A device for discharging fastening elements, and a method of preventing a device from discharging fastening devices into human flesh, are disclosed. The device includes a coil proximate a location of discharge, a capacitive element coupled in parallel with the conductive coil to form a resonant tank circuit, an oscillator that drives the tank circuit, a frequency detector, an amplitude control circuit and a processor. The detector detects a frequency of oscillation of the tank circuit as affected by a material proximate the coil. In response to an electrical signal from the oscillator, the control circuit generates a control signal that is provided back to the oscillator. Based upon the frequency and an additional signal functionally related to the control signal, the processor provides an output signal that prevents the device from discharging when the material proximate the coil is human flesh.

Apparatus and method for restricting the discharge of fasteners from a tool

In this paper, we developed a general framework for the inversion of electromagnetic measurements in cases where parametrization of the unknown configuration is possible. Due to the ill-posed nature of this nonlinear inverse scattering problem, this parametrization approach is needed when the available measurement data are limited and measurements are only carried out from limited transmitter-receiver positions (limited data diversity). By carrying out this parametrization, the number of unknown model parameters that need to be inverted is manageable. Hence the Newton based approach can advantageously be used over gradient-based approaches. In order to guarantee an error reduction of the optimization process, the iterative step is adjusted using a line search algorithm. Further unlike the most available Newton-based approaches available in the literature, we enhanced the Newton based approaches presented in this paper by constraining the inverted model parameters with nonlinear transformation. This constrain forces the reconstruction of the unknown model parameters to lie within their physical bounds. In order to deal with cases where the measurements are redundant or lacking sensitivity to certain model parameters causing non-uniqueness of solution, the cost function to be minimized is regularized by adding a penalty term. One of the crucial aspects of this approach is how to determine the regularization parameter determining the relative importance of the misfit between the measured and predicted data and the penalty term. We reviewed different approaches to determine this parameter and proposed a robust and simple way of choosing this regularization parameter with aid of recently developed multiplicative regularization analysis. By combining all the techniques mentioned above we arrive at an effective and robust parametric algorithm. As numerical examples we present results of electromagnetic inversion at induction frequency in the deviated borehole configuration.

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A General Framework for Constraint Minimization for the Inversion of Electromagnetic Measurements

A LWD tool is disclosed for providing an image of the borehole during drilling or during removal of the tool from the borehole. The tool includes imaging transducers which are fired based upon either time or direction. Borehole reflections are processed to determine time-of-flight to give an indication of standoff with respect to each transducer from which the borehole geometry can be obtained. The reflections also are analyzed for other information, such as the amplitude of the reflected signal. The time-of-flight and amplitude values are encoded and stored in memory for retrieval later. In addition to the imaging transducers, the imaging assembly also includes depth transducers to obtain a micro measurement of depth downhole. The micro-depth measurements are stored and/or transmitted to the surface. In addition, a directional sensor and clock are provided downhole to correlate the firing of the transducers and the receipt of reflections. The micro-depth measurements and directional measurements preferably are used with one more image signals to check for the presence of bed boundaries intersecting the borehole. If a boundary is present, the imaging assembly applies a best fit sine wave to the image signal, from which dip angle α and dip direction are obtained. In the preferred embodiment, acoustic transducers are used as the imaging transducers, although electromagnetic transducers or other suitable transducers may be used.

Logging while drilling borehole imaging and dipmeter device

This invention is directed to a downhole method and apparatus for simultaneously determining the horizontal resistivity, vertical resistivity, and relative dip angle for anisotropic earth formations. The present invention accomplishes this objective by using an antenna configuration in which a transmitter antenna and a receiver antenna are oriented in non-parallel planes such that the vertical resistivity and the relative dip angle are decoupled. Preferably, either the transmitter or the receiver is mounted in a conventional orientation in a first plane that is normal to the tool axis, and the other antenna is mounted in a second plane that is not parallel to the first plane. This invention also relates to a method and apparatus for steering a downhole tool during a drilling operation in order to maintain the borehole within a desired earth formation. The steering capability is enabled by computing the difference or the ratio of the phase-based or amplitude-based responses of the receiver antennas which are mounted in planes that are not parallel to the planes of the transmitter antennas. Although this invention is primarily intended for MWD or LWD applications, this invention is also applicable to wireline and possibly other applications.

