Granted Patent B2

US 12,517,092 · App. 18/075,739 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Inventors: Christopher Michael Jones (Katy, TX); Freeman Lee Hill (Houston, TX); Xiang Wu (Singapore, SG); Ahmed Fouda (Houston, TX)

Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.

G01N29/09E21B28/00E21B47/005G01B17/02G01N29/12G01N29/223G01N29/2418G01N2291/0232G01N2291/02854

Abstract

Claims (71)

1 . A system comprising:

a measurement tool coupled to a conveyance mechanism for positioning the measurement tool downhole in a wellbore, the wellbore including a tubular;

a vibration-inducing device for causing the tubular to vibrate; and

at least one interferometer coupled to the measurement tool for detecting the vibration at a first location along an azimuth of the tubular to generate first data and for detecting the vibration at a second location along the azimuth of the tubular to generate second data, wherein a first depth of the first location along the azimuth of the tubular is substantially equal to a second depth of the second location along the azimuth of the tubular, and wherein the first data and the second data are used to determine a status of the tubular or a status of a cement layer, the cement layer positioned between the tubular and a subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore, the status of the tubular being indicative of whether there is damage to the tubular, or the status of the cement layer being indicative of whether there is a strong bond between the cement layer and the tubular.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second interferometer, wherein the second interferometer is positionable a distance apart relative to a length of the tubular from the at least one interferometer and positionable axially relative to the tubular from the at least one interferometer to detect the vibration in the tubular at a third location along the length of the tubular.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interferometer is usable to determine at least one radial distance between the at least one interferometer and the tubular.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vibration-inducing device is positionable to cause the vibration in the tubular at a third location along a length of the tubular and the at least one interferometer is positionable to detect the vibration in the tubular at the first location and the second location.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processing device; and

a memory device that includes instructions executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, the first and the second data associated with the vibration in the tubular detected by the at least one interferometer;

determining, based on the first data and the second data, parameters associated with the tubular and the cement layer; and

determining, based on the parameters, the status of the tubular and the status of the cement layer.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the operation of determining, based on the first data and the second data, the parameters associated with the tubular and the cement layer further comprises:

determining a damping of at least one vibrational wave associated with the vibration in the tubular;

determining a frequency of the vibration in the tubular;

determining, based on the damping of the at least one vibrational wave, an impedance of a segment of the cement layer, the impedance associated with a bonding of the cement layer to the tubular; and

determining, based the frequency, a thickness of a segment of the tubular.

7 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising the operations of:

executing, by the processing device, an adjustment to a position of the at least one interferometer based on a target location for detecting the vibration in the tubular; and

executing, by the processing device, an adjustment to a position of the measurement tool based on at least one distance between the measurement tool and the tubular.

8 . A method comprising:

deploying, via a conveyance mechanism, a measurement tool downhole in a wellbore that includes a tubular therein;

inducing, via a vibration-inducing device, vibration in the tubular; and

detecting, via at least one interferometer coupled to the measurement tool, the vibration at a first location along an azimuth of the tubular to generate first data and detecting the vibration at a second location along the azimuth of the tubular to generate second data, wherein a first depth of the first location along the azimuth of the tubular is substantially equal to a second depth of the second location along the azimuth of the tubular, and wherein the first data and the second data are used to determine a status of the tubular or of a cement layer, the cement layer positioned between the tubular and a subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore, the status of the tubular being indicative of whether there is damage to the tubular, or the status of the cement layer being indicative of whether there is a strong bond between the cement layer and the tubular.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

positioning a second interferometer a distance apart relative a length of the tubular from the at least one interferometer and positioning the second interferometer axially relative to the tubular from the at least one interferometer; and

detecting, via the second interferometer, the vibration in the tubular at a third location along the length of the tubular.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, via the at least one interferometer, at least one radial distance between the at least one interferometer and the tubular.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

positioning the vibration-inducing device to cause the vibration in the tubular at a third location along a length of the tubular; and

detecting, via the at least one interferometer, the vibration in the tubular at the first location and the second location.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving the first data and the second data associated with the vibration in the tubular;

determining, based on the first data and the second data, parameters associated with the tubular and the cement layer; and

determining, based on the parameters, the status of the tubular and the status of the cement layer.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining, based on the first data and the second data, parameters associated with the tubular and the cement layer further comprises:

determining a damping of at least one vibrational wave associated with the vibration in the tubular;

determining a frequency of the vibration in the tubular;

determining, based on the damping of the at least one vibrational wave, an impedance of a segment of the cement layer, the impedance associated with a bonding of the cement layer to the tubular; and

determining, based on the frequency, a thickness of a segment of the tubular.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

executing an adjustment to a position of the at least one interferometer based on a target location for detecting the vibration in the tubular; and

executing an adjustment to a position of the measurement tool based on at least one distance between the measurement tool and the tubular.

15 . A system comprising:

a processing device; and

a memory device that includes instructions executed by the processing device for causing the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, first data associated with vibration at a first location along an azimuth of a tubular positioned in a wellbore, the vibration at the first location along the azimuth of the tubular detected by at least one interferometer coupled to a measurement tool, and the vibration in the tubular caused by a vibration-inducing device;

receiving, by the processing second, second data associated with vibration at a second location along the azimuth of the tubular, the vibration at the second location along the azimuth of the tubular detected by the at least one interferometer coupled to the measurement tool, wherein a first depth of the first location along the azimuth of the tubular is substantially equal to a second depth of the second location along the azimuth of the tubular;

determining, based on the first data and the second data, parameters associated with the tubular and a cement layer, the cement layer positioned between the tubular and a subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore; and

determining, based on the parameters, a status of the tubular or a status of a cement layer, the status of the tubular being indicative of whether there is damage to the tubular, or the status of the cement layer being indicative of whether there is a strong bond between the cement layer and the tubular.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein determining, based on the first data and the second data, the parameters associated with the tubular and the cement layer further comprises:

determining a damping of at least one vibrational wave associated with vibration in the tubular;

determining a frequency of the vibration in the tubular;

determining, based on the damping of the at least one vibrational wave, an impedance of a segment of the cement layer; and

determining, based on the frequency, a thickness of a segment of the tubular.

17 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

executing, by the processing device, an adjustment to a position of the at least one interferometer based on a target location for detecting the vibration in the tubular; and

executing, by the processing device, an adjustment to a position of the measurement tool based on at least one distance between the measurement tool and the tubular.

18 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining a first thickness of a first segment of the tubular;

determining a second thickness of a second segment of the tubular; and

generating, based on the second thickness being less than the first thickness, an alert for a user, the alert providing an indication of damage to the tubular.

19 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining a first impedance of a first segment of the cement layer;

determining a second impedance of a second segment of the cement layer; and

generating, based on the second impedance being less than the first impedance, an alert for a user, the alert providing an indication of a disruption to a bonding of the cement layer and the tubular.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving, by the processing device, data associated with the vibration in the tubular further comprises:

receiving data associated with vibration in the tubular at a third location along a length of the tubular, the vibration in the tubular detected by a second interferometer positioned a distance apart relative to a length of the tubular from the at least one interferometer and positioned axially relative to the tubular from the at least one interferometer; and

receiving data associated with at least one radial distance between the at least one interferometer and the tubular.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (65)