IP Library Granted Patent US 12,509,983
Granted Patent B2
US 12,509,983 · App. 19/191,758 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

System and method for bond log analysis

Inventors: Laslo Olah (Richardson, TX); Kirk Lane Harris (Lafayette, LA); Gergely Sebestyen (Budapest, HU)
Assignee: Texas Institute of Science, Inc.
E21B47/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,509,983
App. No.
19/191,758
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bond-log interpretation system, apparatus, and computer-implemented method are disclosed. The system ingests a cement-bond log (CBL) containing variable-density log (VDL) data and at least one secondary data track (SDT). A processing core, coupled to toggleable lithology, casing-tally, cementing-data, and prior-CBL libraries, first executes a VDL-only assessment at each depth to flag possible discontinuities. For every flagged depth, the core correlates the concurrent SDT data with selected library information to confirm or clear the discontinuity, delineate imperfect intervals, and identify probable causes. Results are synthesized into an annotated integrity report that includes audit-trail metadata listing which libraries were enabled. In a multi-well deployment, multiple field units synchronize their libraries with a central repository over a secure network, allowing real-time, parallel analysis and fleet-wide visualization. The modular architecture permits on-the-fly enabling, disabling, and versioning of libraries while maintaining a single interpretation engine adaptable to diverse tools and formations.

Claims (62)

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system having a processor non-transitory memory, storage, a digital-log input, outputs, a user interface, and a display, cause the wellbore casing bond-log interpretation system to:

receive, via a digital-log input, a Digital Log Interchange Standard (DLIS) file including a single Cement Bond Log (CBL) for a wellbore casing, the CBL containing Variable Density Log (VDL) data and at least one Secondary Data Track (SDT) recorded concurrently with the VDL data;

for each of a plurality of discrete depths represented in the VDL data, perform an initial VDL-only assessment in each depth segment that classifies the depth segment as clear or possible discontinuity;

tag every depth classified as having a possible discontinuity; and

for each tagged depth, analyze the corresponding SDT data together with the VDL data by applying reference data obtained from a plurality of discrete, toggleable data libraries comprising at least a lithology library, a casing-tally library, a cementing-data library, and a previous-CBL library, to:

determine a probable cause of the possible discontinuity, and

re-classify the depth as clear or confirm the possible discontinuity;

compare and group confirmed discontinuities according to their vertical positions in the CBL to delineate one or more imperfect intervals; and

generate an annotated cement-integrity bond log report that synthesizes results from the VDL and SDT analyses and summarizes cement integrity of the wellbore casing.

2 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to selectively enable or disable each data library through the library-interface module, such that only enabled libraries contribute reference data to the assessments and the report.

3 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the CPU records, in metadata of the report, an audit trail identifying which data libraries were enabled during the assessments.

4 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein thresholds used in the initial VDL-only assessment are retrieved from the previous-CBL library and are updated dynamically as new interpreted logs are added.

5 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the SDT analysis applies signal-processing techniques that include filtering, noise reduction, and waveform enhancement prior to determining the probable cause of the possible discontinuity.

6 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to synchronize each data library with a central repository over a secure network before the VDL-only assessment begins.

7 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the report includes visual representations selected from annotated depth tracks, amplitude-frequency scatter plots, or color-mapped cement-integrity logs.

8 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein disabling the lithology library causes the processor to omit lithology-based correction factors from the SDT analysis while retaining casing-tally and cementing-data corrections.

9 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system is configured for at least one of:

(i) distributed well-site GBLI units analyze DLIS files locally while synchronizing their libraries with a central library repository; and

(ii) DLIS files from the well sites are transmitted via a secure network to a central GBLI that both hosts the central library repository and performs the analyses.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system having a processor non-transitory memory, storage, a digital-log input, outputs, a user interface, and a display, cause the wellbore casing bond-log interpretation system to:

receive, via a digital-log input, a Digital Log Interchange Standard (DLIS) file including a single Cement Bond Log (CBL) for a wellbore casing, the CBL containing Variable Density Log (VDL) data and at least one Secondary Data Track (SDT) recorded concurrently with the VDL data;

for each of a plurality of discrete depths represented in the VDL data, perform an initial VDL-only assessment that classifies the depth as clear or possible discontinuity;

tag every depth classified as having a possible discontinuity; and

for each tagged depth, analyze the corresponding SDT data together with the VDL data by applying reference data obtained from a plurality of discrete, toggleable data libraries comprising at least a lithology library, a casing-tally library, a cementing-data library, and a previous-CBL library, to:

determine a probable cause of the possible discontinuity, and

re-classify the depth as clear or confirm the possible discontinuity;

compare and group confirmed discontinuities according to their vertical positions in the CBL to delineate one or more imperfect intervals; and

generate an annotated cement-integrity bond log report that synthesizes results from the VDL and SDT analyses and summarizes cement integrity of the wellbore casing;

wherein the wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system comprises a processing core located at a well site, the processing core including the processor, memory, storage, and the library-interface module with the plurality of discrete, toggleable data libraries stored locally such that the received DLIS file is analyzed on-site, the processing core being in communication with a bond logging apparatus at the wellbore casing.

