Well surveying apparatus

Claim 2

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical, said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors for sensing three different conponents respectively of the probe inclination; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well.

Claim 3

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, including means responsive to said computer means to display said one coordinate or information derived therefrom.

Claim 4

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, including printer means responsive to said computer means to produce a record of said one coordinate at different stations in the well.

Claim 5

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, including plotter means responsive to said computer means to plot a graph representing the directional advancement of said well into the earth and based at least partially on said one coordinate.

Claim 6

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to compute both the North-South horizontal departure coordinate and the East-West horizontal departure coordinate between said two different stations.

Claim 7

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to compute the vertical coordinate between said two stations.

Claim 8

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to compute, as three of said coordinates, the North-South departure, the East-West departure, and the vertical coordinate between said two stations.

Claim 9

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to maintain a running total of a series of coordinates computed for a series of successive stations, to indicate a total horizontal or vertical coordinate between the beginning and end of said series of stations.

Claim 10

Well surveying apparatus As recited in claim 1, in which said second sensing means include means responsive to changes in the directional orientation of said probe with respect to a North-South reference axis.

Claim 11

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to compute both the North-South horizontal departure coordinate and the East-West horizontal departure coordinate between said two stations, there being plotter means responsive to said computer means to plot a plan view graph of the well having North-South departures plotted against East-West departures.

Claim 12

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer means are programmed to compute the vertical coordinate between said two stations, there being plotter means responsive to said computer means to plot an elevational representation of the well in which horizontal drift of the well is plotted against vertical depth.

Claim 13

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said computer is programmed to calculate the drift angle D of said probe at a particular station according to the formula: D tan 1 Square Root a2 + b2/c where a, b and c are component signals from said three sensors respectively.

Claim 14

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well; said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular sensors responsive to changes in the orientation of said probe with respect to a North-South axis; said computer means being programmed to compute, as three of said coordinates, the North-South departure, the East-West departure, and the vertical distance, between said two stations.

Claim 15

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well; said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular sensors responsive to changes in the orientation of said probe with respect to a North-South axis; said computer means being programmed to compute, as three of said coordinates, the North-South departure, the East-West departure, and the vertical distance, between said two stations.

Claim 16

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well, said first sensing means including three gravity actuated sensors having mutually perpendicular axes and producing three output signals a, b, and c; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing three output signals d, e, and f; said computer means being connected to receive said signals a, b, c, d, e, and f and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity of said probe with respect to the vertical, and the azimuth A of said drift according to the formula: A tan 1 (aE - bd) Square Root a2 + b2 + c2/(a2 + b2) f- (ad + be) c

Claim 17

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well, said first sensing means including three gravity actuated sensors having mutually perpendicular axes and producing three output signals a, b, and c; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing three output signals d, e, and f; said computer means being connected to receive said signals a, b, c, d, e, and f and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity of said probe with respect to the vertical, and the azimuth A of said drift according to the formula: A tan 1 (aE - bd) Square Root a2 + b2 + c2/(a2 + b2) f- (ad + be) c

Claim 18

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 14, in which said computer means are programmed to compute two horizontal departure coordinates and one vertical coordinate between said two stations, according to the formulae: North-South departure 100 sin(D1 + D2/2)cos(A1 + A2/2) where D1 and D2 are the drift angles at said two stations, and are computed from said sensor signals; A1 and A2 are the azimuths at said two stations and are computed from said sensor signals; and A1 + A2 + 360* is substituted for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*East-West departure 100 sin(D1 + D2/2)sin(A1 + A2/2) where A1 + A2 + 360* is substitued for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*Vertical coordinate 100 cos (D1 + D2/2)

Claim 19

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well, said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing three output signals; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing three output signals; said computer means being connected to receive said signals and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity of said probe with respect to the vertical, and the azimuth of said drift, and to compute from the drift angularity and azimuth the North-South departure, the East-West departure, and the vertical coordinate between said two stations.

