IP Library Granted Patent US 12,607,113
Granted Patent B2
US 12,607,113 · App. 18/507,929 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Downhole tubular inspection using partial-saturation eddy currents

Inventors: Ahmed Elsayed Fouda (Spring, TX); Junwen Dai (The Woodlands, TX); Freeman Lee Hill, III (Spring, TX); Christopher Michael Jones (Katy, TX)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
E21B47/0025E21B47/0228E21B47/085
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 12,607,113
App. No.
18/507,929
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for inspecting a tubular may comprise an electromagnetic (EM) logging tool and information handling system. The EM logging tool may further include a mandrel, one or more sensor pads attached to the mandrel by one or more extendable arms, and one or more partial saturation eddy current sensors disposed on each of the one or more sensor pads.

Claims (44)

1 . A downhole tubular inspection tool, comprising:

a tool body configured for lowering through a first downhole tubular on a conveyance;

a proximity sensor coupled to the tool body;

a plurality of extendable arms coupled to the tool body;

a plurality of sensor pads coupled to the plurality of extendable arms, respectively; and

a controller configured to measure an eccentricity of the first downhole tubular based on:

a plurality of extensions of the plurality of extendable arms, respectively; and

a plurality of distance measurements between the proximity sensor and the plurality of sensor pads, wherein the plurality of distance measurements is obtained from the proximity sensor.

2 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the downhole tubular inspection tool further comprises:

a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to the plurality of extendable arms, respectively.

3 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 2 , wherein the controller measures the eccentricity of the first downhole tubular by:

obtaining, from the plurality of proximity sensors, a plurality of distance measurements between the plurality of proximity sensors and a wall of the first downhole tubular.

4 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

estimate an ovality, bending, or buckling of the first downhole tubular based on the eccentricity.

5 . A downhole tubular inspection tool, comprising:

a tool body configured for lowering through a first downhole tubular on a conveyance;

a plurality of extendable arms coupled to the tool body;

a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to the plurality of extendable arms, respectively; and

a controller configured to:

based on a plurality of extensions of the plurality of extendable arms, obtain, from the plurality of proximity sensors, a first plurality of distance measurements between the plurality of proximity sensors and a first wall of the first downhole tubular; and

based on the first plurality of distance measurements, measure an eccentricity of the first downhole tubular.

6 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of distance measurements is used to obtain a baseline measurement of the first downhole tubular.

7 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 6 , wherein a second downhole tubular surrounds the first downhole tubular.

8 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

obtain, from the plurality of proximity sensors, a second plurality of distance measurements between the plurality of proximity sensors and a second wall of the second downhole tubular.

9 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

measure an eccentricity of the first downhole tubular with respect to the second downhole tubular, using the baseline measurement and the second plurality of distance measurements.

10 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 9 , wherein the eccentricity is based on differences between the baseline measurement and the second plurality of distance measurements.

11 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

estimate an ovality, bending, or buckling of the second downhole tubular based on the eccentricity.

12 . The downhole tubular inspection tool of claim 10 , wherein the eccentricity is estimated as an eccentricity ratio and an eccentricity azimuth angle.

13 . A method for measuring eccentricities of downhole tubulars, comprising:

lowering, via a conveyance, a tubular inspection tool into a first downhole tubular, the tubular inspection tool comprising a tool body and one or more proximity sensors coupled to the tool body;

initiating, by a controller, an extension of an extendable arm from the tubular inspection tool, the extendable arm comprising a plurality of sensor pads;

obtaining, by the controller, from the one or more proximity sensors, a proximity measurement based on the extension of the extendable arm, wherein the proximity measurement is indicative of a distance between the one or more proximity sensors and the plurality of sensor pads; and

measuring, by the controller, an eccentricity of the first downhole tubular using the proximity measurement.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

estimating an ovality, bending, or buckling of the first downhole tubular based on the eccentricity.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a second downhole tubular surrounds the first downhole tubular.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, from the proximity sensor, a second proximity measurement with respect to the second downhole tubular.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:

measuring a second eccentricity of the second downhole tubular using the second proximity measurement.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second eccentricity is estimated as an eccentricity ratio and an eccentricity azimuth angle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2023
From: FOUDA, AHMED ELSAYED; DAI, JUNWEN; HILL, FREEMAN LEE, III; JONES, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 065545/0678 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17665182 · Feb 4, 2022
Provisional Application 63208046 · Jun 8, 2021
Related Publication 20240093591A1 · Mar 21, 2024
References Cited (74)
US 3940689A · Johnson, Jr. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 9030196B2 · Boenisch · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 10031107B2 · Boenisch · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10961841B2 · Amineh et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20040100256A1 · Fickert et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20060249307A1 · Ritter · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 20090242200A1 · Badoux et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20120048541A1 · Jacob · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20160169794A1 · Powers et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160266269A1 · Wilson et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160349405A1 · San Martin et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170075023A1 · Fouda et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170082770A1 · Mandviwala et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170123096A1 · Wilson et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170139073A1 · Gorek et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170248728A1 · Fouda et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170248730A1 · San Martin et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170254917A1 · Fouda et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170269253A1 · Fouda et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170275985A1 · Fouda et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180003850A1 · Jaaskelainen et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180066509A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180106763A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180106764A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180135405A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180143344A1 · Dai et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180172872A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180209265A1 · Fouda et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180223648A1 · Wilson et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180347353A1 · Wang et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190003815A1 · San Martin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190063213A1 · Donderici et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190078430A1 · Fouda et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190196039A1 · Wilson et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190218904A1 · Fouda et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190277995A1 · Fouda et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190301258A1 · Li · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190339230A1 · Khalaj Amineh et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190369285A1 · Fouda et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190383135A1 · Hill, III · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190390544A1 · Dai et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200003929A1 · Wilson et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200081148A1 · Capoglu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200103374A1 · Guner et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200109974A1 · Hill et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200182830A1 · Fouda et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200190969A1 · Ren et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200200940A1 · Fouda et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200209425A1 · Ewe et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200217982A1 · San Martin et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200257014A1 · Khalaj Amineh et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200271817A1 · Ewe et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200271818A1 · Fouda et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200284141A1 · San Martin et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200309986A1 · Donderici et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200319362A1 · Guner et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200333500A1 · Fouda et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200378240A1 · Fouda et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210054731A1 · Fouda et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210080610A1 · Fouda et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210088686A1 · Samson et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210108507A1 · Hill, III et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210198998A1 · Donderici et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210208103A1 · Hill, III et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210239874A1 · Fouda · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210256671A1 · Guner et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210304386A1 · Guner et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210355812A1 · Fouda et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2022/016750, dated May 23, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Schlumberger, EM Pipe Scanner, Electromagnetic Casing Inspection Tool, 2009. [cited by applicant]
Gowell, MTD, 2022. Accessed Jan. 2022, Available at https://www.gowellpetro.com/well-integrity-analysis. [cited by applicant]
TGT, Pulse, Accessed Jan. 2022, Available at https://tgldiagnostics.com/systems/tgt-pulse-1/. [cited by applicant]
Office Action Summary for U.S. Appl. No. 17/665,182 dated Apr. 21, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Appl. No. 17/665,182 dated Sep. 6, 2023. [cited by applicant]