US 12,241,321 B2
Retrievable acoustic mud level detector
Abdullah Mohammed Aldejani, Dammam (SA); and Talal Al Hadi, Dammam (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/898,219.
Prior Publication US 2024/0068310 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 21/08 (2006.01); E21B 47/047 (2012.01); G01F 23/2962 (2022.01); G01V 1/18 (2006.01); G01V 1/48 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 21/08 (2013.01) [E21B 47/047 (2020.05); G01F 23/2962 (2013.01); G01V 1/181 (2013.01); G01V 1/48 (2013.01); G01V 2200/16 (2013.01); G01V 2210/32 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
deploying a tool on a bottom hole assembly (BHA) near a ground surface of a well being drilled, wherein the tool is a retrievable acoustic mud level detector comprising an acoustic wave source vertically integrated with an acoustic wave receiver forming a mobile configuration, the acoustic wave source comprises a plasma sound source configured to send acoustic waves during a drilling operation of the well and the acoustic wave receiver comprising a geophone configured to receive reflected acoustic waves during the drilling operation of the well;
generating, using the acoustic wave source in the tool, acoustic waves that propagate constantly through an air medium in a wellbore of the well and partially reflect waves when meeting a fluid interface in the wellbore;
receiving, using the acoustic wave receiver on the tool, a signal comprising a reflected wave reflected from the fluid interface;
determining, using the tool to process the signal, an estimate of a fluid level depth of the fluid interface; and
increasing, using a current mud weight of mud in the wellbore, a kill mud weight of mud in the wellbore.