Borehole Trajectory via Multi-Component Seismic Receiver

The patent introduces a three-component seismic receiver as an intermediary device that measures incident angles of seismic waves from multiple sources. This intermediary measurement enables more accurate trajectory determination by providing additional geometric constraints that reduce measurement errors and uncertainties in the borehole position and orientation.

The patent replaces traditional mechanical surveying methods with a seismic-based measurement system. Instead of relying on mechanical inclination and azimuth sensors that accumulate errors, the system uses seismic wave propagation physics and incident angle measurements to computationally determine borehole trajectory, thereby improving measurement precision.

The patent employs an iterative optimization process where incident angles from multiple sources are used to compute receiver orientations, and the computed orientations are fed back to refine the trajectory determination. This feedback loop continues until convergence, minimizing an error function to achieve optimal measurement precision while systematically managing computational complexity.

The patent utilizes incident angles in three-dimensional space from multiple source positions to determine receiver orientation. By incorporating angular measurements from multiple dimensions and source locations, the system achieves more precise orientation determination through geometric redundancy, which helps eliminate measurement uncertainties.