downhole operational tool to the desired direction based upon a review of the radial survey.

Claims

1. A method of orienting a perforating gun in a borehole of a formation, comprising:

running a tool string into the borehole to a predetermined depth, the tool string comprising a motor module, the perforating gun, at least one centralizer disposed above the perforating gun, and an imaging device, wherein the imaging device is selected from a group consisting of a focused acoustic instrument, a focused thermal instrument and a focused flow measuring instrument;

imaging the borehole and the formation at the predetermined depth with the imaging device while rotating the imaging device about an axis of the tool string with the motor module to provide a radial survey of the borehole and the formation at the predetermined depth;

rotating the perforating gun about the axis of the tool string to a desired orientation with the motor module based on the radial survey; and

actuating the perforating gun at the desired orientation;

wherein the at least one centralizer comprises a non-rotating centralizer disposed above the imaging device and a rotating centralizer disposed below the imaging device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool string further comprises a gyroscope and the method further comprises measuring an azimuth of the borehole with the gyroscope.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool string further comprises a magnetometer device and the method further comprises measuring a magnetic anisotropy of the borehole with the magnetometer device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the magnetometer device comprises two sensors oriented at about a right angle with respect to each other.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining an orientation of a defect in cement in an annular space between the borehole and a casing inserted therein using the acoustic imaging device; and

orienting the perforating gun toward the defect.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an orientation of fluid entering the borehole from perforations in a casing disposed in the borehole using at least one of the focused thermal imaging device and the focused flow measuring device, and orienting the perforating gun toward the entering fluid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool string remains the borehole between the step of imaging the borehole at the predetermined depth and the step of actuating the perforating gun at the desired orientation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

placing a magnetic material proximate a well component at a given depth of the borehole;

deploying a magnetometer into the borehole at the given depth; and

rotating the magnetometer at the given depth to identify an azimuthal position of the magnetic material at the given depth,

wherein the desired orientation is further based on the azimuthal position of the magnetic material at the given depth.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the desired orientation is approximately azimuthally opposite from the azimuthal position of the magnetic material at the given depth.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of placing a magnetic material proximate a well component is performed prior to the step of running the tool string into the borehole.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of placing a magnetic material proximate a well component comprises the step of attaching the magnetic material to a surface of casing prior to installation thereof in the borehole.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of placing a magnetic material proximate a well component comprises the step of lowering the magnetic material into the borehole to a depth and position proximate the well component.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

determining an orientation of a defect in cement in an annular space between the borehole and a casing inserted therein using the acoustic imaging device; and

orienting the perforating gun toward the defect.

5. An oriented tool string for use in a borehole, the tool string comprising:

a motor module;

a perforating gun;

at least two centralizers;

an imaging device disposed between the at least two centralizers selected from a group consisting a focused acoustic device, a focused thermal device and a focused flow measuring device;

the motor module capable of rotating the imaging device about an axis of the tool string to provide a radial survey of the borehole at a predetermined depth using data obtained from the imaging device; and

the motor module rotating the perforating gun about the axis of the tool string to a desired orientation based on the radial survey.

6. The tool string of claim 5 further comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device for measuring an azimuth of the borehole.

7. The tool string of claim 5 further comprising a magnetometer device for measuring a magnetic anisotropy of the borehole.

8. The tool string of claim 5 wherein the at least two centralizers comprise a non-rotating centralizer disposed above the motor module and a rotating centralizer disposed below the motor module.

12. A method of orienting a downhole operational device in a borehole of a formation, comprising:

running a tool string into the borehole to a predetermined depth, the tool string comprising a motor module, the downhole operational device, a lower centralizer disposed above the downhole operational device, an upper centralizer, and an imaging device disposed between the lower centralizer and the upper centralizer, wherein the imaging device is selected from a group consisting of a focused acoustic instrument, a focused thermal instrument and a focused flow measuring instrument;

imaging the borehole and the formation at the predetermined depth with the imaging device while rotating the imaging device about an axis of the tool string with the motor module to provide a radial survey of the borehole and the formation at the predetermined depth;

rotating the downhole operational device about the axis of the tool string to a desired orientation with the motor module based on the radial survey; and

actuating the downhole operational device at the desired orientation.