Depth/orientation detection tool and methods thereof

Abstract

Methods and systems for depth and radial orientation detection are provided. Methods for determining the depth or radial orientation of one or more downhole components include the steps of providing a target mass and a using a detection device for detecting the depth and/or orientation of the target mass. In some cases, the target mass is initially nonradioactive and then, after installing the target mass downhole, it may be irradiated to form a relatively short-lived radioactive target mass, which may then be detected with a radiation detector. In this way, the target mass acts as a depth or radial orientation marker. Where the target mass is situated downhole in a known radial relationship to another downhole component, the radial orientation of the other downhole component may be deduced once the radial orientation of the target mass is determined Advantages include higher accuracies and reduced health, safety, and environmental risks.

1 . A method for perforating a conduit disposed in a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass that is substantially nonradioactive;   wherein the conduit is characterized by a longitudinal axis parallel to the conduit and a radial axis, wherein the radial axis is parallel to a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis;   locating the target mass in proximity to the conduit wherein the target mass is situated at a radial offset angle from a sensitive apparatus, wherein the radial offset angle is an angle from about 0° to about 360°;   irradiating the target mass to form a radioactive target mass;   detecting a radial orientation of the radioactive target mass;   determining a perforation target based on the radial orientation of the target mass and the radial offset angle so as to reduce the risk of damage to the sensitive apparatus; and   perforating the conduit at the perforation target in a direction substantially away from the sensitive apparatus so as to not damage the sensitive apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated has a radioactive half-life of less than about 32 days. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated has a radioactive half-life of less than about 8 days. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated has a radioactive half-life of less than about 3 days. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated has a radioactive half-life of less than about 30 seconds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated has a radioactive half-life of less than about 1 second. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated alters/satters the wavelength/energy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass comprises a material that when irradiated emits radiation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass is tin, molybdenum, gallium, scandium, chlorine, rhodium, cadmium, cesium, tellurium, iodine, xenon, gold, water, oxygen, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target mass is tellurium, iodine, xenon, gold, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the target mass comprises cesium. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the target mass comprises oxygen. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sensitive apparatus is a cable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of attaching the sensitive apparatus to the conduit and wherein the step of locating the target mass further comprises the step of clamping the target mass to the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of irradiating the target mass further comprises irradiating the target mass with an ionizing radiation selected from the group consisting of gamma radiation, neutron radiation, proton radiation, UV radiation, X-ray radiation, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of irradiating the target mass further comprises the step of irradiating the target mass using a neutron source. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the neutron source is a high-flux neutron source wherein the high-flux neutron source is plutonium-beryllium, americium-beryllium, americium-lithium, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the neutron source is a high-flux neutron source wherein the high-flux neutron source comprises an accelerator-based neutron generator. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass further comprises the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector, an x-ray detector, a neutron detector, a proportional detector, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass further comprises the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass further comprises the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using an x-ray backscatter spectrometer. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the radial offset angle is about 0° or about 180°. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the perforation target is radially situated about 180° from the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the perforation target is about 170° to about 190° from the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 2 :
 wherein the metal is tellurium, iodine, gold, cesium, oxygen, or any combination thereof;   wherein the sensitive apparatus is a cable adjacent to the conduit;   wherein the step of irradiating the target mass further comprises the step of irradiating the target mass using a neutron source;   wherein the step of irradiating the target mass further comprises irradiating the target mass with an ionizing radiation from the group consisting of gamma radiation, neutron radiation, proton radiation, UV radiation, X-ray radiation, or any combination thereof;   wherein the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass further comprises the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector; and   wherein the radial offset angle is about 0°.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of providing an integrated tool adapted to perform the steps of both irradiating and detecting. 
     
