IP Library Granted Patent US 10,620,338
Granted Patent B2
US 10,620,338 · App. 14/997,237 · Granted Apr 14, 2020

Electroseismic surveying in exploration and production environments

Inventors: Arthur Thompson (Houston, TX); Alan Katz (Dallas, TX); Robert England (Flower Mound, TX); Todd W. Benson (Dallas, TX); Mark Griffin (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: ES Xplore, L.L.C.
G01V11/007E21B49/00G01V1/181G01V1/20G01V1/28G01V1/306G01V1/40G01V2210/32G01V2210/62G01V2210/624G01V2210/6224G01V2210/6244G01V2210/6246
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,620,338
App. No.
14/997,237
Granted
Apr 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer programs for monitoring a drilling operation in a subterranean formation include receiving, from a first sensor array, one or more seismic signals caused, at least in part, by the drilling operation in the subterranean formation; receiving, from the first sensor array, one or more electromagnetic signals generated by an electroseismic or seismoelectric conversion of the one or more seismic signals caused, at least in part, by the drilling operation in the subterranean formation; and determining a property of one or more of the drillstring and the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the seismic signals and the corresponding electromagnetic signals received from the first sensor array. The first sensor array is arranged to monitor the drilling operation.

Claims (23)

1. A method for monitoring a drilling operation in a subterranean formation, wherein the drilling operation is performed using a drill bit on a drillstring, and wherein the drilling operation generates one or more seismic signals and one or more electromagnetic signals, further wherein the one or more electromagnetic signals are caused by electroseismic or seismoelectric conversion of the one or more seismic signals, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first sensor array, the one or more seismic signals caused by the drilling operation in the subterranean formation;

receiving, from the first sensor array, the one or more electromagnetic signals generated by the drilling operation in the subterranean formation;

determining a property of one or more of the drill string and the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the seismic signals and the corresponding electromagnetic signals received from the first sensor array;

wherein the first sensor array is located at or on the surface of the Earth; and

wherein the drilling operation includes controlled-vibration percussive drilling.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a property one or more of the drillstring and the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the seismic signals and the corresponding electromagnetic signals received from the first sensor array further comprises:

determining a drill bit location based, at least in part, on the seismic signals and the corresponding electromagnetic signals received from the first sensor array.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the capacitive plates are arranged generally parallel to the surface of the Earth.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first sensor array comprises a plurality of seismic sensors and a plurality of electromagnetic sensors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining a property one or more of the drillstring and the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the seismic signals and the corresponding electromagnetic signals received from the first sensor array further comprises:

stacking seismic signals from one or more of the seismic sensors with electromagnetic signals from one or more of the electromagnetic sensors.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor array comprises a plurality of geophones.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electromagnetic sensors comprises a pair of capacitive plates.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a second sensor array, signals generated by the subterranean formation in response background noise or infrastructure; and

removing at least some noise from the signals from the first sensor array, based, at least in part on the signals received from the second sensor array.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein removing at least some noise from the signals from the first sensor array, based, at least in part on the signals received from the second sensor array comprises:

stacking signals from the first sensor array and second sensor array.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein stacking signals from the first sensor array and second sensor array comprises common midpoint stacking.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein stacking signals from the first sensor array and second sensor array comprises common source stacking.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein stacking signals from the first sensor array and second sensor array comprises common receiver location stacking.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein stacking signals from the first sensor array and second sensor array comprises common depth point stacking.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: HUNT ENERGY ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.
To: ES XPLORE, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 043157/0744 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2016
From: THOMPSON, ARTHUR; KATZ, ALAN; ENGLAND, ROBERT; BENSON, TODD W.; GRIFFIN, MARK
To: HUNT ENERGY ENTERPRISES, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 038044/0009 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14512900 · Oct 13, 2014
Provisional Application 61890682 · Oct 14, 2013
Provisional Application 61891096 · Oct 15, 2013
Related Publication 20160131799A1 · May 12, 2016