Electromagnetic Imager Mud Angle Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromagnetic imager tools face inaccuracies in mud angle estimation, leading to poor image quality and contrast due to the mud effect, particularly in formations with low resistivity and high standoff distances, which current techniques fail to accurately address without inefficient direct mud measurements or complex tool designs.
Innovation Solution
A method to identify a mud angle based on correlation between decomposed quantities from tool measurements made during operation, allowing for accurate mud angle determination without direct mud measurement and minimizing tool complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct mud measurement is used to identify mud angle, then measurement precision of mud angle is improved, but productivity is worsened due to wasted time and inefficient tool usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mud angle information from the formation measurement process itself by identifying formations with minimal mud effect and using their measurements to determine mud angle. This eliminates the need for separate direct mud measurement operations, allowing mud angle to be derived as a byproduct of normal wellbore logging activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromagnetic imager tool performs self-calibration by using its own formation measurements to determine the mud angle. The tool identifies formations with minimal mud effect and uses measurements from these formations to calculate mud angle, making the tool self-sufficient without requiring additional dedicated measurement operations.
2Measurement precision
If direct mud measurement is used to identify mud angle, then measurement precision of mud angle is improved, but device complexity is worsened due to additional parts required
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic imager tool performs multiple functions: it measures formation properties for wellbore logging and simultaneously uses these measurements to determine mud angle. The same electromagnetic sensors and processing electronics used for formation imaging are repurposed to extract mud angle information, eliminating the need for separate dedicated mud measurement hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool uses its own formation measurement capabilities to determine mud angle, making the system self-sufficient. No additional dedicated mud measurement parts are required because the existing electromagnetic imaging system is used to extract both formation and mud angle information.
3Device complexity
If inaccurate mud angle estimates are used, then device complexity is reduced, but image quality is worsened due to poor contrast in areas affected by mud effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the electromagnetic imager continuously measures formation properties and uses this information to determine and refine the mud angle. By identifying formations with minimal mud effect and using their measurements to calculate mud angle, the system provides feedback that improves the accuracy of mud angle estimation without requiring complex external calibration equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of formations with minimal mud effect before using their measurements to determine mud angle. This preliminary action ensures that the mud angle is derived from reliable data, improving image quality and contrast while avoiding the need for complex post-processing corrections.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for identifying a mud angle associated with an electromagnetic imager tool based on tool measurements made during operation of the electromagnetic imager tool. Tool measurements made by an electromagnetic imager tool operating to log a wellbore in a formation can be gathered. The tool measurements can be decomposed into two quantities along a plurality of candidate mud angles for the electromagnetic imager tool. As follows, a mud angle associated with the electromagnetic imager tool can be identified from the plurality of candidate mud angles based on an amount of correlation between the two quantities for each of the plurality of candidate mud angles.