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Wellbore Construction Improved by Real-Time Borehole Images
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, IPTC 2013: International Petroleum Technology Conference, Mar 2013, cp-350-00468
Abstract
Borehole imaging is a useful and well-known formation evaluation technology. In recent years, two major developments have opened the door to several new application areas. First, the technology to acquire borehole images was conveyed from pure wireline systems to logging-while-drilling systems. Imaging-while-drilling technology benefits from acquiring borehole images from a nearly unaltered borehole in an almost virgin formation. Secondly, high-end mud pulse telemetry systems, in combination with advanced data-compression methods, enable the reception and use of high-resolution borehole images while drilling. This data is available for further real-time analysis at the surface during different stages of the wellbore construction process. Several examples going beyond the pure formation evaluation aspect, demonstrate how high-resolution borehole images are used to improve wellbore construction. In particular, methods with respect to wellbore integrity, geosteering, and completion stage identification are demonstrated. These applications use the high resolution borehole images to identify borehole events such as induced fractures or breakouts, as well as formation features such as bedding, faults, or natural fractures. Wellbore integrity methods mainly use the images to identify borehole breakouts and induced fractures. Geosteering is predominantly based on the evaluation of bedding at a dipping angle with respect to the borehole that can be determined from images. The completion stage of operations benefits from the identification of natural fractures and fractures that were created during hydraulic stimulation of offset wells.