# US 2013/0154650 A1 · Method and apparatus to detect a conductive body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154650 A1 - Document ID: US20130154650A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,380 - Filed: 2011-08-03 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-03 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Michael S. Bittar; Jing Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154650A1 ## CPC - G01V 3/26: operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30) - E21B 47/0228: using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor - G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Various embodiments include apparatus and methods to detect and locate conductive bodies and/or provide steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) steering operation. Tools can be configured with receiving sensors (310) arranged to cancel substantially a primary signal associated with a probe signal without rotating the receiving sensors to cancel the primary signal and to capture a secondary signal generated from a conductive body (301) below the earth's surface. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating a probe signal from a transmitting sensor of a tool disposed below the earth's surface; receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool in response to generating the probe signal, the receiving sensors arranged to substantially cancel a primary signal associated with the probe signal without rotating the receiving sensors to cancel the primary signal and to capture a secondary signal generated from a conductive body below the earth's surface; and processing the received signals to determine a position of the conductive body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the probe signal from the transmitting sensor includes using an electric dipole source to induce an electric current in a region outside the tool. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the primary signal includes a primary magnetic field and the secondary signal includes a secondary magnetic field. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool includes using two sets of non-parallel antennas as receiver sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool includes using a single pair of tilted coils installed concentric on a collar on which the tool is mounted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the tilted coils in the single pair are oriented orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes positioning the tool approximately parallel to the conductive body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the received signals includes determining an azimuthal angle associated with the conductive body and a distance to the conductive body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein determining the azimuthal angle and the distance includes determining the azimuthal angle and the distance, while the tool is mounted on a non-rotational collar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the received signals includes determining characteristics of the conductive body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining characteristics of the conductive body includes whether the conductive body is a casing associated with a well. ### Claim 12 A machine-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, which, when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, the operations comprising: generating a probe signal from a transmitting sensor of a tool disposed below the earth's surface; receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool in response to generating the probe signal, the receiving sensors arranged to substantially cancel a primary signal associated with the probe signal without rotating the receiving sensors to cancel the primary signal and to capture a secondary signal generated from a conductive body below the earth's surface; and processing the received signals to determine a position of the conductive body. ### Claim 13 A system comprising: a transmitter sensor and receiver sensors disposed on a structure, the receiver sensors arranged to substantially cancel a primary signal associated with a probe signal generated by the transmitter sensor without rotating the receiver sensors to cancel the primary signal and to capture a secondary signal generated from a conductive body below the earth's surface, the conductive body separate from the structure; a control unit operable to manage generation of the probe signal from the transmitter sensor and to manage collection of received signals at the receiver sensors; and a data processing unit to process the received signals to determine a position of the conductive body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitter sensor includes a focused electric dipole source to induce an electric current in a region exterior to the structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the receiver sensors includes two sets of coil antennas such that the two sets are non-parallel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the receiver sensors includes two sets of non-parallel coil antennas such that each pair of the two sets of non-parallel coil antennas are symmetrically installed with respect to a plane that is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the receiver sensors includes one or more pairs of tilted coils installed concentric on the structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the tilted coils in each pair are oriented orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the system includes a machine-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, which, when performed by the system, cause the system to perform operations, the operations comprising operations to: generate the probe signal from the transmitter sensor disposed below the earth's surface; receive signals in the receiver sensors in response to generating the probe signal; and process the received signals to determine the position of the conductive body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the primary signal includes a primary magnetic field and the secondary signal includes a secondary magnetic field. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitter sensor, the receiver sensors, the control unit, and the data processing unit are operatively positioned approximately parallel to the conductive body. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the data processing unit is arranged to operatively determine an azimuthal angle associated with the conductive body and a distance to the conductive body. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the data processing unit is arranged to determine the azimuthal angle and the distance while the tool is mounted on a non-rotational collar. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the data processing unit is arranged to operatively determine characteristics of the conductive body. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the characteristics of the conductive body include whether the conductive body is a casing associated with a well. ### Claim 26 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein generating the probe signal from the transmitting sensor includes using an electric dipole source to induce an electric current in a region outside the tool. ### Claim 27 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the primary signal includes a primary magnetic field and the secondary signal includes a secondary magnetic field. ### Claim 28 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool includes using two sets of non-parallel antennas as receiver sensors. ### Claim 29 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein receiving signals in receiving sensors of the tool includes using a single pair of tilted coils installed concentric on a collar on which the tool is mounted. ### Claim 30 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the tilted coils in the single pair are oriented orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 31 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the instructions include instructions to position the tool approximately parallel to the conductive body. ### Claim 32 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein processing the received signals includes determining an azimuthal angle associated with the conductive body and a distance to the conductive body. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The machine-readable storage device of claim 32, wherein determining the azimuthal angle and the distance includes determining the azimuthal angle and the distance, while the tool is mounted on a non-rotational collar. ### Claim 34 (depends on 12) The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein processing the received signals includes determining characteristics of the conductive body. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The machine-readable storage device of claim 34, wherein determining characteristics of the conductive body includes whether the conductive body is a casing associated with a well.