Method and apparatus for determining changes in length of a well logging cable.

摘要

A method and apparatus for determining the amount of stretch in a well logging cable is disclosed. An optical fibre (10) is run into a well with a logging cable (11) and looped back to the surface. A second optical fibre (14) of nominal length is maintained on the surface. A beam of monochromatic light from a source (17) is split and passed through both fibres and recombined. As the well logging tool (1) is raised and lowered into the wellbore, the number of interference fringes passing a fixed point is determined. The change in length of the optical fibre and, therefore, the cable will be equal to 1/2 the number of interference fringes passing a fixed point times the wavelength of light is used. A precise determination of vertical location of the well logging tool (1) can then be made when this information is combined with information from a surface mounted length measurement device, such as an odometer. This information further allows a precise determination of interval bulk density or other formation parameters in which it is important to know the depth of a tool.