ACOUSTIC MONITORING OF WELL STRUCTURES

摘要

An embodiment of a monitoring system for inspecting underground well structures includes a transmitter, a receiver, a processing module, and a power supply. The monitoring system is used to monitor pipe casings and structures surrounding the exterior of the pipe casings of a well. During operation, the transmitter directs time dependent energy radially towards a portion of a pipe casing, and the receiver measures energy that is returns to the system. The processing module amplifies, digitizes, and analyses the measurements of energy to produce monitoring information regarding the well structures.

主权项

1. A method for monitoring a well, the method comprising:
directing acoustic energy towards a pipe casing included in the well; obtaining a measurement signal by detecting acoustic energy returning from the pipe casing, the measurement signal comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion corresponding to acoustic energy reflected from the pipe casing and the second portion corresponding to acoustic energy resonating in the pipe casing; amplifying the measurement signal by two or more different gains in parallel to produce respective differently amplified signals; selecting a first amplified signal from the two or more differently amplified signals based on a portion of at least one of the amplified signals corresponding to the first portion of the measurement signal, selecting a second amplified signal from the two or more differently amplified signals based on a portion of at least one of the amplified signals corresponding to the second portion of the measurement signal, and determining information about the well based on the first and second amplified signals.