Peter T. Wu

Multipole borehole acoustic waveforms: Synthetic logs with beds and borehole washouts

We give a two‐dimensional (2-D) velocity‐stress finite‐difference (vs-fd) formulation for the multipole borehole acoustic logging problem. Irregular boreholes, horizontal bedding, and axially varying alteration are encompassed by the model. Excellent agreement is obtained with transform techniques for constant radius boreholes and homogeneous formations. The method is used to generate waveforms for many positions of transmitter and receiver array relative to beds and washouts as in logging. First motion and semblance techniques are applied to the waveforms to extract formation slownesses, resulting in synthetic multipole logs which demonstrate the response of ideal multipole logging tools and signal processing to several environmental effects. For monopole, compressional, first‐motion logs, residual slowness errors remain at borehole washouts after borehole compensation. These errors increase as the effective measure point in the waveforms is moved back in time from true first motion, admitting greater in...

A robust technique for well-log data inversion

Inverse problems associated with many geophysical measurements are often ill-conditioned, nonunique, and multimodal. Consequently, the gradient-type optimization methods to obtain model parameters become ineffective since the accuracy and convergence of these methods depend highly on initial position and search direction in the parameter space. Evolutionary algorithms which employ direct search global optimization technique are well suited for such problems. In this paper, we apply differential evolution algorithm to invert for the Earth formation properties from measured phase and attenuation by an electromagnetic propagation-type sensor and compare the results with those obtained by conventional method. Results indicate that differential evolution algorithm provides robust results although computationally the method is less efficient.

Modeling And Understanding the Triaxial Induction Logging In Borehole Environment With Dip Anisotropic Formation

The directional property of a triaxial induction array makes its response in the borehole environment much more complicated than that of standard induction logging tools. The mathematical model for studying borehole correction should take formation dip effect and the direction of tool eccentricity into account. Due to the complexity of tool layout, the simulation code must be three-dimensional. A 3D finite element method was chosen for this study.

Low-frequency P-wave logging for improved compressional velocity in slow formation gas zones

The ratio of compressional to shear velocity is commonly used as a gas indicator, for seismic correlation, and for rock mechanical properties evaluation in the oil industry. However, in soft rock gas zone, it is difficult to obtain a good measure of compressional velocity. Traditional monopole sonic logging tools operate with source frequencies above 10 kHz, giving rise to large amplitude borehole fluid modes which dominate compressional wave traveling with speed slower than the fluid speed. Numerical modeling of monopole sonic waveforms in a fluid-filled borehole in porous formations confirms these observations, but also shows that at significantly lower frequencies two important changes occur: (1) the non-Stoneley fluid modes becomes extremely small, and (2) the P-wave amplitude is greatly increased. Therefore, at low frequencies, logging of these very slow P-waves in gas zones should be feasible. A field example shows the value of this low frequency technique, resulting in measurements of P-wave velocities substantially lower than the fluid speed.