Downhole methods and assemblies employing an at-bit antenna

Logging tools and methods employing an at-bit loop antenna to acquire azimuthal resistivity measurements proximate to the bit enable low-latency geosteering signals to be generated. In some embodiments, the at-bit antenna is part of a bottom hole assembly that includes a drill bit, a mud motor, and a resistivity tool. The mud motor is positioned between the at-bit antenna and the resistivity tool. The resistivity tool includes at least one loop antenna that is not parallel to the at-bit loop antenna. The at-bit antenna is part of an at-bit module that, in some embodiments, transmits periodic electromagnetic signal pulses for the resistivity tool to measure. In other embodiments, the at-bit module measures characteristics of electromagnetic signal pulses sent by the resistivity tool and communicates the measured characteristics to the resistivity tool via a short hop telemetry link.

The present application relates to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/835,619, entitled “Tool for Azimuthal Resistivity Measurement and Bed Boundary Detection”, and filed Aug. 8, 2007 by inventor Michael Bittar. It also relates to co-pending PCT Application No. PCT/US07/15806, entitled “Modular Geosteering Tool Assembly”, and filed Jul. 11, 2007 by inventors Michael Bittar, Clive Menezes, and Martin Paulk. Each of these references is hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Modern petroleum drilling and production operations demand a great quantity of information relating to the parameters and conditions downhole. Such information typically includes the location and orientation of the borehole and drilling assembly, earth formation properties, and parameters of the downhole drilling environment. The collection of information relating to formation properties and downhole conditions is commonly referred to as “logging”, and can be performed during the drilling process itself (hence the term “logging while drilling” or “LWD”).

Various measurement tools exist for use in LWD. One such tool is the resistivity tool, which includes one or more antennas for transmitting an electromagnetic signal into the formation and one or more antennas for receiving a formation response. When operated at low frequencies, the resistivity tool may be called an “induction” tool, and at high frequencies it may be called an electromagnetic wave propagation tool. Though the physical phenomena that dominate the measurement may vary with frequency, the operating principles for the tool are consistent. In some cases, the amplitude and/or the phase of the receive signals are compared to the amplitude and/or phase of the transmit signals to measure the formation resistivity. In other cases, the amplitude and/or phase of the receive signals are compared to each other to measure the formation resistivity.

When plotted as a function of depth or tool position in the borehole, the resistivity tool measurements are termed “logs” or “resistivity logs”. Such logs may provide indications of hydrocarbon concentrations and other information useful to drillers and completion engineers. In particular, azimuthally-sensitive logs may provide information useful for steering the drilling assembly because they can inform the driller when a target formation bed has been entered or exited, thereby allowing modifications to the drilling program that will provide much more value and higher success than would be the case using only seismic data. However, the utility of such logs is often impaired by the latency between a drill-bit's penetration of a bed boundary and the collection of log information sufficient to alert the driller to that event.

The following description has broad application. Each disclosed embodiment and accompanying discussion is meant only to be illustrative of that embodiment, and is not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. To the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein are logging tools and methods that employ an at-bit loop antenna to acquire azimuthal resistivity measurements proximate to the bit, thereby enabling low-latency geosteering signals to be generated. In some embodiments, the at-bit antenna is part of a bottom hole assembly that includes a drill bit, a mud motor, and a resistivity tool. The at-bit antenna is a loop antenna that is positioned within three feet of the drill bit's cutting face. The mud motor is positioned between the at-bit antenna and the resistivity tool, and it turns the drill bit via a drive shaft. The resistivity tool includes at least one loop antenna that is not parallel to the at-bit loop antenna. The difference in loop antenna orientations is preferably 30° or more. The at-bit antenna is part of an at-bit module that, in some embodiments, transmits periodic electromagnetic signal pulses for the resistivity tool to measure. In other embodiments, the at-bit module measures characteristics of electromagnetic signal pulses sent by the resistivity tool and communicates the measured characteristics to the resistivity tool via a short hop telemetry link. In this way, the resistivity tool cooperates with the at-bit module to obtain azimuthal resistivity measurements near the bit, from which a bed boundary indicator signal can be calculated and displayed to a user.

