A method can include acquiring data associated with a field operation in a geologic environment; processing the data by partitioning operationally and representing symbolically; formulating a symbolic query for an operating procedure specification; performing a search of the symbolically represented data utilizing the symbolic query and a probabilistic chain model; receiving a search result responsive to the search; assessing compliance with the operation procedure specification utilizing the search result; and issuing a control signal to field equipment utilizing the assessment of compliance.

Apparatus (10) and methods for combining time reversal and elastic nonlinearity of formation materials for qualtitatively probing for over-pressured regions down hole in advance of a well drilling bit, to determine the distance to the over-pressured region, and for accurately measuring pore pressure downhole in a formation, are described. Classical and reciprocal time reversal methods may be utilized to achieve these measurements.

Provided are methods for drilling a well having a wellbore that extends into the earth and that encounters a salt layer. Such methods include determinations of subsurface salt mobility and salt balance load mud weight and the performance of salt mobility tests to determine salt creep and wellbore enlargement problems. A salt formation may be determined from well log data and a drilling rate. The presence of salt creep may be determined from torque generated by the drilling assembly and a hook load. The initial mud weight of a drilling fluid may be adjusted to a salt balance load mud weight (SBLMW) to mitigate or prevent salt creep during drilling.

A method may comprise recording a first reflected waveform with a first transducer to form a first data set from a first excitation, recording a second reflected waveform with a second transducer to form a second data set from a second excitation, estimating a first sensitivity correction factor for the first data set, applying the first sensitivity correction factor to at least a portion of the first data set to form a first sensitivity corrected data set. The method may further comprise estimating a second sensitivity correction factor for the second data set, applying the second sensitivity correction factor to at least a portion of the second data set to form a second sensitivity corrected data set, stacking the first sensitivity corrected data set amplitudes and forming a first image, stacking the second sensitivity corrected data set amplitudes and forming a second image, and comparing the images.

A borehole sonic logging tool and method for imaging. The borehole sonic logging tool may comprise a transmitter configured to transmit a sonic waveform into a formation, wherein the transmitter is a dipole, and a receiver configured to record a reflected wave as waveform data, wherein the receiver is a quadrupole. A method may comprise disposing a downhole tool into a borehole, selecting a frequency range for the transmitter to a horizontally-polarized shear formation body wave, broadcasting the sonic waveform as the horizontally-polarized shear formation body wave into the formation penetrated by the borehole with the transmitter, recording a reflected wave on the receiver as waveform data, wherein the reflected wave is the horizontally-polarized shear formation body wave reflected from a reflector, and processing the waveform data with an information handling system.

A method for steering a well based on rock properties and obtaining natural fracture information includes inducing tube waves in the well during drilling the well. Acoustic energy is measured in the well. The energy comprises tube wave reflections from formations adjacent to the well. The measured acoustic energy is inverted to determine at least one of a rock property, a near wellbore hydraulic conductivity, and natural fracture occurrence. A trajectory of the well is adjusted to maintain the at least one of a rock property, near wellbore hydraulic conductivity and natural fracture occurrence. An n optimized, well-customized hydraulic fracturing design may be created based on the measured natural fracture properties. A method to optimize hydraulic fracturing treatment based on measured natural fracture properties during drilling.

A system and downhole tool comprising an ultrasonic transducer with a piezoelectric material embedded in a backing and a method of determining a parameter using the ultrasonic transducer. A self-noise of the transducer can be reduced by the piezoelectric material being at least partially embedded in the backing. The ultrasonic transducer can include an encapsulating material that encapsulates the backing.

A system for monitoring data quality in a drilling operation includes a controller and a plurality of data sources configured to provide data to the controller. The controller is configured to receive data from a plurality of data sources during a drilling operation; apply data quality rules to the received data; calculate a score for each data source of the plurality of data sources based on adherence of the received data for that data source to the data quality rules; compare the calculated scores for the plurality of data sources to determine which calculated scores meet or exceed a threshold score; receive a selection of one of the plurality of data sources having a calculated score that meets or exceeds the threshold score; and use the data from the selected data source. Methods and non-transitory machine-readable media for monitoring data quality are also provided.

A data sampling and collection system in an oil drilling system includes a data acquirer installed in the measurement sub to transmit a sampling collector identification signal to one of a plurality of sampling collectors coupled to the data acquirer. Each sampling collector includes a sensor and a plurality of random access memory (RAM) pages to store sensor data received from the sensor. When one of the sampling collectors receives the enable signal from the data acquirer, a current RAM page currently receiving sensor data from the sensor continues to receive sensor data without interruption and an immediately preceding RAM page storing a last completed page of received sensor data is transmitted from the one sampling collector to a memory of the data acquirer and from there to a surface computing system. As such, recent data is retrieved and transmitted for processing without interrupting the continuous collection of sensor data.

A system and method for determining an uncertainty of a distance to bed boundary (DTBB) inversion of a geologic formation. The system or method includes receiving logging data from a borehole tool, performing a first DTBB inversion using the logging data to calculate first DTBB solutions, adding quantified noise to the logging data to produce an adjusted signal, performing a second DTBB inversion using the adjusted signal to calculate second DTBB solutions, comparing the first DTBB solutions to the second DTBB solutions to determine an uncertainty of the first DTBB solutions based on a relationship of the quantified noise and the difference between the first DTBB solutions and the second DTBB solutions.