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US 8,077,545 B2Granted
Method for detecting gas influx in wellbores and its application to identifying gas bearing formations
AssigneeApache Corporation
InventorWerner M. Heigl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for identifying gas in a wellbore includes imparting acoustic energy into the wellbore at a first selected position and detecting the acoustic energy at a second position in the wellbore spaced apart from the first position. Acoustic velocity of fluid in the wellbore from the detected acoustic energy. Presence of gas in the fluid is determined from the velocity.
Claims5
A method for identifying gas in a wellbore, comprising:
- imparting acoustic energy into the wellbore at a first selected position;
- detecting the acoustic energy at a second position in the wellbore spaced apart from the first position;
- determining an acoustic velocity of fluid in the wellbore from the detected acoustic energy;
- determining presence of gas in the fluid from the velocity;
- determining an integral with respect to distance along the wellbore of a difference between the determined acoustic velocity and a velocity of the fluid in the wellbore when it is devoid of gas to determine an expected gas flow into the wellbore;
- and
- displaying the expected gas flow into the wellbore.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.