Abstract: Systems and methods for deploying a sensor ball into a well are disclosed. The ball is buoyant and can carry sensors within. A dissolvable or otherwise removable weight can be attached to the ball such that the ball can sink to a desired depth and when the weight is removed the ball can passively float back to the surface. As the ball floats past inflow stages an accelerometer in the ball records data, allowing better decisions to be made about which stages are producing and which are not.

Abstract: Automatic detection and accurate time picking of weak events embedded in strong noise such as microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing is accomplished by: a noise reduction step to separate out the noise and estimate its spectrum; an events detection and confidence indicator step, in which a new statistical test is applied to detect which time windows contain coherent arrivals across components and sensors in the multicomponent array and to indicate the confidence in this detection; and a time-picking step to accurately estimate the time of onset of the arrivals detected above and measure the time delay across the array using a hybrid beamforming method incorporating the use of higher order statistics. In the context of hydraulic fracturing, this could enhance the coverage and mapping of the fractures while also enabling monitoring from the treatment well itself where there is usually much higher and spatially correlated noise.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to updating firmware of multiple non-volatile memory devices having diverse configurations using a common update file. The non-volatile memory device may include a flash memory device having a non-volatile memory array. Particular implementations described herein relate to circuits, devices, systems, and methods that update, with a common update file, firmware residing on multiple non-volatile memory devices having diverse configurations.

Abstract: Techniques described herein relate to updating firmware of multiple non-volatile memory devices having diverse configurations using a common update file. The non-volatile memory device may include a flash memory device having a non-volatile memory array. Particular implementations described herein relate to circuits, devices, systems, and methods that update, with a common update file, firmware residing on multiple non-volatile memory devices having diverse configurations.

Abstract: Automatic detection and accurate time picking of weak events embedded in strong noise such as microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing is accomplished by: a noise reduction step to separate out the noise and estimate its spectrum; an events detection and confidence indicator step, in which a new statistical test is applied to detect which time windows contain coherent arrivals across components and sensors in the multicomponent array and to indicate the confidence in this detection; and a time-picking step to accurately estimate the time of onset of the arrivals detected above and measure the time delay across the array using a hybrid beamforming method incorporating the use of higher order statistics. In the context of hydraulic fracturing, this could enhance the coverage and mapping of the fractures while also enabling monitoring from the treatment well itself where there is usually much higher and spatially correlated noise.

Abstract: Methods for processing sonic logging data obtained by a sonic imaging tool or an MWD tool are provided. The sonic logging data are bandpass filtered and sampled according to techniques such as integer band decimation, quadrature modulation, and single side band modulation to provide compressed signals which can be reconstructed if desired. The compressed signals are alternatively stored for downloading and further processing, sent uphole for processing, or processed downhole. The processing preferably involves processing the analytic portion of the compressed signals according to an improved semblance processing technique where the semblance function is calculated over a time window utilizing coarse slowness and time sampling steps. The slowness and time sampling steps are dictated by the parameters of the bandpass filter and the inter-receiver spacing of the tool. The waveform for each receiver is preferably interpolated based on the time step size to provide those data points necessary for stacking.