# US 9,435,169 B2 · Mud sensing hole finder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,169 B2 - Document ID: US9435169B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/025,590 - Filed: 2013-09-12 - Published: 2014-12-18 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-17 - Applicants: Guy Wheater; Stuart Huyton - Inventors: Guy Wheater; Stuart Huyton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435169B2 ## CPC - E21B 23/14: for displacing a cable or a cable-operated tool, e.g. for logging or perforating operations in deviated wells - E21B 47/017: Protecting measuring instruments - E21B 47/06: Measuring temperature or pressure - E21B 47/07: Temperature - E21B 47/12: Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A mud sensing hole finder comprising: a front steering wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, a sensor package, a corrosion package, a ported housing, and a tapered spring joint; wherein the mud sensing hole finder is capable of attachment to a wireline logging tool-string. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mud sensing hole finder comprising: a front steering wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, a sensor package, a corrosion package, a ported housing, and a tapered spring joint; and a mandrel that holds a common axle and a set of profiled and grooved wheels; grease ports for wheel lubrication and end slots for location of anti-rotation washers with axle end bolts; wherein the mud sensing hole finder is capable of attachment to a wireline logging tool-string. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, wherein the sensor package acquires data about a borehole and borehole fluids, wherein the data comprises hydrostatic pressure, temperature, salinity, viscosity, velocity, fluid identification, gas detection, borehole directional data, formation gamma rays, or any combinations thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 2, further comprising a surface acquisition module that performs time-depth conversions of the acquired data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, wherein the corrosion package detects presence of corrosive elements in a borehole by metallic test coupons. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 4, further comprising a carrier holding multiple metallic test coupons, wherein the metallic test coupons comprise Ni—Cr—Fe or Cu—Ni alloys, and wherein the test coupons react to H2S. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising a sample of wireline logging cable for corrosion analysis, mechanical testing, archiving, or any combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, wherein the tapered spring joint is pivotable to facilitate lateral movement of the front steering wheel assembly passed obstructions in a borehole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sealed crossover to a logging vendor's wireline tool-string connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, wherein the front steering wheel assembly is rollable about an axis of the tapered spring joint. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The mud hole sensing finder of claim 1, further comprising threaded connections to the front steering wheel assembly and the tapered spring joint. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising two halves, a main pin, and a spring, wherein the main pin connects the two halves and wherein the spring is under compression. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 11, wherein the main pin is fixed rigidly in a lower half of the tapered spring joint. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising a single spring which has a rating selected according to weight of the wireline logging tool-string above the mud sensing hole finder and maximum borehole deviation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising a body, and further comprising a single spring with an external diameter less than an external diameter of the body of the mud sensing hole finder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The mud sensing hole finder of claim 1, further comprising a mandrel that holds a common axle and a set of profiled and grooved wheels. ### Claim 16 A mud sensing hole finder comprising a front steering wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, a sensor package, a corrosion package, a tapered spring joint, and a ported housing, wherein the ported housing diverts mud flow passed the sensor package and the corrosion package while the mud sensing hole finder is moving in a borehole; wherein the mud sensing hole finder is capable of attachment to a wireline logging tool-string. ### Claim 17 A mud sensing hole finder comprising: a front steering wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, a sensor package, a corrosion package, a ported housing, a tapered spring joint, and a pressure equalization and angled flow ports, wherein the pressure equalization and angled flow ports are capable of diverting borehole fluids through the ported housing and passed the sensor package and the corrosion package; wherein the mud sensing hole finder is capable of attachment to a wireline logging tool-string. ### Claim 18 A mud sensing hole finder comprising: a front steering wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, a sensor package, a corrosion package, a ported housing, and a tapered spring joint; wherein the ported housing comprises threaded connections to the front steering wheel assembly and the tapered spring joint and also to pressure equalization ports and angled flow ports; wherein the front steering wheel assembly comprises a mandrel that holds a common axle and a set of profiled and grooved wheels; wherein the rear wheel assembly comprises a mandrel that holds a common axle and a set of profiled and grooved wheels; wherein the sensor package comprises a surface acquisition module that performs time-depth conversions of acquired data; wherein the corrosion package comprises a carrier holding multiple metallic test coupons; wherein the tapered spring joint comprises two halves, a main pin, and a spring, and wherein the main pin connects the two halves and wherein the spring is under compression; and wherein the mud sensing hole finder is capable of attachment to a wireline logging tool-string.