Magnetic ranging while rotating
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorAndrew Brooks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for magnetic ranging includes rotating a downhole tool in a drilling well in sensory range of magnetic flux emanating from a target well. The downhole tool includes a magnetometer set and an accelerometer set rotatably coupled to the tool. The magnetometer set and the accelerometer set acquire corresponding magnetometer measurements and accelerometer measurements while rotating. The magnetometer measurements are transformed to a rotation independent reference frame to obtain rotation invariant measurements which are in turn processed to compute at least one of a distance and a direction from the drilling well to the target well.
Claims24
A method for magnetic ranging comprising:
- (a) rotating a downhole drilling tool in a drilling well in sensory range of magnetic flux emanating from a target well, the downhole drilling tool including a magnetometer set and an accelerometer set rotatably coupled to the downhole drilling tool;
- (b) causing the magnetometer set and the accelerometer set to acquire corresponding magnetometer measurements and accelerometer measurements while rotating in (a);
- (c) transforming the magnetometer measurements and the accelerometer measurements acquired in (b) to a rotation independent reference frame to obtain rotation invariant measurements;
- and
- (d) processing the rotation invariant measurements to compute at least one of a distance and a direction from the drilling well to the target well.
A method for magnetic ranging comprising:
- (a) rotating a downhole drilling tool in a drilling well in sensory range of magnetic flux emanating from a target well having a magnetized casing string, the downhole drilling tool including a magnetometer set and an accelerometer set rotatably coupled to the downhole drilling tool;
- (b) causing the magnetometer set and the accelerometer set to acquire corresponding magnetometer measurements and accelerometer measurements while rotating in (a);
- (c) transforming the magnetometer measurements and the accelerometer measurements acquired in (b) to a rotation independent reference frame to obtain rotation invariant measurements;
- and
- (d) processing the rotation invariant measurements to compute at least one of a distance and a direction from the drilling well to the target well.
A method for magnetic ranging comprising:
- (a) rotating a downhole drilling tool in a drilling well in sensory range of magnetic flux emanating from a target well having an electromagnet deployed therein, the downhole drilling tool including a magnetometer set and an accelerometer set rotatably coupled to the downhole drilling tool;
- (b) causing the magnetometer set and the accelerometer set to acquire corresponding magnetometer measurements and accelerometer measurements while rotating in (a);
- (c) transforming the magnetometer measurements and the accelerometer measurements acquired in (b) to a rotation independent reference frame to obtain rotation invariant measurements;
- and
- (d) processing the rotation invariant measurements to compute at least one of a distance and a direction from the drilling well to the target well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.