The disclosed logging tools and methods are best understood in the context of the larger systems in which they operate. Accordingly,FIG. 1shows an illustrative logging-while-drilling (“LWD”) environment. A drilling platform2supports a derrick4having a traveling block6for raising and lowering a drill string8. A top drive10supports and rotates the drill string8as it is lowered through the wellhead12. A drill bit14is driven by a downhole motor and/or rotation of the drill string8. As bit14rotates, it creates a borehole16that passes through various formations. A pump18circulates drilling fluid20through a feed pipe22, through the interior of the drill string8to drill bit14. The fluid exits through orifices in the drill bit14and flows upward through the annulus around the drill string8to transport drill cuttings to the surface, where the fluid is filtered and recirculated.

The drill bit14is just one piece of a bottom-hole assembly24that includes a mud motor and one or more “drill collars” (thick-walled steel pipe) that provide weight and rigidity to aid the drilling process. Some of these drill collars include built-in logging instruments to gather measurements of various drilling parameters such as position, orientation, weight-on-bit, borehole diameter, etc. The tool orientation may be specified in terms of a tool face angle (rotational orientation), an inclination angle (the slope), and compass direction, each of which can be derived from measurements by magnetometers, inclinometers, and/or accelerometers, though other sensor types such as gyroscopes may alternatively be used. In one specific embodiment, the tool includes a 3-axis fluxgate magnetometer and a 3-axis accelerometer. As is known in the art, the combination of those two sensor systems enables the measurement of the tool face angle, inclination angle, and compass direction. Such orientation measurements can be combined with gyroscopic or inertial measurements to accurately track tool position.

Also included in bottom hole assembly24is a telemetry sub that maintains a communications link with the surface. Mud pulse telemetry is one common telemetry technique for transferring tool measurements to surface receivers and receiving commands from the surface, but other telemetry techniques can also be used. For some techniques (e.g., through-wall acoustic signaling) the drill string8includes one or more repeaters30to detect, amplify, and re-transmit the signal. At the surface, transducers28convert signals between mechanical and electrical form, enabling a network interface module36to receive the uplink signal from the telemetry sub and (at least in some embodiments) transmit a downlink signal to the telemetry sub. A data processing system50receives a digital telemetry signal, demodulates the signal, and displays the tool data or well logs to a user. Software (represented inFIG. 1as information storage media52) governs the operation of system50. A user interacts with system50and its software52via one or more input devices54and one or more output devices56. In some system embodiments, a driller employs the system to make geosteering decisions and communicate appropriate commands to the bottom hole assembly24.

FIG. 2shows an illustrative bottom hole assembly24having a drill bit202seated in a bit box204at the end of a “bent sub”208. A mud motor210is connected to the bent sub208to turn an internal driveshaft extending through the bent sub208to the bit box204. The bottom hole assembly further includes a logging while drilling (LWD) assembly212and a telemetry sub218, along with other optional drill collars220suspended from a string of drill pipe222.

The drill bit shown inFIG. 2is a roller cone bit, but other bit types can be readily employed. Most drill bits have a threaded pin316(FIGS. 3D-3F) that engages a threaded socket in a bit box204to secures the bit to the drill string. In the embodiment ofFIG. 2, the bit box is provided with two loop antennas206that work cooperatively with antennas214,216in the LWD assembly212. As discussed in further detail below, this antenna arrangement enables azimuthal resistivity measurements to be made in close proximity to the bit. The bit box204is turned by mud motor210via an internal drive shaft passing through the bent sub208, which is a short section that is slightly bent to enable the drill bit to drill a curved hole when the bit is turned only by the mud motor (i.e., without rotation of the drill string8). Various types of mud motors can be employed for geosteering, e.g., positive displacement motors (PDM), Moineau motors, turbine-type motors and the like, and those motors employing rotary steerable mechanisms.

