Wireline tool to improve estimates of 3D borehole acoustic rock properties

Vivian Pistre and Keith Schilling of Schlumberger introduce the company’s latest wireline technology which is said to provide robust measurements of acoustic rock properties. When used with other formation measurements, the knowledge gained may help to reduce overall drilling and completion costs while improving well productivity and ultimate recovery. Commercialized in November 2005, over 400 jobs have been run to date around the world. The new wireline acoustic tool has been developed with more transmitters (5) and receivers (104) than current generation tools. Its high quality waveforms and advanced processing techniques lead to improved estimates of compressional and shear slowness whilst their radial profiles, offers enhanced anisotropy detection, and mechanism identification as well as reliable through-casing slowness measurements. The tool’s advanced inversion algorithms accurately estimate 3D rock properties, making use of the multiple transmitter and receiver spacings and wideband acoustic signals featured by the tool. Accurately determining relevant rock properties leads to timely decision-making in areas such as well placement, perforating, stimulation, production optimization, and sand control. Examples demonstrating the new tool’s capabilities are shown from various wells around the world.