Patent ID: 9720122
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: E21B,G01H,G01N,G01V

Claim:
1. A method of estimating an acoustic parameter of interest of a downhole fluid using an acoustic assembly comprising a single solid acoustic transmission medium having a face immersed in the downhole fluid, the method comprising: using at least one acoustic transducer acoustically coupled to the single solid acoustic transmission medium to transmit and receive acoustic pulses, including generating a plurality of acoustic pulse reflections from a solid-liquid interface at the face of the single solid acoustic transmission medium, and receiving the plurality of acoustic pulse reflections; estimating the parameter of interest in near real-time utilizing characteristics of the plurality of acoustic pulse reflections from the solid-liquid interface, wherein each acoustic pulse reflection of the plurality of acoustic pulse reflections has a corresponding unique angle of reflection with respect to the face; wherein the characteristics comprise a corresponding reflection amplitude and the corresponding unique angle of reflection for each acoustic pulse reflection, and wherein the parameter of interest is at least one of: i) sound speed of the downhole fluid; ii) density of the downhole fluid; and iii) acoustic impedance of the downhole fluid.