LWD assembly212includes one or more logging tools and systems capable of recording data as well as transmitting data to the surface via the telemetry via218. As specifically discussed hereinbelow, the LWD assembly212includes a resistivity tool having antennas214,216that work cooperatively with antennas near the bit to determine azimuthal resistivity measurements helpful for geosteering. Because of the length of the mud motor, the resistivity tool sensors located in the LWD section are at least 15 feet from the drilling bit, which would normally imply that the azimuthal resistivity measurements available to the driller apply to a drill bit position at least 15 feet behind the current drill bit position. However, with the cooperation of the at-bit loop antennas, the driller can be provided information applicable to the current drill bit position, making it possible to steer the drilling assembly much more precisely than before.

FIG. 2shows two loop antennas coaxial with the bit box and axially spaced apart by 15-30 cm. The advantage to placing antennas on the bit box is that this configuration does not require any modification of the drill bits, which are consumable items that need to be regularly replaced. The disadvantage to placing antennas on the bit box is that locations on the drill bit are more proximate to the face of the drill bit. Nevertheless, both configurations are contemplated here, as is the use of a short sub between the bit box and the drill bit, which offers the advantage of enabling the disclosed methods to be used with existing products.

FIG. 3Ashows the drill bit202secured into a bit box302having a tilted loop antenna304, i.e., a loop antenna having its axis set at an angle with respect to the axis of the bit box. If space allows, a second loop antenna may be provided parallel to the first. Conversely, if space is limited on the bit box, a single co-axial loop antenna308may be provided on the bit box306as shown inFIG. 3B. The loop antenna(s) does not necessarily need to encircle the bit box. For example,FIG. 3Cshows a bit box310having a loop antenna312with an axis that is perpendicular to the long axis of the bottom hole assembly.

FIGS. 3D-3Fshow drill bits having embedded loop antennas. InFIG. 3D, drill bit314has a normal-length shaft318to support a co-axial loop antenna318, which can be contrasted with drill bit320inFIG. 3E. Drill bit320has an elongated shaft322to support a tilted antenna324. InFIG. 3F, a drill bit326is provided with a co-axial loop antenna328on its gauge surface. (Most bent sub and rotary steerable systems employ long gauge bits, i.e. bits having gauge surfaces that extend axially for 10 cm or more and conveniently provide space for embedding sensors in the bit surface.) As discussed further below, some embodiments employ the at-bit loop antennas as transmit antennas while other embodiments employ the at-bit antennas as receive antennas.

FIG. 4shows a cross-section of bit box204, which is connected to an internal shaft402extending through the bent sub208. Drilling fluid flows via passage404into the pin end of the drill bit below. Electronics in compartment406couple to the loop antennas206via wiring passages408. Electronics406derive power from batteries, a vibration energy harvester, a turbine in flow passage404, or wire loops in compartment406that pass through magnetic fields of magnets in the outer shell of bent sub208as the internal shaft rotates. (As indicated at206′, the at-bit antenna may alternatively be mounted to the shell proximate to the bit box.) In some system embodiments, the electronics use this power to drive timed sinusoidal pulses through each loop antenna in turn, with pauses for the operation of other transmit antennas in the system. In other system embodiments, the electronics use this power to establish a short hop communications link to the LWD assembly above the mud motor. Various existing short-hop downhole communications techniques are suitable and can be employed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,925 to Dailey, entitled “Short hop communication link for downhole MWD system” discloses an electromagnetic technique; U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,011 to Tubel, entitled “Production well telemetry system” discloses an acoustic technique; U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,782 to Davies, entitled “Drill string telemetry system and method” discloses an axial current loop technique; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,007 to Konschuh, entitled “Method and apparatus for transmitting sensor response data and power through a mud motor” discloses a wired technique. With a short-hop communications loop in place, the electronics can synchronize timing with the LWD assembly, measure receive signal amplitudes and phases, and communicate those measurements to the LWD assembly for further processing. In some tool embodiments, one of the loop antennas function as a transmit and receive antenna for short hop communications, and further operates as a transmit or receive antenna for resistivity measurements.

