Loudness based method and system for determining relative location of an acoustic event along a channel
US9606250B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 2013 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V2210/65
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for determining relative location of an acoustic event along a channel such as a wellbore includes obtaining two acoustic signals at are obtained at two different and known depths in the wellbore, dividing the acoustic signals into windows, and determining the relative loudnesses of pairs of the windows. The power of the acoustic signals may be used as a proxy for the loudness of the acoustic event, and this determination can be made in the time or frequency domains. The relative depth of the acoustic event can then be determined relative to the two known depths from the relative loudnesses. The acoustic event may be, for example, casing vent flow, gas migration, a leak along a pipeline, or sounds observed in an observation well from a nearby well in which fracking is being performed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.