Acoustic array signal processing for flow detection
AssigneesIntermetallics Co., Ltd., Daido Steel Co., Ltd.
InventorsYinghui Lu, Avinash Vinayak Taware, Paris Smaragdis, Nam Nguyen, David Alan Welsh, Clifford Lloyd Macklin, Daniel Viassolo
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Abstract
Disclosed are tools, systems, and methods for detecting one or more underground acoustic sources and localizing them in depth and radial distance from a wellbore, for example, for the purpose of finding underground fluid flows, such as may result from leaks in the well barriers. In various embodiments, acoustic-source detection and localization are accomplished with an array of at least three acoustic sensors disposed in the wellbore, in conjunction with array signal processing.
Claims21
1-23. (canceled)
A method, comprising:
- substantially simultaneously measuring acoustic signals with each of at least three sensors disposed in an array within a wellbore;
- using an array-processing technique to compute, from the measured acoustic signals, a fused-signal parameter as a function of depth and radial distance from the wellbore;
- and
- determining a depth and radial distance from the wellbore of an acoustic source based on a local maximum of the fused-signal parameter.
The method of claim 23, wherein the binary hypothesis test comprises a comparison of the local maximum against a detection threshold, flow being detected based on the local maximum of the fused-signal parameter exceeding the detection threshold, the threshold being based on empirical data for a plurality of flow and non-flow scenarios.
A system comprising:
- a sensor array disposed within a wellbore, comprising at least three acoustic sensors for substantially simultaneously measuring acoustic signals received thereat;
- and
- a data-processing facility to use an array-processing technique to compute, from the measured acoustic signals, a fused-signal parameter as a function of depth and radial distance from the wellbore compute, and to determine a depth and radial distance from the wellbore of an acoustic source based on a local maximum of the fused-signal parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.