Electromagnetic wave resistivity tool having a tilted antenna for geosteering within a desired payzone

An azimuthally tunable resistivity measurement tool comprising transmitter coils and receiver coils, wherein at least some of the transmitter coils or receiver coils are skewed and oriented in differing azimuthal directions, is disclosed. The transmitter coils transmit radio-frequency signals that propagate through a formation surrounding a borehole and the receiver coils measure the relative amplitude and phase of signals received from the surrounding formation. A method for detecting the location of a bed boundary relative to a borehole is also disclosed, including the steps of: generating first and second signals representing azimuthally sensitive measurements of phase shift and attenuation of an electromagnetic signal propagating through a formation around a borehole, wherein the azimuthal sensitivity of the first measurement is in a direction different than that of the second measurement, and receiving electromagnetic signals on first and second skewed receiver antennas respectively oriented in first and second azimuthal directions.

Directional resistivity measurements for azimuthal proximity detection of bed boundaries

Induction logging apparatus is disclosed which depends for its operation not only upon its arrangement of coils, but also upon the skin depth of the formation. The skin effect of the formation is used advantageously by operating a simple induction sonde at a plurality of frequencies simultaneously. Improved depth of investigation and improved vertical resolution result from the invention. Simple arrays are disclosed for the induction logging apparatus. A sonde with a single transmitter and a plurality of two-coil receiver arrays are preferred. The apparatus acquires both the in-phase and quadrature components of each receiver array signal at several frequencies. The response function is shaped by using a multi-channel deconvolution filter.

Induction logging method and apparatus including means for combining on-phase and quadrature components of signals received at varying frequencies and including use of multiple receiver means associated with a single transmitter

Methods and apparatus for making directional measurements of earth formations surrounding a borehole. New antenna coil shield designs are utilized to provide selective attenuation of at least one electromagnetic energy field component as the component interacts with the shield. The new shields are implemented in several downhole tool configurations to provide azimuthally focused formation measurements. In effect, the new shield filters interacting electromagnetic energy field components to pass those components corresponding to a magnetic dipole oriented at an angle from the tool axis. The shields thereby alter a coil's envelope of influence to electromagnetic energy. The new shields also form part of a system for making directional measurements while drilling.

Method and apparatus for directional well logging with a shield having sloped slots

An apparatus for determining the resistivity of formations surrounding an earth borehole. An elongated electrically conductive body is movable through the borehole. A first transmitter establishes a first current in the body from a first transmitter position on the body, the first current traveling in a path that includes the body and the formations. An electrode is mounted on the body and has a surface that is electrically isolated from the surface of the body. A first electrical signal, resulting from the first current, is measured at the electrode. A second transmitter establishes a second current in the body from a second transmitter position on the body that is spaced from the first transmitter position, the second current traveling in a path that includes the body and the formations. A second electrical signal, resulting from the second current, is measured at the electrode. A current monitor measures the axial current passing a monitor position on the body to obtain a monitor current value. An indication of formation resistivity is derived as a function of the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the monitor current value.

Apparatus and method for determining the resistivity of earth formations

Systems and methods are provided for directional propagation-type logging measurements not sensitive to dip and anisotropy over a wide frequency range. Estimates of the distance of the logging tool to a bed boundary are obtained using "up-down" measurements with antenna configurations having tilted magnetic dipoles. These estimates are insensitive to anistropy and dip, undesirable complications of directional measurements.

Directional electromagnetic measurements insensitive to dip and anisotropy

A disclosed embodiment utilizes one or more toroidal coil antennas mounted, in an insulating medium, on a drill collar to induce currents which travel in a path that includes the drill collar and earth formations around the drill collar. At least one array of electrodes is provided on at least one stabilizer blade of the drill collar and is utilized to detect currents transmitted by toroidal coil antennas which return via the formations to the electrodes laterally; that is, approximately normal to the axis of the drill collar. Signal traces are obtained from measurements taken at respective ones of the transducers, and a dip characteristic of the formations is determined from the signal traces and from signals representing the rotational orientation of the drill collar.

Richard A. Rosthal

Papers

Induction logging method and apparatus including means for combining on-phase and quadrature components of signals received at varying frequencies and including use of multiple receiver means associated with a single transmitter

Method and apparatus for directional well logging with a shield having sloped slots

Apparatus and method for determining the resistivity of earth formations

Directional electromagnetic measurements insensitive to dip and anisotropy

Dipmeter apparatus and method using transducer array having longitudinally spaced transducers