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Douglas E. Miller, Boston US

Douglas E. Miller, Boston, MA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090097356PROCESSING OF COMBINED SURFACE AND BOREHOLE SEISMIC DATA - Methods and related systems are described for processing surface seismic data. Surface seismic data representing seismic signals detected at a plurality of surface locations is wavefield deconvolved using a combination of direct wave travel times estimated from borehole seismic data, and wavefield energy estimated from the surface seismic data.04-16-2009
20090159272MONITORING, CONTROLLING AND ENHANCING PROCESSES WHILE STIMULATING A FLUID-FILLED BOREHOLE - Tubewaves are used for detection and monitoring of feature state to enhance stimulation operations and remediate failure conditions. For example, proper sealing of perforations may be confirmed based on lack of a reflection of a tubewave by the perforations. Alternatively, at least one of amplitude, frequency, attenuation, dispersion and travel time associated with a tubewave and reflection may be used to determine feature state. If a sealant fails during treatment then the failure condition is indicated by appearance of a tubewave reflection. Consequently, the stimulation operation can be stopped in a timely manner, and remediation by means, for example, of pumping diversion fluid or dropping of balls, can be reinitiated until the difference between the expected responses and responses measured by the instrument along the segment to be stimulated confirm that sealing has taken place and that stimulation of the intended zone can resume. Further, specific remediation steps may be selected based on response of the borehole system to tubewaves. The efficacy of the selected remediation steps may also be determined by response of the borehole system to tubewaves during or after execution of those steps.06-25-2009
20100157737MICROHYDRAULIC FRACTURING WITH DOWNHOLE ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENT - Methods and related systems are described for measuring acoustic signals in a borehole during a fracturing operation. The system includes a downhole toolstring designed and adapted for deployment in a borehole formed within a subterranean rock formation. A downhole rock fracturing tool opens and propagates a fracture in the subterranean rock formation. Dipole and/or quadrupole acoustic sources transmit acoustic energy into the subterranean rock formation. A receiver array measures acoustic energy traveling through the subterranean rock formation before, during and after the fracture induction. Geophones mounted on extendable arms can be used to measure shear wave acoustic energy travelling in the rock formation. The toolstring can be constructed such that the sources and receivers straddle the fracture zone during the fracturing. Alternatively, the sources or the receivers can co-located axially with the fracture zone, or the toolstring can be repositioned following fracturing such that the fracture zone is between the acoustic sources and receivers.06-24-2010
20100302903ESTIMATING SUBSURFACE ELASTIC PARAMETERS - A method for estimating subsurface elastic parameters is described herein. One or more slowness vectors may be determined based on a vertical seismic profile of a subsurface area. A model containing anisotropy parameters and a well deviation estimate may be generated based on survey data. The slowness vectors may be corrected for the well deviation estimate based on the model. One or more modeled slowness vectors may be calculated using the corrected slowness vectors and the anisotropy parameters in the model.12-02-2010
20110079389METHOD FOR TREATING WELL BORE WITHIN A SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION - The invention discloses a method of creating a polymerized composition in a well bore: providing a polymerizable composition made of a polymerization initiator and a monomer polymerizable by frontal polymerization; introducing the polymerizable composition into the wellbore; exposing the polymerizable composition to a trigger to activate the frontal polymerization; and creating the polymerized composition.04-07-2011
20110267922MECHANICAL TUBE WAVE SOURCES AND METHODS OF USE FOR LIQUID FILLED BOREHOLES - The current application discloses methods and systems for generating mechanical tube waves in fluid filled boreholes penetrating subterranean formations. In one embodiment, the system of the current application comprises an energy storage chamber; a fast operating valve connected to the energy storage chamber; a pipe connected to the valve and extending to the liquid-filled borehole; where said energy storage chamber contains a first pressure that is substantially different from a second pressure in the pipe so that a fast operation of the valve generates a tube wave in the pipe.11-03-2011
20110292763DETECTION OF SEISMIC SIGNALS USING FIBER OPTIC DISTRIBUTED SENSORS - A fiber optic distributed vibration system for detecting seismic signals in an earth formation is provided. The system includes a fiber optic cable deployed in a borehole that extends into the earth formation and which is configured to react along its length to a seismic wave incident on the fiber optic cable from outside the borehole. An optical source launches an optical signal into the fiber optic cable while the seismic wave is incident thereon. A receiver detects coherent Rayleigh noise (CRN) produced in response to the optical signal. A processing circuit processes the detected CRN signal to determine characteristics of the earth formation.12-01-2011
20120035854SEISMIC ACQUISITION SYSTEM INCLUDING A DISTRIBUTED SENSOR HAVING AN OPTICAL FIBER - A seismic acquisition system includes a distributed optical sensor (having an optical fiber) and an interrogation subsystem configured to generate a light signal to emit into the optical fiber. The interrogation subsystem receives, from the distributed optical sensor, backscattered light responsive to the emitted light signal, wherein the backscattered light is affected by one or both of seismic signals reflected from a subterranean structure and noise. Output data corresponding to the backscattered light is provided to a processing subsystem to determine a characteristic of the subterranean structure.02-09-2012

Patent applications by Douglas E. Miller, Boston, MA US