11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instructions to selectively enable or disable each data library through the library-interface module, such that only enabled libraries contribute reference data to the assessments and the report.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the CPU records, in metadata of the report, an audit trail identifying which data libraries were enabled during the assessments.

13 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein thresholds used in the initial VDL-only assessment are retrieved from the previous-CBL library and are updated dynamically as new interpreted logs are added.

14 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the SDT analysis applies signal-processing techniques that include filtering, noise reduction, and waveform enhancement prior to determining the probable cause of the possible discontinuity.

15 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instructions to synchronize each data library with a central repository over a secure network before the VDL-only assessment begins.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system having a processor non-transitory memory, storage, a digital-log input, outputs, a user interface, and a display, cause the wellbore casing bond-log interpretation system to:

receive, via a digital-log input, a Digital Log Interchange Standard (DLIS) file including a single Cement Bond Log (CBL) for a wellbore casing, the CBL containing Variable Density Log (VDL) data and at least one Secondary Data Track (SDT) recorded concurrently with the VDL data;

for each of a plurality of discrete depths represented in the VDL data, perform an initial VDL-only assessment that classifies the depth as clear or possible discontinuity;

tag every depth classified as having a possible discontinuity; and

for each tagged depth, analyze the corresponding SDT data together with the VDL data by applying reference data obtained from a plurality of discrete, toggleable data libraries comprising at least a lithology library, a casing-tally library, a cementing-data library, and a previous-CBL library, to:

determine a probable cause of the possible discontinuity, and

re-classify the depth as clear or confirm the possible discontinuity;

compare and group confirmed discontinuities according to their vertical positions in the CBL to delineate one or more imperfect intervals; and

generate an annotated cement-integrity bond log report that synthesizes results from the VDL and SDT analyses and summarizes cement integrity of the wellbore casing;

wherein the wellbore casing bond log data interpretation system comprises a plurality of field-deployed units each including the processor and a library-interface module coupled to the discrete, toggleable libraries, the plurality of field-deployed units being communicatively coupled to a central library repository over a secure communications network, the central library repository storing reference datasets and synchronizing library updates and derived analytics across the field-deployed units.

17 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to selectively enable or disable each data library through the library-interface module, such that only enabled libraries contribute reference data to the assessments and the report.

18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the CPU records, in metadata of the report, an audit trail identifying which data libraries were enabled during the assessments.

19 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein thresholds used in the initial VDL-only assessment are retrieved from the previous-CBL library and are updated dynamically as new interpreted logs are added.

20 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the SDT analysis applies signal-processing techniques that include filtering, noise reduction, and waveform enhancement prior to determining the probable cause of the possible discontinuity.

21 . The computer-program product computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to synchronize each data library with a central repository over a secure network before the VDL-only assessment begins.

22 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a central bond log interpretation system comprising a processor, non-transitory memory, storage, a digital-log input, outputs, a user interface, and a display, cause the central bond log interpretation system to:

receive, via a network, a plurality of Digital Log Interchange Standard (DLIS) files transmitted from distributed well sites, each DLIS file including a Cement Bond Log (CBL) containing Variable Density Log (VDL) data and at least one Secondary Data Track (SDT) recorded concurrently with the VDL data;

for each received CBL, perform an initial VDL-only assessment for each depth segment that classifies the segment as clear or possible discontinuity;

tag every segment classified as having a possible discontinuity;

for each tagged segment, analyze the corresponding SDT data together with the VDL data by applying reference data obtained from a plurality of discrete, toggleable data libraries comprising at least a lithology library, a casing-tally library, a cementing-data library, and a previous-CBL library stored in the central library repository;

determine a probable cause of the possible discontinuity and re-classify the segment as clear or confirm the possible discontinuity;

compare and group confirmed discontinuities according to their vertical positions in the CBL to delineate one or more imperfect intervals; and

generate an annotated cement-integrity bond log report for each wellbore casing that synthesizes results from the VDL and SDT analyses and summarizes cement integrity,

wherein the central bond log interpretation system maintains the central library repository serving as the sole source of reference data for analyses of all received DLIS files.

23 . The computer-readable medium of claim 22 , further comprising instructions to selectively enable or disable each library in the central library repository such that only enabled libraries contribute reference data to the assessments and reports.

24 . The computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the processor records, in metadata of each report, an audit trail identifying which libraries and versions in the central library repository were enabled during the assessments.

25 . The computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein thresholds used in the initial VDL-only assessment are retrieved from the previous-CBL library in the central library repository and updated dynamically as new interpreted logs are added.

26 . The computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the annotated cement-integrity bond log report includes visual representations selected from annotated depth tracks, amplitude-frequency scatter plots, or color-mapped cement-integrity logs.

Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 18753233 · Jun 25, 2024
Continuation In Part 18538168 · Dec 13, 2023
Provisional Application 63589204 · Oct 10, 2023
Related Publication 20250250893A1 · Aug 7, 2025
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