Heave compensated wireline logging winch system and method of use

A system for compensating for vertical motion of a floating vessel comprising:

• a. a wireline winch for raising and lowering a wireline cable within a wellbore, further comprising a winch motor for attaching to and rotatably moving a cable drum, the wireline cable having at least one logging measurement tool attached to an end of the wireline cable extending from the cable drum;
• b. winch control means connected to the wireline winch wherein the winch control means receives vessel vertical motion data and logging tool tension set points and combines the vertical motion data and logging tool tension set points to produce a winch motor control signal for controlling the rotatable movement of the cable drum so as to cause the wireline cable to achieve movement within the wellbore at a controlled speed independent of vessel vertical motion;
• and
• c. depth computing means for receiving the vessel vertical motion data and measured wireline cable motion data, and calculating a heave compensation depth error by combining the measured wireline cable motion, the tension set points, and the vessel vertical motion data.

A method of compensating for vertical motion of a floating vessel comprising:

• a. receiving vessel vertical motion data and logging tool speed set points by a winch control means;
• b. raising and lowering a wireline cable within a wellbore by a wireline winch connected to the winch control means further comprising a winch motor for attaching to and rotatably moving a cable drum, the wireline cable having at least one logging measurement tool attached to an end of the cable extending from the cable drum;
• c. combining the vertical motion data and logging tool speed set points by the winch control means to produce a winch motor control signal for controlling the rotatable movement of the cable drum so as to cause the wireline cable to achieve movement within the wellbore at a controlled speed independent of vessel vertical motion and
• d. calculating a heave compensation depth error by combining the measured wireline cable motion data and the vessel vertical motion data.

A method of compensating for vertical motion of a floating vessel comprising:

• a. receiving vessel vertical motion data and logging tool tension set points by a winch control means;
• b. raising and lowering a wireline cable within a wellbore by a wireline winch connected to the winch control means further comprising a winch motor for attaching to and rotatably moving a cable drum, the wireline cable having at least one logging measurement tool attached to an end of the cable extending from the cable drum;
• c. combining the vertical motion data and logging tool tension set points by the winch control means to produce a winch motor control signal for controlling the rotatable movement of the cable drum so as to cause the wireline cable to achieve movement within the wellbore at a controlled speed independent of vessel vertical motion and
• d. calculating a heave compensation depth error by combining the measured wireline cable motion data and the vessel vertical motion data.

A system for compensating for vertical motion of a floating vessel comprising:

• a. a winch controller for receiving vessel vertical motion data from a motion reference unit and operator entered logging tool speed set points from an operator control panel, the winch controller having control logic responsive to the motion data and the operator entered logging tool speed set points to produce a winch control signal output;
• b. a winch motor connected to the winch control signal output and having an output drive wherein the winch control motor adjusts the speed and direction of the output drive in response to the winch control signal output;
• c. a cable drum connected to the output drive and connected to a wireline cable having at least one logging measurement tool attached;
• d. the winch motor adjusts the speed and direction of the output drive so to achieve movement of the wireline cable within a wellbore at a controlled speed independent of vessel vertical motion and
• e. a depth measurement system for calculating a heave compensation depth error by combining the measured wireline cable motion data and the vessel vertical motion data.

A system for compensating for vertical motion of a floating vessel comprising:

• a. a winch controller for receiving vessel vertical motion data from a motion reference unit and operator entered logging tool tension set points from an operator control panel, the winch controller having control logic responsive to the motion data and the operator entered logging tool tension set points to produce a winch control signal output;
• b. a winch motor connected to the winch control signal output and having an output drive wherein the winch control motor adjusts the speed and direction of the output drive in response to the winch control signal output;
• c. a cable drum connected to the output drive and connected to a wireline cable having at least one logging measurement tool attached;
• and
• d. the winch motor adjusts the speed and direction of the output drive so to achieve movement of the wireline cable within a wellbore at a controlled speed independent of vessel vertical motion.