US 12,540,542 B2 · Controlling logging tool orientation in a wellbore

Abstract

A downhole orientation tool includes a top sub-assembly configured to couple to a downhole conveyance and run into a wellbore on the downhole conveyance from a terranean surface to one or more subterranean formations; one or more orientation sensors coupled to the top sub-assembly and configured to detect rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore; an orientation motor coupled to the one or more orientation sensors and configured to axially rotate the tool in the wellbore in response to the detected rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore to orient the tool at a particular axial orientation during running in the wellbore; and a tractor coupled to the top sub-assembly, the one or more orientation sensors, and the orientation motor and configured to provide motive force to move the tool through the wellbore.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A downhole orientation tool, comprising:

a top sub-assembly configured to couple to a downhole conveyance and run into a wellbore on the downhole conveyance from a terranean surface to one or more subterranean formations, the top sub-assembly configured to couple to the downhole conveyance that is coupled to a logging tool uphole of the top sub-assembly;
one or more orientation sensors coupled to the top sub-assembly and configured to detect rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore;
an orientation motor coupled to the one or more orientation sensors and configured to axially rotate the tool in the wellbore in response to the detected rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore to orient the tool at a particular axial orientation during running in the wellbore;
and
a tractor coupled to the top sub-assembly, the one or more orientation sensors, and the orientation motor and configured to provide motive force to move the tool through the wellbore.

2 more elements

A method, comprising:

running a downhole orientation tool on a downhole conveyance into a wellbore from a terranean surface to one or more subterranean formations, the downhole orientation tool comprising:
one or more orientation sensors,
an orientation motor coupled to the one or more orientation sensors,
a tractor coupled to the top sub-assembly, the one or more orientation sensors, and the orientation motor and configured to provide motive force to move the tool through the wellbore, and
a controller communicably coupled to the one or more orientation sensors, the orientation motor, and the multi-finger caliper sub-assembly;
during the running, detecting rotational motion of the tool with the one or more orientation sensors;
in response to the detected rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore, axially rotating at least a portion of the tool in the wellbore with the orientation motor to orient the portion of the tool at a particular axial orientation during running in the wellbore;
measuring an inner radial dimension of a wellbore tubular installed in the wellbore with a multi-finger caliper sub-assembly coupled to the orientation motor;
determining, with the controller, a metal loss of the wellbore tubular based on the measured inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, a baseline inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, a nominal outer radius of the wellbore tubular, and an average inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular;
and
generating, with the controller, a base log during an initial running of the tool in the wellbore, the base log comprising a log of wellbore orientation relative to wellbore depth exclusive of operation of the orientation motor.

8 more elements

A method, comprising:

running a downhole orientation tool on a downhole conveyance into a wellbore from a terranean surface to one or more subterranean formations, the downhole orientation tool comprising:
one or more orientation sensors,
an orientation motor coupled to the one or more orientation sensors,
a tractor coupled to the top sub-assembly, the one or more orientation sensors, and the orientation motor and configured to provide motive force to move the tool through the wellbore,
a controller communicably coupled to the one or more orientation sensors, the orientation motor, and the multi-finger caliper sub-assembly;
during the running, detecting rotational motion of the tool with the one or more orientation sensors;
and
in response to the detected rotational motion of the tool during running in the wellbore, axially rotating at least a portion of the tool in the wellbore with the orientation motor to orient the portion of the tool at a particular axial orientation during running in the wellbore;
measuring an inner radial dimension of a wellbore tubular installed in the wellbore with a multi-finger caliper sub-assembly coupled to the orientation motor;
determining, with the controller, a metal loss of the wellbore tubular based on the measured inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, a baseline inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, a nominal outer radius of the wellbore tubular, and an average inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, wherein determining the metal loss comprises solving, with the controller:
Metal
⁢
Loss
⁢
(
TL
)
=
IRMax
M
⁢
o
⁢
n
⁢
i
⁢
t
⁢
o
⁢
r
⁢
L
⁢
o
⁢
g
-
IRMax
B
⁢
a
⁢
s
⁢
e
⁢
L
⁢
o
⁢
g
O
⁢
R
n
⁢
o
⁢
m
-
IRAvg
B
⁢
a
⁢
s
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e
⁢
L
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o
⁢
g
×
100
,
where
Metal Loss (TL) is the metal loss of the wellbore tubular, IRMaxMonitorLog is the measured inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, IRMaxBaseLog is the baseline inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular, ORNom is the nominal outer radius of the wellbore tubular, and IRAvgBaseLog is the average inner radial dimension of the wellbore tubular.

78 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Controlling logging tool orientation in a wellbore

Life of this patent

Controlling logging tool orientation in a wellbore

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28