System and method for investigating sub-surface features of a rock formation with acoustic sources generating coded signals

Vu, Cung Khac; Nihei, Kurt; Johnson, Paul A; Guyer, Robert; Ten Cate, James A; Le Bas, Pierre-Yves; Larmat, Carene S

Title: System and method for investigating sub-surface features of a rock formation with acoustic sources generating coded signals

Patent · Tue Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 2014

OSTI ID:1166747

Vu, Cung Khac; Nihei, Kurt; Johnson, Paul A; Guyer, Robert; Ten Cate, James A; Le Bas, Pierre-Yves; Larmat, Carene S

A system and a method for investigating rock formations includes generating, by a first acoustic source, a first acoustic signal comprising a first plurality of pulses, each pulse including a first modulated signal at a central frequency; and generating, by a second acoustic source, a second acoustic signal comprising a second plurality of pulses. A receiver arranged within the borehole receives a detected signal including a signal being generated by a non-linear mixing process from the first-and-second acoustic signal in a non-linear mixing zone within the intersection volume. The method also includes-processing the received signal to extract the signal generated by the non-linear mixing process over noise or over signals generated by a linear interaction process, or both.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Assignee:: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (San Ramon, CA)

Patent Number(s):: 8,923,092

Application Number:: 13/292,915

OSTI ID:: 1166747

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2011 Nov 09

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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