FIG. 5is a block diagram of illustrative electronics for a bottom-hole assembly. A telemetry module502communicates with a surface data processing facility to provide logging data and to receive control messages for the LWD assembly and possibly for steering the drilling assembly. A control module504for the LWD assembly provides the logging data and receives these control messages. The control module504coordinates the operation of the various components of the LWD assembly via a tool bus506. These components include a power module508, a storage module510, an optional short hop telemetry module512, and a resistivity logging tool514. In some embodiments, at-bit instruments516send electromagnetic signals518that are used by logging tool514to measure azimuthal resistivity. In other embodiments, logging tool514sends electromagnetic signals520that are measured by at-bit instruments516and communicated via short hop telemetry module512to the resistivity logging tool514for azimuthal resistivity calculations. The control module504stores the azimuthal resistivity calculations in storage module510and communicates at least some of these calculations to the surface processing facility.

FIG. 6is a block diagram of electronics for an illustrative at-bit instrumentation module516. The illustrative module includes a controller and memory unit602, a power source604, one or more antennas for transmitting and optionally receiving electromagnetic signals, an optional short hop telemetry transducer608, and other optional sensors610. Controller and memory unit602controls the operation of the other module components in accordance with the methods described below with reference toFIGS. 9 and 10. Power source604powers the other module components from batteries, a vibration energy harvester, a turbine, an electrical generator, or another suitable mechanism. Antennas606are loop antennas that couple to controller602to transmit or receive electromagnetic signals. Short hop telemetry transducer608communicates with short hop telemetry module512(FIG. 5) using any suitable short hop downhole communications technique. Other sensors610may include temperature, pressure, lubrication, vibration, strain, and density sensors to monitor drilling conditions at the bit.

Before describing the methods for making at-bit azimuthal resistivity measurements, it is helpful to provide some further context.FIG. 7shows an example of how a borehole can be divided into azimuthal bins (i.e., rotational angle ranges). InFIG. 7, the circumference has been divided into eight bins numbered702,704, . . . ,716. Of course, larger or smaller numbers of bins can be employed. The rotational angle is measured from the high side of the borehole (except in vertical boreholes, where the rotational angle is measured relative to the north side of the borehole). As a rotating tool gathers azimuthally sensitive measurements, the measurements can be associated with one of these bins and with a depth value. Typically LWD tools rotate much faster than they progress along the borehole, so that each bin at a given depth can be associated with a large number of measurements. Within each bin at a given depth, these measurements can be combined (e.g., averaged) to improve their reliability.

FIG. 8shows an illustrative resistivity logging tool802passing at an angle through a model formation. The model formation includes a 20 ohm-meter bed806sandwiched between two thick 1 ohm-meter beds804,808. The illustrative resistivity tool makes azimuthally sensitive resistivity measurements from which a boundary indication signal can be determined. As explained further below, the bed boundary indication signal can be based on a difference or ratio between measurements at opposite azimuthal angles.

FIG. 9is a graph of illustrative bed boundary indication signals at opposite azimuthal orientations derived from the model inFIG. 8. Signal902is an illustrative boundary indication signal for a downward orientation (α=180°) and signal904is the corresponding boundary indication signal for an upward orientation (α=0°). Signals902and904positive when the tool is near a boundary and is oriented towards the bed having a higher resistivity. They are negative when the tool is near a boundary and is oriented towards the bed having a lower resistivity. Thus, a driller can steer a tool in the direction of the largest positive boundary indication signal to maintain the borehole in a high resistivity bed. Such boundary indication signals can be derived using one of the methods ofFIG. 10or11in combination with the method ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 10shows an illustrative method that can be implemented by an at-bit receiver module. Beginning with block1002, the receiver module synchronizes itself with the LWD assembly. In some embodiments, this synchronization occurs via a round-trip communication exchange to determine a communications latency, which can then be applied as a correction to a current time value communicated from the LWD assembly to the at-bit module. In other embodiments, high timing accuracy is not required and this block can be omitted.

