Borehole profiling and imaging

Abstract

A borehole instrument includes an image sensor for capturing images of an inside wall of a borehole. A borehole profile may also be measured by, for example, a laser. The same image sensor may be used for image capture and profile measurement. Different image sensors may be used for image capture and profile measurement. Image capture and profile measurement may be performed with reference to the same depth measurement, so that images and profiles are depth-aligned at capture. Orientation of the instrument within the borehole may also be measured to compensate for rotation of the instrument. A communications subsystem can transmit image data, profile data, and orientation data to a computer located outside the borehole for storage and analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A borehole instrument comprising:
 a housing sized and shaped to fit inside a borehole;   an optical imager disposed within the housing, the optical imager having an image sensor configured to capture images of an inside wall of the borehole;   a borehole profiler disposed within the housing and configured to emit a signal towards the inside wall of the borehole to measure a profile of the inside of the borehole; and   a communications subsystem coupled to the optical imager and to the borehole profiler, the communications subsystem configured to receive image data from the optical imager and to receive profile data from one of the optical imager and the borehole profiler, the communications subsystem further configured to transmit the image data and the profile data along at least one transmission line to outside of the borehole.   
     
     
         2 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the borehole profiler comprises a laser. 
     
     
         3 . The instrument of  claim 2 , wherein the image sensor is further configured to capture profile measurements as laser light reflected by the inside wall of the borehole, and the communications subsystem is configured to receive profile data from the optical imager. 
     
     
         4 . The instrument of  claim 2 , wherein the optical imager comprises a light source positioned to illuminate the inside wall of the borehole. 
     
     
         5 . The instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the housing comprises a window aligned with the image sensor, the light source, and the laser. 
     
     
         6 . The instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the borehole profiler further comprises another image sensor configured to capture profile measurements as laser light reflected by the inside wall of the borehole, and the communications subsystem is configured to receive profile data from the borehole profiler. 
     
     
         7 . The instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a direction sensor configured to determine an orientation of the borehole instrument within the borehole, the direction sensor coupled to the communications subsystem, and the communications subsystem further configured to receive orientation data from the direction sensor and transmit the orientation data along the transmission line to the outside of the borehole. 
     
     
         8 . A method of capturing data from a borehole, the method comprising:
 capturing images of an inside wall of the borehole;   measuring profiles of the inside of the borehole;   transmitting captured image data and captured profile data to a computer outside the borehole; and   performing the capturing, measuring, and transmitting during a same pass through the borehole.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the capturing and measuring are performed based on a same depth measurement of the same pass within the borehole to generate depth-aligned datasets of image data and profile data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising capturing orientations of a sensor within the borehole during the same pass. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising measuring the profiles using a laser. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the capturing and measuring are performed using a same image sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the capturing and measuring are performed using different image sensors. 
     
     
         14 . A borehole instrument comprising:
 a housing sized and shaped to fit inside a borehole, the housing having a window;   a light source disposed within the housing and aligned with the window, the light source configured to illuminate an inside wall of the borehole;   a laser disposed within the housing and aligned with the window, the laser configured to emit laser light towards the inside wall of the borehole;   an image sensor disposed within the housing and aligned with the window, the image sensor configured to capture light of the light source reflected by the inside wall of the borehole to capture images of the inside wall of the borehole, the image sensor further configured to capture laser light reflected by the inside wall of the borehole to measure the profile of the borehole; and   a communications subsystem coupled to the image sensor, the communications subsystem configured to receive image data and profile data from the image sensor, the communications subsystem further configured to transmit the image data and the profile data along at least one transmission line to a computer outside the borehole.   
     
     
         15 . The instrument of  claim 14 , further comprising a direction sensor configured to determine an orientation of the borehole instrument within the borehole, the direction sensor coupled to the communications subsystem, and the communications subsystem further configured to receive orientation data from the direction sensor and transmit the orientation data along the transmission line to the computer outside of the borehole.