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US 2006/0065441 A1Published application
Single solenoid guide system
AssigneeVector Magnetics, Inc.
InventorArthur Kuckes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Measurement of the location and direction of a drill head in a borehole extending beneath an obstacle such as a body of water utilizes a single AC solenoid at a known location but having an unknown orientation. The measurements are used to direct the path of the borehole.
Claims15
A method for determining the location of a borehole with respect to a solenoid, comprising:
- placing the solenoid at a known location near the borehole, said solenoid having an axis of unknown orientation;
- energizing the solenoid to produce a first corresponding magnetic field;
- detecting at a measuring tool at a first measuring point in the borehole the vector components of said first magnetic field, the earth's magnetic field and gravity;
- energizing the solenoid to produce a second corresponding magnetic field;
- detecting at said measuring tool at a second measuring point in the borehole the vector components of said second magnetic field;
- determining the vector from said first measuring point to said second measuring point;
- and
- determining from the foregoing the location of said measuring tool with respect to said solenoid.
5 more elements
A method for tracking the drilling of a borehole, comprising:
- establishing a proposed borehole path;
- positioning a magnetic field loop at a known location above a first portion at said path;
- energizing said loop to produce a first magnetic field;
- initially drilling a borehole from an entrance point;
- detecting at a sensor in said borehole said first magnetic field;
- locating said sensor and guiding said initial drilling with respect to said proposed path;
- placing a solenoid at a known location near a second portion of said proposed path, said solenoid having an axis of unknown orientation;
- further drilling a second part of said borehole;
- energizing said solenoid to produce a second magnetic field;
- detecting vector components of said second magnetic field, the Earth's field and gravity by said sensor at a first measuring point along said second part of said borehole;
- detecting vector components of said second magnetic field, the Earth's field, and gravity by said sensor at a second measuring point along said second part of said borehole;
- determining the vector from said first measuring point to said second measuring point;
- and
- determining the locations of said first and second measuring points with respect to said entrance point and said proposed path.
11 more elements
Apparatus for tracking the drilling of a borehole, comprising:
- a solenoid positioned at a known location on the Earth's surface with respect to a proposed borehole path, the solenoid having an unknown axial orientation;
- a reversible DC source connected to excite said solenoid to produce a corresponding magnetic field in the region of said proposed path;
- a sensing tool located in a borehole being drilled, the sensing tool including a magnetometer detecting x, y and z vector components of the Earth's magnetic field and x, y and z vector components of said corresponding magnetic field and including a detector for measuring x, y and z vector components of the Earth's gravity;
- a computer connected to said sensing tool for receiving and accumulating signals representing each of said x, y and z vector components and producing Earth's field, gravity, and corresponding magnetic field data files for each of at least two locations in said borehole and for determining the vector from one of said locations to the other;
- and
- a drill controller for directing the drilling of said borehole upon determination of the direction of said vector with respect to said proposed borehole path.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.