In block1004, the at-bit module detects pulses in the receive signal and measures their amplitude and phase. Such measurements are performed simultaneously for all receiver antennas, and the timing for such measurements can be set by the LWD assembly via short hop telemetry. In block1006, the amplitude and phase measurements for each receive signal pulse are time stamped and communicated to the LWD assembly. In some embodiments phase differences and attenuation values between receive antennas are calculated and communicated to the LWD assembly. In at-bit modules having tilted antennas, the rotational orientation of the at-bit module is measured and communicated to the LWD assembly together with the amplitude and phase measurements. The method repeats beginning with block1004.

FIG. 11shows an illustrative method that con be implemented by an at-bit transmitter module. Once power is supplied to the at-bit module in block1102, the module undergoes a wait period that lasts until the module determines the power supply has stabilized and the timing reference jitter has an adequately small value. In block1104, the module begins iterating through at-bit loop antennas. In block1106, the module fires the transmit antenna by driving a sinusoidal pulse through it, e.g., a 100 microsecond 2 MHz pulse. (Pulse lengths can be varied up to about 10 milliseconds. Signal frequency can vary from about 10 kHz to about 10 MHz.) In block1108, the module checks to determine whether each of the transmit antennas has been fired. If not, the module selects and fires the next antenna, beginning again in block1104. Otherwise, the module pauses in block1110before returning to block1104to repeat the entire cycle. This pause provides space for other transmitter firings (e.g., the transmitters in the LWD assembly) to occur and provides time for the tool to change position before the next cycle. In some embodiments, one or more of the transmit pulses can be modulated to communicate information from other at-bit sensors to the LWD assembly.

FIG. 12shows an illustrative method for a LWD resistivity tool having an at-bit component. Beginning in block1202, the tool synchronizes its time reference with the at-bit module. In at least some embodiments using the at-bit transmitter, the tool detects signal pulses from the at-bit transmitter, identifies the pause and pulse frequencies, and determines a cycle period and a cycle start time. The transmitter-based timing information can be used as a reference for subsequent resistivity tool operations. In embodiments using the at-bit receiver, the tool engages in short hop communications with the at-bit module to coordinate timing and in some cases to estimate a communications lag which can be used as a offset to accurately synchronize the timing references of the tool and the at-bit module.

Note that in the antenna arrangement formed by the combination of resistivity tool antennas and at-bit antennas, there may be multiple transmit antennas. In most cases, the transmit antennas are fired sequentially and the response of each receiver antenna to each transmit antenna firing is measured. A measurement cycle includes a firing of each transmit antenna. Having synchronized the timing of the two modules in block1202, the tool in block1204begins iterating through each of the transmit antennas, selecting one at a time.

Though the next three blocks are shown and described sequentially, their actual execution is expected to occur concurrently. In block1206, the tool transmits a pulse from the selected transmit antenna into the surrounding formation or, if the transmit antenna is an at-bit antenna, the tool expects the at-bit module to transmit the pulse. At the same time the transmit antenna is fired, the tool measures the current tool position and orientation in block1208. In block1210, the tool (and at-bit module) measure the amplitude and phase of signals received by each of the receiver antennas. At-bit measurements are communicated to the resistivity tool via the short-hop telemetry link. In block1212, the measured response amplitudes and phases to each transmitter are associated with a measurement bin defined for the current tool position and orientation. The measurements for each transmi-receive antenna pair in that bin are combined to improve measurement accuracy, and from the combined measurements an azimuthal resistivity measurement is formed and updated as new measurements become available. Similarly, boundary indication values are determined for each bin. In optional block1214, at least some of the resistivity and/or boundary indicator values are communicated via an uphole telemetry link to a surface processing facility for display to a user.

In block1212, a resistivity measurement and a bed boundary indicator measurement are determined or updated for the bin based on the new amplitude and phase measurement and any previous measurements in that bin. Due to the use of non-parallel transmit and receive antennas (e.g., either the transmitter or receiver is tilted), the resistivity measurements are azimuthally sensitive. In some embodiments, the resistivity measurements are determined from the average compensated amplitude and phase measurement of the current bin, possibly in combination with the average compensated measurements for other nearby bins and other measured or estimated formation parameters such as formation strike, dip, and anisotropy. Compensated measurements are determined by averaging measurements resulting from symmetrically spaced transmitters.

