Patent · US Expired

Elastic wave exploration tool for wells

US6089345A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
5References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1998
Grant dateJul 18, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V1/52
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A well tool in accordance with the invention comprises an attenuation device which attenuates tube waves associated with an elastic wave emission and/or reception set (1, 12). The attenuation device comprises a bubble generator (2) which releases into the well a gas not readily soluble in the well fluid, slightly overpressured in relation to the hydrostatic pressure, in the form of calibrated bubbles which greatly attenuate the parasitic tube waves. The attenuation device is placed above or below the elastic wave emission and/or reception set having a plurality of pickups whose signals are acquired by a local electronic module (14) and/or a source of elastic waves such as a vibrator. A bubble trap (17) is preferably associated with the bubble generator (2) in order to limit the volume of gas to be generated in situ. The invention is applicable to VSP type seismic prospecting and acoustic logging.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.