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US 10,539,004 B2Granted
Well ranging apparatus, systems, and methods
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsHsu-Hsiang Wu, Akram Ahmadi Kalateh Ahmad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed embodiments include well ranging apparatus, systems, and methods which operate to receive normal and tangential components of electromagnetic field strength measurements within a first well as a set of field strength components from at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is used to take multiple azimuthal field strength measurements at a single depth. Further activities include determining an approximate range from the at least one sensor to a second well that serves as a source of an electromagnetic field, via direct transmission or backscatter transmission, when a ranging direction associated with a housing upon which the at least one sensor is mounted is unknown. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a down hole tool housing attached to at least two sensors rotatable by a selected number of degrees in an azimuthal plane, each of the sensors to measure an electromagnetic field strength component comprising at least a normal component, a tangential component, or a total field component;
- and
- a range determination module to receive the normal component, the tangential component, or the total field component as a first set of field strength components from each of the sensors provided by the sensors when the sensors are located at a first azimuthal location, and as a second set of field strength components from each of the sensors provided by the sensors when the sensors are located at a second azimuthal location different from the first location, and to determine an approximate range from the sensors disposed in a second well, to a first well based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from one or more of the field strength components, the approximate range being determined via direct transmission or backscatter transmission of an electromagnetic field from the first well, when a range direction associated with the housing upon which the sensors are mounted is unknown.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a down hole tool housing attached to at least two sensors located in an azimuthal plane, each of the sensors to measure a set of electromagnetic field strength components at different azimuthal locations in the azimuthal plane, the set of electromagnetic field strength components comprising a normal component, a tangential component, and a longitudinal component;
- and
- a range determination module to receive the set of electromagnetic field strength components from each of the sensors, and to determine an approximate range from the sensors disposed in a second well, to a first well based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from one or more of the field strength components, the approximate range being determined, via direct transmission or backscatter transmission of an electromagnetic field from the first well, when a range direction associated with the housing upon which the sensors are mounted is unknown.
A system, comprising:
- a current source to couple current to one of a target well or a drilling well;
- and
- an apparatus comprising a range determination module to receive a normal component, a tangential component, or a total field component of an electromagnetic field strength measurement of a magnetic field created by flow of the current in the target well or the drilling well, as a first set of field strength components from each of at least two sensors provided by the sensors when the sensors are located at a first azimuthal location of an azimuthal plane within the drilling well, and as a second set of field strength components from each of the sensors provided by the sensors when the sensors are located at a second azimuthal location of the azimuthal plane within the drilling well, and to determine an approximate range from the sensors disposed in the drilling well to the target well based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from one or more of the field strength components, the approximate range being determined via direct transmission from the target well, or via backscatter transmission from the target well, when a range direction associated with a housing upon which the sensors are mounted is unknown.
A system, comprising:
- a current source to couple current to one of a target well or a drilling well;
- and
- an apparatus comprising a down hole tool housing attached to at least two sensors located in an azimuthal plane, each of the sensors to measure a set of electromagnetic field strength components at different azimuthal locations in the azimuthal plane, the set of electromagnetic field strength components comprising a normal component, a tangential component, or a longitudinal component, and a range determination module to receive the set of electromagnetic field strength components from each of the sensors, values of the set determined by a field strength due to flow of the current in the target well or the drilling well, and to determine an approximate range from the sensors disposed in the drilling well, to the target well, based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from one or more of the field strength components, the approximate range being determined via direct transmission or backscatter transmission of an electromagnetic field characterized by the field strength, when a range direction associated with the housing upon which the sensors are mounted is unknown.
A method, comprising:
- receiving normal, tangential, and longitudinal components of electromagnetic field strength measurements within a first well as a set of field strength components from at least one sensor rotatable by a selected number of degrees in an azimuthal plane, wherein the at least one sensor is used to take multiple azimuthal field strength measurements at a single depth;
- and
- determining an approximate range from the at least one sensor to a second well that serves as a source of an electromagnetic field based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from the field strength components, the approximate range being determined via direct transmission or backscatter transmission, when a range direction associated with a housing upon which the at least one sensor is mounted is unknown.
A method, comprising:
- receiving normal, tangential, or total field components of electromagnetic field strength measurements within a first well as a set of field strength components from each of at least three sensors located at three different azimuthal locations in an azimuthal plane while the sensors remain relatively stationary within the first well;
- and
- determining an approximate range from the sensors to a second well that serves as a source of an electromagnetic field based on a gradient field in the azimuthal plane determined from one or more of the field strength components, the approximate range being determined via direct transmission or backscatter transmission, when a range direction associated with a housing upon which the sensors are mounted is unknown.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.