Borehole Imaging and Orientation of Downhole Tools

• US 20090166035A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/254.100
• 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 downhole operational device in a borehole, comprising:

running a tool string into the borehole to a predetermined depth, the tool string including an imaging device, a motor module, and the downhole operational device;

imaging the borehole 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 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

conducting an operation with the downhole operational device at the desired orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting a depth of the downhole operational device after the before conducting the operation and after the imaging of the borehole.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the downhole operational device is selected from the group consisting of a whipstock, a pipe cutter, a segment cutter, a split-shot, a chemical cutter, a shot-stick, a reentry nose, a perforating gun, a core sample taker, a tubing puncher, a directional flow meter, a directional temperature probe, a directional pressure probe, a fluid sampler, a focused nuclear tool, a stuck-point indicator, a focused video camera sonde.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the downhole operational tool is a perforating gun that is a 0°

perforating gun.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging device is selected from the group consisting of a focused electromagnetic device, a focused acoustic device, a focused nuclear device and combinations thereof.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the magnetometer device comprises two sensors oriented at about a right angle with respect to each other.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the tool string comprises a non-rotating centralizer disposed above the motor module and a rotating centralizer disposed below the motor module.

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

an imaging device, a motor module, and a downhole operational 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;

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

wherein the downhole operational device is selected from the group consisting of a whipstock, a pipe cutter, a segment cutter, a split-shot, a chemical cutter, a shot-stick, a reentry nose, a perforating gun, a core sample taker, a tubing puncher, a directional flow meter, a directional temperature probe, a directional pressure probe, a fluid sampler, a focused nuclear tool, a stuck-point indicator, a focused video camera sonde; and

wherein the imaging device is selected from the group consisting of a focused electromagnetic device, a focused acoustic device, a focused nuclear device and combinations thereof.

12. The tool string of claim 11 wherein the downhole operational tool is a perforating gun that is a 0°

perforating gun.

13. The tool string of claim 11 further comprising a gyroscope for measuring an azimuth of the borehole.

14. The tool string of claim 13 wherein the gyroscope is a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device.

15. The tool string of claim 11 further comprising a magnetometer device for measuring a magnetic anisotropy of the borehole.

16. The tool string of claim 15 wherein the magnetometer device comprises two sensors oriented at about a right angle with respect to each other.

17. The tool string of claim 11 further comprising a non-rotating centralizer disposed above the motor module and a rotating centralizer disposed below the motor module.

18. A radial survey log of a borehole at a predetermined depth, the log comprising:

an azimuth of the borehole,

an indication of a rotational orientation of an imaging tool used to create the radial survey log, and

a composite image of the borehole, the surrounding radial area, and the material or equipment disposed within the borehole.

19. A method of measuring a magnetic anisotropy of a borehole at a predetermined depth, the method comprising:

lowering a tool string down the borehole to the predetermined depth, the tool comprising a magnetometer device, a motor module and a downhole operational device;

the motor module capable of rotating the magnetometer device about an axis of the tool string to provide a stationary radial magnetic survey of the borehole at the predetermined depth using data obtained from the magnetometer device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the magnetometer device comprises two sensors oriented at about a right angle with respect to each other.