The bed boundary indicator calculations for a bin may be based on a measurement of a non-parallel transmit-receive antenna measurement with either an at-bit transmit antenna or an at-bit receive antenna, e.g., antennas206and214inFIG. 2. (For the present discussion, we assume only one at-bit antenna is being used. The usage of multiple at-bit antennas is discussed further below.) For example, if, given the measurements in a bin, the average measured signal phase of antenna214in response to the signal transmitted by antenna206(or conversely, the phase of antenna206in response to a signal from antenna214) is Φ, the bed boundary indicator for this bin may be calculated as:
I=(Φ in the current bin)−(Φ in the bin 180° from current bin)  (1)

Thus, with reference toFIG. 7, the bed boundary indicator for bin702may calculated from the difference in average measured signal phase between bins702and710. The bed boundary indicator for bin704may be calculated using a difference between phase measurements for bins704and712. Alternatively, a difference in logarithms of amplitude A (or attenuation) of receiver antenna214's response relative to the transmit antenna206signal between these bins may be used instead of phase differences:
I=ln(A in the current bin)−ln(A in the bin 180° from current bin)  (2)

As yet another alternative, rather than taking a difference between phase or log amplitude of bins 180° apart, the difference may be determined between the phase (or log amplitude) for the current bin and the average phase (or log amplitude) for all the bins at a given axial position in the borehole:

We note thatFIG. 2shows the presence of two at-bit antennas206. If, in response to a signal from antenna214, the average phase measured by one of these antennas is Φ1and the average phase measured by the other is Φ2(or conversely, these are the phases measured by antenna214in response to the two at-bit antennas206), a more focused bed boundary indicator can be calculated from the phase difference, e.g.:

FIG. 13is a block diagram of an illustrative surface processing facility suitable for collecting, processing, and displaying logging data. In some embodiments, the facility generates geosteering signals from the logging data measurements and displays them to a user. In some embodiments, a user may further interact with the system to send commands to the bottom hole assembly to adjust its operation in response to the received data. If desired, the system can be programmed to send such commands automatically in response to the logging data measurements, thereby enabling the system to serve as an autopilot for the drilling process.

The system ofFIG. 13can take the form of a desktop computer that includes a chassis50, a display56, and one or more input devices54,55. Located in the chassis50is a display interface62, a peripheral interface64, a bus66, a processor68, a memory70, an information storage device72, and a network interface74. Bus66interconnects the various elements of the computer and transports their communications. The network interface74couples the system to telemetry transducers that enable the system to communicate with the bottom hole assembly. In accordance with user input received via peripheral interface54and program instructions from memory70and/or information storage device72, the processor processes the received telemetry information received via network interface74to construct formation property logs and/or geosteering signals and display them to the user.

The processor68, and hence the system as a whole, generally operates in accordance with one or more programs stored on an information storage medium (e.g., in information storage device72). Similarly, the bottom hole assembly control module504(FIG. 5) operates in accordance with one or more programs stored in an internal memory. One or more of these programs configures the control module and processing system to carry out at least one of the at-bit logging and geosteering methods disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, at-bit transmitter modules automatically transmit periodic high frequency signal pulses without any need for control signals beyond simple on/off state changes which can automatically triggered by detection of drilling activity. To obtain the measurements necessary for boundary detection, it is preferred to have non-parallel transmitter-receiver pairs with a relative tilt angle of at least 30° and more preferably about 45°. For example, if the transmitter coil at the bit is co-axial, the receiver coil should be tilted. Conversely, if the receiver coil is coaxial, the transmitter coil should be tilted. Although the figures show the at-bit antenna embedded on the bit or on the bit box, the at-bit antenna could alternatively be located on the bent sub directly adjacent to the bit box.