Method and apparatus for detection of a liquid under a surface
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a liquid under a surface, comprising:
- a) locating a volume of substances under the surface, wherein at least a portion of the volume of substances is within a static magnetic field;
b) transmitting at least one radio-frequency excitation pulse from a remote location above the volume of substances to generate a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from the volume of substances;
c) detecting, from the remote location, the NMR signal from the volume of substances;
d) processing the detected NMR signal to determine whether the volume of substances includes the liquid, ande) moving the remote location to another area of interest in an ice-prone region and repeating steps b) through d) for the another volume of substances, whereinprocessing the detected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal comprises interpreting data selected from the group consisting of the intensity of the NMR signal, the relaxation time of the NMR signal, and any combination thereof, andthe area of interest is selected from the group consisting of an offshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil spill for the purpose of oil spill remediation, an offshore or onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil seep for the purpose of hydrocarbon exploration, and an onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of oil leaks from man-made structures for the purposes of remediation and repair of the structures.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for detecting a liquid under a surface and characterizing Ice are provided The liquid may be a liquid hydrocarbon such as crude oil or fuel oil or mineral oil The surface may be ice, snow, or water, and the method may be practiced in an arctic region to detect oil spills, leaks, or seepages The methods may be used with a range finder to characterize marine ice The methods may include a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tool with antenna to send a radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulse or signal into volume of substances being detected, detect an NMR response signal to determine the presence of the liquid of interest The NMR response may include a relaxation time element and an intensity level and may include a free induction signal (T2*), a spin echo signal (T2), a train of spin echo signals (T2), or a thermal equilibrium signal (T 1).
46 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a liquid under a surface, comprising:
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a) locating a volume of substances under the surface, wherein at least a portion of the volume of substances is within a static magnetic field; b) transmitting at least one radio-frequency excitation pulse from a remote location above the volume of substances to generate a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from the volume of substances; c) detecting, from the remote location, the NMR signal from the volume of substances; d) processing the detected NMR signal to determine whether the volume of substances includes the liquid, and e) moving the remote location to another area of interest in an ice-prone region and repeating steps b) through d) for the another volume of substances, wherein processing the detected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal comprises interpreting data selected from the group consisting of the intensity of the NMR signal, the relaxation time of the NMR signal, and any combination thereof, and the area of interest is selected from the group consisting of an offshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil spill for the purpose of oil spill remediation, an offshore or onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil seep for the purpose of hydrocarbon exploration, and an onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of oil leaks from man-made structures for the purposes of remediation and repair of the structures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of mapping the presence of a liquid under a surface, comprising:
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a. selecting an area of interest having a surface at least partially obscuring visual detection of substances below the surface; b. traversing the area of interest while using a detection method to gather data regarding the presence of the liquid under the surface, the detection method comprising; i) locating a volume of substances under a surface in the area of interest, wherein at least a portion of the volume of substances is within a static magnetic field; ii) transmitting at least one radio-frequency excitation pulse from a remote location above the volume of substances to generate a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from the volume of substances; iii) detecting, from the remote location, the NMR signal from the volume of substances; and iv) processing the detected NMR signal to determine whether the volume of substances includes the liquid, and c. mapping the presence of the liquid under the surface using the gathered data wherein the area of interest is selected from the group consisting of an offshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil spill for the purpose of oil spill remediation, an offshore or onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of an oil seep for the purpose of hydrocarbon exploration, and an onshore arctic or sub-arctic area for detection of oil leaks from man-made structures for the purposes of remediation and repair of the structures. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification