System and method for measuring depth and velocity of instrumentation within a wellbore using a bendable tool

• US 8,655,596 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated (SLB)
• Inventors: Ekseth, Roger, Mullin, Stephen Victor, Weston, John Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita
• Application Number:
  US13/686,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 702/6, 702 9- 10, 702/12
• US Class Current: 702/6
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/04 Measuring depth or liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 9/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods not provided for in groups G01V1/00 - G01V8/00
• 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

An apparatus and method for measuring depth, velocity, or both depth and velocity of instrumentation along a wellbore is provided. The apparatus includes a downhole portion movable within the wellbore in a direction generally parallel to the wellbore. The apparatus further includes a first acceleration sensor that generates a first signal indicative of a first acceleration. The apparatus further includes a second acceleration sensor that generates a second signal indicative of a second acceleration. The apparatus further includes a bend sensor generating a third signal indicative of an amount of bend of at least a portion of the downhole portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a downhole portion configured to move along a wellbore, the downhole portion comprising;

a first acceleration sensor configured to generate at least one first signal indicative of a first acceleration of the first acceleration sensor;

a second acceleration sensor spaced from the first acceleration sensor, the second acceleration sensor configured to generate at least one second signal indicative of a second acceleration of the second acceleration sensor; and

a sensor configured to generate at least one third signal indicative of a bend of the downhole portion; and

a controller configured to calculate a depth along the wellbore, a velocity along the wellbore, or both a depth and a velocity along the wellbore of the downhole portion in response to the at least one first signal, the at least one second signal, and the at least one third signal and independently of wire-line or pipe-tally measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bend is between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first acceleration is not parallel to the second acceleration when the bend is non-zero.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the depth along the wellbore, the velocity along the wellbore, or both the depth and the velocity along the wellbore of the downhole portion based entirely on the use of down-hole sensors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the depth along the wellbore, the velocity along the wellbore, or both the depth and the velocity along the wellbore of the downhole portion independently of errors from surface measurements.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bend corresponds to a non-zero angle of the downhole portion between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second acceleration sensors are spaced apart from one another by a distance larger than approximately 10 meters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is mounted between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor.

9. A method for generating information indicative of a depth along a wellbore or a velocity along a wellbore or both a depth and a velocity along a wellbore of a tool configured to move within a wellbore, the method comprising:

receiving by at least one input of a system comprising a controller at least one first signal indicative of a first acceleration of a first acceleration sensor of the tool;

receiving by the at least one input at least one second signal indicative of a second acceleration of a second acceleration sensor of the tool;

receiving by the at least one input at least one third signal indicative of a bend of the tool;

storing in a memory subsystem at least a portion of the at least one first signal, the at least one second signal, and the at least one third signal; and

calculating, using the controller, a depth along the wellbore, or a velocity along the wellbore, or both a depth along the wellbore and a velocity along the wellbore of the tool in response to the at least one first signal, the at least one second signal, and the at least one third signal and independently of wire-line or pipe-tally measurements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bend is between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal are indicative of the first acceleration being not parallel to the second acceleration.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said calculating is not based on signals from sensors that are outside of the wellbore.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said calculating is independent from errors from surface measurements.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said calculating comprises using a recursive algorithm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the recursive algorithm employs measurements obtained at multiple locations to update estimates of the depth along the wellbore, the velocity along the wellbore, or both the depth along the wellbore and the velocity along the wellbore of the tool.

16. A controller configured to receive signals from a tool configured to move within a wellbore, the controller comprising:

one or more processors configured to calculate a depth along a wellbore, or a velocity along the wellbore, or both a depth along the wellbore and a velocity along the wellbore of the tool, the one or more processors performing the calculation in response to at least one first signal, at least one second signal, and at least one third signal and independently of wire-line or pipe-tally measurements, wherein the at least one first signal is indicative of a first acceleration of a first acceleration sensor of the tool, the at least one second signal is indicative of a second acceleration of a second acceleration sensor of the tool, and the at least one third signal is indicative of a bend of the tool.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the bend is between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal are indicative of the first acceleration being not parallel to the second acceleration.

19. The controller of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the controller is located outside the wellbore and is operationally coupled to the tool within the wellbore.

20. The controller of claim 16, wherein the depth along the wellbore, the velocity along the wellbore, or both the depth and the velocity along the wellbore of the tool are not based on signals from sensors that are outside the wellbore.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the depth along the wellbore, the velocity along the wellbore, or both the depth and the velocity along the wellbore of the tool independently of errors from surface measurements.