Claim 20

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well, said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing three output signals; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing three output signals; said computer means being connected to receive said signals and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity of said probe with respect to the vertical, and the azimuth of said drift, and to compute from the drift angularity and azimuth the North-South departure, the East-West departure, and the vertical coordinate between said two stations.

Claim 21

Well surveying apparatus as recited in claim 16, including plotter means responsive to said computer means to plot selectively either a plan view or an elevational representation of the well.

Claim 22

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well; said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing three output signals a, band c; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors proDucing three output signals d, e, and f; said computer means being connected to receive said signals and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity D of said probe and the azimuth A of the drift, and to calculate the North-South departure, East-West departure, and vertical coordinate between two stations according to the formulae: North-South departure 100 sin (D1 + D2/2)cos(A1 + A2/2) where D1 and D2 are the drift angles at said two stations; A1 and A2 are the azimuths at said two stations; and A1 + A2 + 360* is substituted for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*East-West departure 100 sin(D1 + D2/2)sin(A1 + A2/2) where A1 + A2 + 360* is substituted for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*Vertical coordinate 100 cos(D1 + D2/2)

Claim 23

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well; said first sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing three output signals a, band c; said second sensing means including three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors proDucing three output signals d, e, and f; said computer means being connected to receive said signals and being programmed to calculate therefrom the drift angularity D of said probe and the azimuth A of the drift, and to calculate the North-South departure, East-West departure, and vertical coordinate between two stations according to the formulae: North-South departure 100 sin (D1 + D2/2)cos(A1 + A2/2) where D1 and D2 are the drift angles at said two stations; A1 and A2 are the azimuths at said two stations; and A1 + A2 + 360* is substituted for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*East-West departure 100 sin(D1 + D2/2)sin(A1 + A2/2) where A1 + A2 + 360* is substituted for A1 + A2 when A1 - A2 is greater than 180*Vertical coordinate 100 cos(D1 + D2/2)

Claim 24

Apparatus comprising a probe adapted to be lowered into a well and including sensing means responsive to changes in inclination of said probe, computer means responsive to said sensing means and programmed to compute the azimuth direction in which said probe is inclined relative to the vertical, and means for displaying said azimuth direction, said sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing outputs, a, b, and c, and three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing outputs d, e, and f, said computer means being programmed to calculate said azimuth direction according to the formula: A (azimuth direction) tan 1 (ae - bd) Square Root a2 + b2 + c2/(a2 + b2) f- (ad + be) c

Claim 25

Apparatus comprising a probe adapted to be lowered into a well and including sensing means responsive to changes in inclination of said probe, computer means responsive to said sensing means and programmed to compute the azimuth direction in which said probe is inclined relative to the vertical, and means for displaying said azimuth direction, said sensing means including three mutually perpendicular gravity actuated sensors producing outputs, a, b, and c, and three mutually perpendicular compass direction responsive sensors producing outputs d, e, and f, said computer means being programmed to calculate said azimuth direction according to the formula: A (azimuth direction) tan 1 (ae - bd) Square Root a2 + b2 + c2/(a2 + b2) f- (ad + be) c

Claim 26

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical, said first sensing means including a plurality of gravity actuated sensors for sensing different components respectively of the probe inclination; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well.

Claim 27

Well surveying apparatus comprising a probe to be lowered into a well and including first sensing means for sensing the angularity of the probe with respect to the vertical, and second sensing means for sensing the orientation of the probe with respect to a predetermined direction other than the vertical, said first sensing means including a plurality of gravity actuated sensors for sensing different components respectively of the probe inclination; means for measuring movement of said probe between different stations longitudinally of the well; and computer means connected to receive signals from said first and second sensing means representing the orientation of the probe in the well, and to receive additional signals from said measuring means representing distances between different stations longitudinally of the well, and programmed to compute from said signals at least one horizontal or vertical coordinate between two different stations in the well.