Electromagnetic logging between a cased borehole and surface

• US 9,035,657 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hong, Rosthal, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes-Vivour, Temilade S
• Application Number:
  US12/705,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 324323-339, 324345-375
• US Class Current: 324/339
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/28 using induction coils

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for conducting an electromagnetic borehole-to-surface survey of a formation surrounding a borehole. Such methods include deploying a dipole transmitter into the borehole to a depth of investigation, deploying an array of electromagnetic receivers outside of the wellbore, and measuring a response of the formation at the array of electromagnetic receivers deployed outside of the wellbore, for example at the surface. From the response of the formation a property of the formation can be determined based on the response of the formation measured at the array of electromagnetic receivers. For the scenario of a cased well, a local reference receiver may be added at a location proximate the borehole to measure the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter inside the casing, and normalize the formation response in order for a more accurate determination of a formation characteristic, such as resistivity. These receivers can also be used for other types of surveys.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating a formation around a geological target of interest in the vicinity of a wellbore drilled in the formation and cased in steel, comprising:

a logging cable that moveably deploys a dipole electromagnetic transmitter in the wellbore drilled in the formation, the dipole electromagnetic transmitter configured to transmit electromagnetic energy into the formation from a plurality of transmitter locations as the high power logging cable moves the dipole electromagnetic transmitter from a first location in the wellbore to a second location in the wellbore;

an array of electromagnetic receivers deployed at one or more locations outside of the wellbore, wherein the array of electromagnetic receivers is also used to collect at least one of marine magnetotelluric data, land magnetotelluric data, and marine controlled source electromagnetic data;

at least one local reference electromagnetic receiver at a location relatively proximate the wellbore and outside of steel casing configured to measure an effective moment of the electromagnetic transmitter inside the steel casing; and

a surface logging computer coupled to the logging cable, configured to normalize the signals received by the array of electromagnetic receivers based upon the effective moment and to determine a property of the formation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the array of receivers is also used to collect land controlled source electromagnetic data.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the signals received by the array of electromagnetic receivers is used together with at least one of marine magnetotelluric data, land magnetotelluric data, land controlled source electromagnetic data, and marine controlled source electromagnetic data to determine a property of the formation.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the dipole transmitter comprises a magnetic dipole transmitter comprising a coil disposed about a core, producing a large moment when activated.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter is optimized for use in a well cased in steel, having a core not longer than approximately eight feet long.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the dipole transmitter comprises an electric dipole transmitter comprising circuitry modulating voltage applied across an insulated gap.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the array of receivers comprises any combination of magnetic field receivers and electric field receivers.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wellbore comprises an open, un-cased wellbore.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the steel comprises magnetic steel or non-magnetic chromium steel.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the array of electromagnetic receivers is located on land, on the sea bottom, towed on a cable system, or any combination thereof.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the array of electromagnetic receivers comprise electric field sensors, magnetic field sensors, seismic sensors, or a combination of those sensors.

12. A method for conducting a borehole to surface electromagnetic survey, comprising:

deploying a dipole transmitter at a downhole location in a wellbore;

deploying an array of electromagnetic receivers outside of the wellbore, wherein the array of receivers is also used to collect at least one of marine magnetotelluric data, land magnetotelluric data, and marine controlled source electromagnetic data;

deploying at least one local reference receiver station at a location relatively proximate the wellbore and outside steel casing configured to measure the effective magnetic moment of transmitter inside the steel casing;

activating the dipole transmitter, the local reference receiver station, and the array of electromagnetic receivers;

measuring a response of the formation at the array of electromagnetic receivers;

measuring the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter in the cased wellbore at the local reference receiver station;

normalizing the response of the formation based on the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter in the cased wellbore; and

determining a property of the formation based on the normalized response of the formation.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the array of receivers is also used to collect land controlled source electromagnetic data.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the signals received by the array of electromagnetic receivers is used together with at least one of marine magnetotelluric data, land magnetotelluric data, land controlled source electromagnetic data, and marine controlled source electromagnetic data to determine a property of the formation.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dipole transmitter comprises a magnetic dipole transmitter comprising a coil disposed about a core, producing a large moment when activated.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising optimizing the transmitter for use in a well cased in steel by selecting a core of a length not longer than approximately eight feet long.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dipole transmitter comprises an electric dipole transmitter comprising circuitry modulating voltage applied across an insulated gap.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the array of receivers comprises any combination of magnetic field receivers and electric field receivers.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wellbore comprises an open, un-cased wellbore.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wellbore comprises a wellbore cased in magnetic steel or non-magnetic chromium steel, the method further comprising removing the data that was affected by casing collars and casing centralizers using the measurement of transmitter center monitor and coil impedance measurement.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising positioning the receivers on land.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising positioning the receivers on the sea bottom.

23. The method according to claim 12, further comprising towing the receivers on a cable system.

24. The method according to claim 12, wherein the receivers comprise electric field sensors, magnetic field sensors, seismic sensors, or a combination of those sensors.

25. A method for conducting an electromagnetic survey of a formation surrounding a borehole, comprising:

deploying a dipole electromagnetic transmitter into the borehole to a depth of investigation;

deploying an array of electromagnetic receivers outside of the wellbore;

measuring a response of the formation at the array of electromagnetic receivers, wherein the array of receivers is also used to collect at least one of marine magnetotelluric data, and magnetotelluric data, and marine controlled source electromagnetic data; and

measuring an effective magnetic moment of the electromagnetic transmitter in the cased wellbore at the local reference receiver station;

normalizing the response of the formation measured at the array of electromagnetic receivers based on the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter in the cased wellbore;

determining a property of the formation based on the normalized response of the formation.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein at the depth of investigation, the borehole is uncased.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein at the depth of investigation, the borehole is cased, and further comprising:

deploying at least one local reference receiver station at a location relatively proximate the wellbore and outside of the steel casing configured to measure the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter; and

normalizing the response of the array of receivers based on the effective magnetic moment of the transmitter in steel casing.