Method and apparatus for initialization of a wellbore survey tool via a remote reference source

• US 8,294,592 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated
• Inventors: Weston, John Lionel, Wright, Eric, Uttecht, Gary, Ekseth, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierre, Peguy Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/407,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 340/856.4 8563, 340/853.2, 166/301
• US Class Current: 340/856.3
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/00 Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/02 Determining slope or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for determining an orientation of a wellbore survey tool at a first position with respect to a reference direction. At least one first signal is indicative of an orientation of a directional reference system with respect to the reference direction. The directional reference system is positioned at a second position spaced from the first position. At least one second signal is indicative of a relative orientation of the wellbore survey tool with respect to the directional reference system. The orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position is determined in response at least in part to the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal.

Claims

1. A method for determining an orientation of a wellbore survey tool at a first position with respect to a reference direction, the method comprising:

receiving at least one first signal indicative of an orientation of a directional reference system with respect to the reference direction, the directional reference system positioned at a second position spaced from the first position;

receiving at least one second signal indicative of a relative orientation of the wellbore survey tool with respect to the directional reference system; and

determining the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position in response at least in part to the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position is spaced a first distance from a wellbore entrance, and the second position is spaced a second distance from the wellbore entrance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first horizontal component of the first distance is less than about 10 feet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a second horizontal component of the second distance is greater than a first horizontal component of the first distance by at least about 30 feet.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a first vertical component of the first distance is less than about 20 feet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position comprises:

using one or more computer processors to receive the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal; and

using the one or more computer processors to calculate the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising using one or more optical sighting procedures to generate information of the at least one second signal indicative of the relative orientation of the wellbore survey tool with respect to the directional reference system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more optical sighting procedures comprises:

transmitting light along a first line extending between the directional reference system and a first reflecting surface mounted at a predetermined orientation with respect to the wellbore survey tool; and

reflecting the light transmitted along the first line by the first reflecting surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wellbore survey tool at the first position is mounted substantially vertically with respect to the wellbore entrance.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising moving the first reflecting surface to change the direction the light reflected by the first reflecting surface, wherein the first reflecting surface and the wellbore survey tool are mechanically coupled to one another and maintain their relationship with one another while being moved.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more optical sighting procedures further comprises:

transmitting the light reflected by the first reflecting surface along a second line extending between the first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface; and

using the second reflecting surface to reflect the light transmitted along the second line.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the light reflected by the second reflecting surface propagates along a third line extending between the second reflecting surface and the directional reference system, and wherein the first line, the second line, and the third line form a triangle.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting the wellbore survey tool at a predetermined orientation with respect to the directional reference system by engaging keying features affixed to the wellbore survey tool with corresponding keying structures affixed to a mount that is located at the first position.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the tool highside angle while the wellbore survey tool is substantially horizontal;

moving the wellbore survey tool to be substantially vertical, wherein the determining the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position comprises calculating a gyro tool face angle at least in part based on the determined tool highside angle.

15. The method of claim 14, the tool highside angle is determined using accelerometer measurements from the wellbore survey tool.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tool highside angle is determined while the wellbore survey tool is mounted in a ν

-shaped channel that has been aligned with the local horizontal using a level sensor.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using values received from an inertial reference system to determine the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, before the determining the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position is performed, the inertial reference system is moved from a first mounting position in which the inertial reference system is mounted at a predetermined orientation with respect to the directional reference system to a second mounting position in which the inertial reference system is mounted at a predetermined orientation with respect to the wellbore survey tool.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the orientation of the wellbore survey tool at the first position further comprises comparing angular rate measurements by the wellbore survey tool and the inertial reference system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the inertial reference system comprises an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS).

21. A system for determining an orientation of a wellbore survey tool, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more inputs configured to receive data indicative of an orientation of a directional reference system with respect to a reference direction and data indicative of a relative orientation of the wellbore survey tool with respect to the directional reference system, wherein the direction reference system is positioned at a first position relative to a wellbore entrance and a wellbore survey tool is mounted at a second position relative to the wellbore entrance spaced away from the first position; and

a wellbore initialization module executing in the one or more computer processors and configured to, in response at least in part to the received data, calculate an orientation of the survey tool.

22. A system for use in determining an orientation of a wellbore survey tool, the system comprising:

at least one directional reference system configured to provide data indicative of an orientation of the at least one directional reference system with respect to a reference direction; and

an optical component mounted at a predetermined orientation with respect to the directional reference system and configured to transmit light along a line extending between the directional reference system and a first reflecting surface mounted at a predetermined orientation with respect to the wellbore survey tool.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second reflecting surface positioned such that light reflected by the first reflecting surface propagates along a second line extending between the wellbore survey tool and the second reflecting surface and is reflected by the second reflecting surface.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the light reflected by the second reflecting surface extends along a third line between the second reflecting surface and the directional reference system, wherein the first line, the second line, and the third line form a triangle.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an actuator configured to move the second reflecting surface along the third line.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising an autocollimator.