A METHOD FOR CHARACTERISING A MEDIUM, AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS

摘要

Methods and apparatus for determining the presence of an interface region (115) in a medium (130) are described. Such an interface region can be defined between first and second layers of a medium (e.g. mediums comprising hydrocarbons, such as oil and/or gas). In some examples, an interface region can be determined in a pipeline, or the like, by comparing a flight characteristic (e.g. the ratio of a time of flight against distance travelled) of a first acoustic signal passing through the medium with a flight characteristic of a second acoustic signal passing through the medium. In cases when these flight characteristics are determined to be different, the presence of an interface can be assumed or determined.