Method and apparatus for borehole positioning
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsVolker Krueger, Johannes Witte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of drilling boreholes is provided. The method, according to one embodiment, may include drilling a borehole, transmitting a signal into the earth formation, receiving signals at least three spaced sensors responsive to the transmitted signals and estimating a path of the borehole using the signals received by the at least three sensors. In another aspect, the method may include drilling a borehole, transmitting signals into the earth formation from at least three spaced transmitters, receiving signals at least one sensor responsive to the transmitted signals and estimating a path of the borehole using the signals received by the at least one sensor.
Claims23
A method of forming boreholes in an earth formation, the method comprising:
- drilling a reference borehole in the earth formation;
- transmitting a first signal into the earth formation from a transmitter at a known location in the reference borehole;
- receiving signals at at least three spaced sensors positioned at selected locations responsive to the transmitted first signal;
- estimating a signal velocity in the earth formation utilizing the signals received at the at least three sensors responsive to the transmitted first signal;
- drilling at least one other borehole in the earth formation;
- transmitting a second signal into the earth formation from a transmitter in the at least one other borehole;
- receiving signals at the at least three sensors responsive to the transmitted second signal;
- and
- estimating a path of the at least one other borehole utilizing the signals received by the at least three sensors responsive to the transmitted second signal and the estimated signal velocity in the earth formation.
A system configured to form boreholes in an earth formation, the system comprising:
- a first drilling assembly configured to drill a first borehole along a first path;
- a first transmitter configured to transmit a first signal into the earth formation from a known location in the first borehole;
- at least three sensors placed spaced apart from each other at selected locations configured to receive first signals responsive to the transmitted first signal;
- a first processor configured to estimate a signal velocity in the earth formation by processing the first signals received by the at least three sensors;
- and
- a second transmitter in at least one second borehole configured to transmit a signal, wherein the first processor is configured to process second signals received at the at least three sensors and estimate a path of the second borehole using the received second signals and the estimated signal velocity in the earth formation.
A method of forming boreholes in an earth formation, the method comprising:
- drilling a borehole in the earth formation;
- transmitting signals into the earth formation from at least three spaced transmitters at selected locations;
- receiving signals at at least one sensor responsive to the transmitted signals;
- and
- estimating a path of the borehole utilizing the signals received by the at least one sensor and a velocity of the signal determined using a signal transmitted between a transmitter from a known location in another borehole and the at least one sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.