Patent EA-001613-B1 (EA)
Title: An apparatus, system and method to transmitand display acquired well data in near real time at a remote location
Inventor: ALVARADO JUAN C
IPC: E21B47/12
Filed: 1997-12-16
Abstract: 1. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100), having a primary location (40) having a renderer (422) and a first display means (60,70) operable for receiving signals from the first renderer (422) and for viewing the rendered log at the primary location (40); a remote location (100) having a second renderer (890) and a remote display means (140,994) receiving signals from the second renderer (890) and for viewing the rendered log at the remote location (100); a communication means (110) having a physical link, a protocol and a transport mechanism for communicating between the primary location (40) and the remote location (100); wherein the improvement comprises a.) at the primary location (40), a first means (360) for reading while writing the log to a first file (380,370); b.) the first renderer (422) operable for reading the log as it is being written to the first file (380) and rendering the log; c.) a means for transmitting the log (410) over the communication means (110) to the remote location (100) from the first file (380, 390) at the primary location (40) as it is being written to the first file (380. 390); d.) at the remote location (100), a second means (430) for reading while writing, which writes the log as it is received from the primary location (40) to a second file (460, 450) at the remote location (100); and e.) the second renderer at the remote location (100) for reading the log as it is being written to the second file (460,40) and rendering the log. 2. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 1 wherein the first means for reading while writing is a read while write module. 3. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 2 wherein the second means for reading while writing is a read while write module identical to the first read while write module. 4. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the first file is a first format file. 5. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the first file is selected from a group including a first data format file and a first log format tile. 6. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any of preceding claim wherein the log data is numeric data. 7. A system for viewing well log data of any of Claims 1 through 5 wherein the log data is log graphic data. 8. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any of the preceding claims wherein the first rendering (422) means includes a first rendering software (426), a rendering server (423) and a third means for reading while writing (360) identical to the first means for reading while writing (360). 9. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the first display means (60,70) is selected from the set including a monitor and a printer. 10. A system for viewing well log data in near real time time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any of the preceding claims wherein the means for transmitting comprises a first file transfer utility means for transmitting the data from the primary location (40) to the remote location (100) over the communications system. 11. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 10, wherein the first file transfer utility means includes a first file transfer server (410). 12. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 10 or 11 wherein the first file transfer utility means includes a first file transfer client (420). 13. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 10, 11, or 12 wherein the first tile transfer server (410) includes a copy of the first means for reading while writing. 14. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 10, 11, 12, or 13 wherein the first file transfer client (410) includes a copy of the first means for reading while writing. 15. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the first rendering software (426) includes a first reader/interpreter means, a first object builder, a first object rendering module, and a first output module. 16. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim, further comprising a second file transfer utility having a means selected from a group including a second file transfer server (430), a second file transfer client (440). 17. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the second tile is a second format file. 18. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the second tile is selected from a group including a second data format file and a second log format file. 19. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim comprising a tile system having both a second data format tile and second log format file. 20. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim, wherein the second rendering means (890) includes a second rendering software, and a fourth means (490) for reading while writing identical to the first means for reading while writing. 21. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim, wherein the second rendering software (890) includes at least one means selected from a second reader/ interpreter means, a second object builder, a second object rendering module, and a second object module. 22. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim further comprising an input interface means which includes at least one means selected from an input, a message handler module and an user interface module. 23. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim further comprising a second display means (140,994) selected from a group including a monitor (140) and a printer (994). 24. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the protocol is TCP/IP. 25. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim, wherein the physical link is selected from the group including satellite communication, telephone communication. microwave transmission, radio communication, cellular communication. and communication via modem. 26. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim, wherein the communication system also allows for person to person communication between the primary location (40) and the remote location (100). 27. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 26, wherein the person to person communication is selected from the group including typed (chat box) communication, audio communication, video communication, electronic whiteboard communication. 28. A system for viewing well log data in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in any preceding claim wherein the primary location (40) is a wellsite and further comprising: a data acquisition system for acquiring data from logging tools and sending it to the first means for reading while writing for storage onto the first file system. 29. A method for transferring data in near real time between a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) comprising the steps of: a.) writing data including numerical data and graphics data to a first file system (195) at the primary location (40); b.) rendering the graphics data so that it can be displayed at the primary location; c.) displaying the graphics data at the primary location (40); d.) transferring the data from the primary location (40) to the remote location (100) over a communication system, the communication system including a physical link, a protocol and a transport mechanism; e.) rendering the graphics data from the second file system so that it can be displayed at the remote location (100) wherein the improvement comprises: f.) reading the data from the first file system while writing it; g.) wherein the transferring of the data occurrs while the data is being written to the first file system; h.) writing the data as it is being received to a second file system (450,460) at the remote location (100); and i.) reading the data from the second file system while writing it. 30. A method for viewing a log in near real time at a primary location (40) and a remote location (100) as in claim 29, further comprising the step of adjusting the display of the log at the second location responsive to user input. 31. A method fo