Method and apparatus for determining locations of multiple casings within a wellbore conductor
First Claim
1. A method of determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor, the method comprising:
- providing sensor measurements generated by at least one sensor within the wellbore conductor, the sensor measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing within the wellbore conductor as a function of position along the wellbore conductor; and
calculating, using a processor, the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing using the sensor measurements and at least one geometric constraint, the at least one geometric constraint originating at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the wellbore conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one wellbore casing, or both, wherein the at least one wellbore casing comprises a first wellbore casing and a second wellbore casing,wherein calculating the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing comprises;
estimating, based at least in part on the at least one geometric constraint and the sensor measurements, a position along the wellbore conductor at which the first and second wellbore casings touch one another; and
using the estimated position to calculate locations of the first and second wellbore casings,wherein estimating the position comprises;
using the sensor measurements to calculate an initial value of a quantity t representing the position;
calculating an initial value of a proportionality factor K; and
using a mapping to at least approximate the distance between the first and second wellbore casings as a function of position along the wellbore conductor, the mapping at least in part defined by an expression dependent at least in part on the quantity t, the proportionality factor K, and the at least one geometric constraint.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Certain embodiments described herein provide methods, systems and computer-readable media for determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor. Sensor measurements generated by at least one sensor within the conductor are provided, the measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one casing within the conductor as a function of position along the conductor. In certain embodiments, a data memory stores the measurements. The at least one location of the at least one casing is calculated using the measurements and at least one geometric constraint. The at least one constraint originates at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one casing, or both. In certain embodiments, a computer system or computer-executable component calculates the at least one location of the at least one casing.
4 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor, the method comprising:
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providing sensor measurements generated by at least one sensor within the wellbore conductor, the sensor measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing within the wellbore conductor as a function of position along the wellbore conductor; and calculating, using a processor, the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing using the sensor measurements and at least one geometric constraint, the at least one geometric constraint originating at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the wellbore conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one wellbore casing, or both, wherein the at least one wellbore casing comprises a first wellbore casing and a second wellbore casing, wherein calculating the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing comprises; estimating, based at least in part on the at least one geometric constraint and the sensor measurements, a position along the wellbore conductor at which the first and second wellbore casings touch one another; and using the estimated position to calculate locations of the first and second wellbore casings, wherein estimating the position comprises; using the sensor measurements to calculate an initial value of a quantity t representing the position; calculating an initial value of a proportionality factor K; and using a mapping to at least approximate the distance between the first and second wellbore casings as a function of position along the wellbore conductor, the mapping at least in part defined by an expression dependent at least in part on the quantity t, the proportionality factor K, and the at least one geometric constraint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor, the system comprising:
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a data memory that stores sensor measurements corresponding to measurements from at least one sensor within the wellbore conductor, the sensor measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing within the wellbore conductor as a function of position along the wellbore conductor; and a computer system in communication with the data memory, the computer system operative to calculate the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing using the sensor measurements and at least one geometric constraint, the at least one geometric constraint originating at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the wellbore conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one wellbore casing, or both, wherein the at least one wellbore casing comprises a first wellbore casing and a second wellbore casing, wherein calculating the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing comprises; estimating, based at least in part on the at least one geometric constraint and the sensor measurements, a position along the wellbore conductor at which the first and second wellbore casings touch one another; and using the estimated position to calculate locations of the first and second wellbore casings, wherein estimating the position comprises; using the sensor measurements to calculate an initial value of a quantity t representing the position; calculating an initial value of a proportionality factor K; and using a mapping to at least approximate the distance between the first and second wellbore casings as a function of position along the wellbore conductor, the mapping at least in part defined by an expression dependent at least in part on the quantity t, the proportionality factor K, and the at least one geometric constraint.
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20. A system for determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor, the system comprising:
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a first component that provides sensor measurements corresponding to measurements from at least one sensor within the wellbore conductor, the sensor measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing within the wellbore conductor as a function of position along the wellbore conductor; a second component that calculates the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing using the sensor measurements and at least one geometric constraint, the at least one geometric constraint originating at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the wellbore conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one wellbore casing, or both; and a computer operative to execute the first and second components, wherein the at least one wellbore casing comprises a first wellbore casing and a second wellbore casing, wherein calculating the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing comprises; estimating, based at least in part on the at least one geometric constraint and the sensor measurements, a position along the wellbore conductor at which the first and second wellbore casings touch one another; and using the estimated position to calculate locations of the first and second wellbore casings, wherein estimating the position comprises; using the sensor measurements to calculate an initial value of a quantity t representing the position; calculating an initial value of a proportionality factor K; and using a mapping to at least approximate the distance between the first and second wellbore casings as a function of position along the wellbore conductor, the mapping at least in part defined by an expression dependent at least in part on the quantity t, the proportionality factor K, and the at least one geometric constraint.
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21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, executed on a computer system having at least one computing device, for determining at least one location of at least one wellbore casing within a wellbore conductor, the computer-executable components comprising:
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a first component that provides sensor measurements corresponding to measurements from at least one sensor within the wellbore conductor, the sensor measurements indicative of at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing within the wellbore conductor as a function of position along the wellbore conductor; and a second component that calculates the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing using the sensor measurements and at least one geometric constraint, the at least one geometric constraint originating at least in part from at least one physical parameter of the wellbore conductor, or at least one physical parameter of the at least one wellbore casing, or both, wherein the at least one wellbore casing comprises a first wellbore casing and a second wellbore casing, wherein calculating the at least one location of the at least one wellbore casing comprises; estimating, based at least in part on the at least one geometric constraint and the sensor measurements, a position along the wellbore conductor at which the first and second wellbore casings touch one another; and using the estimated position to calculate locations of the first and second wellbore casings, wherein estimating the position comprises; using the sensor measurements to calculate an initial value of a quantity t representing the position; calculating an initial value of a proportionality factor K; and using a mapping to at least approximate the distance between the first and second wellbore casings as a function of position along the wellbore conductor, the mapping at least in part defined by an expression dependent at least in part on the quantity t, the proportionality factor K, and the at least one geometric constraint.
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Specification