     
         27 . A method for perforating a conduit disposed in a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass that is substantially radioactively inert;   wherein the conduit is characterized by a longitudinal axis and a radial axis;   locating the target mass in proximity to the conduit wherein the target mass is situated at a radial offset angle from a sensitive apparatus, wherein the radial offset angle is an angle from about 0° to about 360°;   irradiating a region around the target mass;   detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass as an area of reduced radioactive response;   determining a perforation target based on the radial location of the target mass and the radial offset angle so as to reduce the risk of damage to the sensitive apparatus; and   perforating the conduit at the perforation target in a direction substantially away from the sensitive apparatus so as to not damage the sensitive apparatus.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the target mass comprises boron. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the target mass is a boronated compound, a salt thereof, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the target mass is boron, a boronated compound, gadolinium, cadmium, salts of any of the foregoing, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the target mass is situated directly adjacent to the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the sensitive apparatus is a cable. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising the step of attaching the sensitive apparatus to the conduit and wherein the step of locating the target mass further comprises clamping the target mass to the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass further comprises the step of detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the radial offset angle is about 0° or about 180°. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the perforation target is radially situated about 180° from the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the perforation target is radially situated about 170° to about 190° from the sensitive apparatus. 
     
     
         38 . A method for determining a radial orientation in a conduit comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass that is substantially nonradioactive wherein the target mass is capable of becoming radioactive upon irradiation of the target mass with an ionizing radiation;   wherein the conduit is characterized by a longitudinal axis and a radial axis;   locating the target mass in proximity to the conduit;   irradiating the target mass with a ionizing radiation to form a radioactive target mass having a half life less than about 32 days; and   detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the step of irradiating the target mass comprises the step of irradiating the target mass with a neutron source. 
     
     
         40 . A method for measuring deformation of a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a plurality of target masses at a plurality of depths in the subterranean formation, wherein the target masses are substantially nonradioactive;   (b) irradiating each target mass with a neutron source to form a radioactive target mass having a half life less than about 32 days;   (c) detecting an initial depth of each radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector to determine a baseline reference depth of each radioactive target mass;   (d) after step (c), irradiating each target mass with a neutron source to form a radioactive target mass having a half life less than about 32 days;   (e) detecting a measured depth of each radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector to determine a subsequent location of each radioactive target mass; and   (f) comparing the baseline reference depths to the subsequent locations to determine a deformation of the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         41 . A method for determining a depth of a target mass in a wellbore comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass, wherein the target mass is substantially nonradioactive, wherein the target mass is capable of becoming radioactive upon irradiation of the target mass with a neutron source;   locating the target mass at a target depth in a wellbore;   irradiating the target mass with a neutron source to form a radioactive target mass having a half life less than about 32 days; and   detecting the target depth of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector.   
     
     
         42 . A method for perforating a conduit comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass, wherein the target mass is substantially nonradioactive, wherein the target mass is capable of becoming radioactive upon irradiation of the target mass with a neutron source;   locating the target mass at a target depth in a wellbore;   irradiating the target mass with a neutron source to form a radioactive target mass having a half life less than about 32 days;   detecting the target depth of the radioactive target mass using a gamma ray detector; and   perforating the conduit at the target depth.   
     
     
         43 . A method for perforating a conduit disposed in a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass that is generates a magnetic field when actuated;   wherein the conduit is characterized by a longitudinal axis and a radial axis;   locating the target mass in proximity to the conduit wherein the target mass is situated at a radial offset angle from a sensitive apparatus, wherein the radial offset angle is an angle from about 0° to about 360°;   irradiating a region around the target mass;   detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass as an area of reduced radioactive response;   determining a perforation target based on the radial location of the target mass and the radial offset angle so as to reduce the risk of damage to the sensitive apparatus; and   perforating the conduit at the perforation target in a direction substantially away from the sensitive apparatus so as to not damage the sensitive apparatus.   
     
     
         44 . A method for perforating a conduit disposed in a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
 providing a target mass that is a magneto-disruptive element;   wherein the conduit is characterized by a longitudinal axis and a radial axis;   locating the target mass in proximity to the conduit wherein the target mass is situated at a radial offset angle from a sensitive apparatus, wherein the radial offset angle is an angle from about 0° to about 360°;   irradiating a region around the target mass;   detecting the radial location of the radioactive target mass as an area of reduced radioactive response;   determining a perforation target based on the radial location of the target mass and the radial offset angle so as to reduce the risk of damage to the sensitive apparatus; and   perforating the conduit at the perforation target in a direction substantially away from the sensitive apparatus so as to not damage the sensitive apparatus.