Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for acoustics logging of fluid density and wet cement plugs in boreholes

US6538958B1 · kind B1 · utility

11Cited by
8References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 19, 1999
Grant dateMar 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/02818
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The acoustic impedance of a fluid in a borehole is determined by gating a reflected acoustic signal into a plurality of time slots, and comparing received energies of the signal for the time slots to obtain a value indicative of the acoustic impedance of the fluid. The value may be normalized to yield the acoustic impedance of the fluid using the acoustic impedance of, e.g., water as a calibration point. The acoustic pulse may be generated using a transducer immersed in an intermediate fluid contained within a chamber defined in part by a plate in contact with the borehole fluid and having a thickness such that a mechanical resonance frequency of the plate in a thickness mode is substantially equal to a resonance frequency of the transducer. The sonic velocity of the fluid is also measured and, when combined with the acoustic impedance, is used to determine fluid density.

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