System, method and apparatus for creating virtual point sources within a hydrocarbon formation
AssigneeCenovus Energy Inc.
InventorTim J. Davies
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Downhole tools and method for a well. At least some of the example embodiments are methods of imaging a formation around a first borehole, including: focusing first outbound acoustic energy, launched from a tool with the first borehole, on a volume within the formation spaced away from the first borehole, the focusing creates a first virtual point source (VPS) that creates a first return acoustic energy; receiving the first return acoustic energy from the first VPS at a plurality of seismic sensors; and determining a parameter of the formation between the first VPS and a location of the seismic sensors using the first return acoustic energy.
Claims21
A method of imaging a formation around a first borehole, the method comprising:
- focusing first outbound acoustic energy, launched from a plurality of acoustic sources spaced along a tool disposed within the first borehole, on a first volume within the formation spaced away from the first borehole, the focusing creating a first virtual point source (VPS) from which a first return acoustic energy propagates, wherein the first volume of the first VPS experiences a pressure change due to constructive wave interference of acoustic waves at the first volume;
- receiving the first return acoustic energy from the first VPS at a plurality of seismic sensors;
- and
- determining a parameter of the formation between the first VPS and a location of the seismic sensors using the first return acoustic energy;
- wherein the focusing of the first outbound acoustic energy creates the first VPS using beamforming that emits the first outbound acoustic energy from the plurality of acoustic sources with controlled delays, wherein the controlled delays are based on distances between location of the first VPS and the plurality of acoustic sources as well as formation sonic velocity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.