US 4,855,820 AGranted

Down hole video tool apparatus and method for visual well bore recording

OwnerJoel Barbourinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus and method of visually examining the sidewalls of a bore hole include a down hole video tool lowered into the bore hole by means of a cable and winch on the surface. The apparatus includes a wide angle video camera at its lower section. An upper section houses a power supply/triplexer, a telemetry board, an FM modulator video amplifier transmission board, gyroscope data interface board, and a gyroscope for showing the directional orientation of the camera and apparatus in the bore hole. The gyroscope orientation and the visual image of the portion of the sidewall viewed is transmitted to a video display monitor in an equipment van on the surface. The image on the screen includes a directional reference point so that the direction of a portion of the sidewall being viewed can be ascertained. The camera images are recorded by a video cassette recorder for a permanent record of the visualization of the entire length of the bore hole. Various geological data can be extrapolated by this visualization by means of the observed fracturing and stratification which may be observed in a given bore hole. Additionally, the probe can be used to inspect bore holes previously encased by steel tubing to detect any leaks or other deterioration in the tubing system.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method for visually examining and video recording the sidewall of a bore hole comprising the steps of:

attaching a video camera at one end to a first housing forming a lower section of a tool;
installing a gyroscope in a second housing which is connected at one end to said other end of said first housing forming the upper section of said tool;
said video camera, said first housing, said second housing and said gyroscope being interconnected in a predetermined set radial alignment relative to each other along the tool's longitudinal axis;
connecting the other end of said second housing to a cable head having a power supply cord and a coaxial transmission cable for connecting said tool to a video monitor and providing power to said tool;
aligning said gyroscope in its free state in said second housing so that its spin axis is pointed to a given direction;
attaching a light source adjacent to said video camera for illuminating a portion of the bore hole viewed by said video camera;
energizing said video camera and said light source;
lowering said cable, cable head, and first and second housing which form the down hole video tool into said bore hole by means of said cable while suspending said tool in said bore hole;
projecting onto a video monitor the image of the illuminated sidewall along with a floating reference point, said reference point indicating the preset aligned direction of said gyroscope's spin axis thereby providing for the directional radial or circumferential reference to any portion of the sidewall shown on said video monitor and also projecting onto said monitor the depth at which said video camera is located in the bore hole;
connecting a video recorder to said video monitor for recording in real time the images and data through a given passage of said tool as it is lowered or raised in the bore hole.

7 more elements

A method for visually examining and video recording the sidewall of a bore hole comprising the steps of:

installing a video camera on a housing means which forms the housing for the tool;
installing a gyroscope on said housing means forming said tool;
said video camera and said gyroscope being interconnected in a predetermined set radial alignment relative to each other along said tool's longitudinal axis;
connecting said housing means to a cable head means having a power supply cord and transmission cable means for connecting said tool to a video monitor and providing power to said tool;
aligning said gyroscope in its free state on said housing means so that its spin axis is pointed to a given direction;
attaching a light source adjacent to said video camera for illuminating a portion of the bore hole when viewed by said video camera;
energizing said video camera and said light source;
lowering said cable means, cable head means, and said housing means which form said down hole video tool into the bore hole by means of said cable means while suspending said tool in the bore hole;
projecting onto a video monitor the image of the illuminated sidewall along with a floating reference point, said reference point indicating the preset aligned direction of said gyroscope's spin axis thereby providing for the directional radial or circumferential reference of any portion of the sidewall shown on said video monitor and also projecting onto said monitor the depth at which said video camera is located in the bore hole.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.