Acoustic characteristics measured by acoustic logging are usually used to estimate the structures and mechanical properties of rock materials. However, it is problematic to measure acoustic characteristics of shales because of their structural anisotropy caused by the bedding structures. This study focused on the effects of bedding structures on the acoustic characteristics of shales at operating frequencies of acoustic logging. A numerical model was first established to estimate the acoustic characteristics of shales based on the viscoelastic theory. Then, acoustic transmission experiments were conducted to examine the acoustic characteristics of shales with different bedding angles. The model calculations were compared with experimental results, showing good agreement. Based on the model, the effects of the angle, density, and thickness of bedding planes on the acoustic characteristics of shales at operating frequencies of acoustic logging were analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the wave velocity and main amplitude increased with increasing bedding angle whereas the attenuation coefficient decreased. The wave velocity monotonically decreased with an increase in the bedding density and thickness when the acoustic waves were transmitted through the shale model, but the attenuation of acoustic waves exhibited an opposite trend with the slope. In comparison, the dominant frequency was relatively stable with variations in the bedding structures. In general, the effect of bedding thickness on the acoustic characteristics of shales was smaller than those of the bedding angle and bedding density. The findings of this study can be beneficial for the accurate measurement of shale acoustic characteristics in acoustic logging.

Early detection of abnormal geological targets during drilling can enhance the safety of petroleum drilling. An impact source equipped with the advantage of long detection distances can recognize lithological interfaces. However, coda waves in the vibration waveform are significant to reflected waves, which are difficult to recognize in the time domain. This paper presents the design of an impact source that includes a hammer, impacted metal, Teflon, and a metal base. With the length and diameter of Teflon kept constant, the effect of the hammer, impacted metal, and metal base on the coda waves was experimentally investigated. According to the preferred metal materials, the effect of the length and diameter of Teflon on coda waves was also experimentally studied. A distance measurement experiment was implemented on 1.2 m sandstone on the basis of the preferred impact source design. The experimental results show that the coda waves are significantly attenuated by the preferred impact source. Moreover, the reflected waves are clearly identified in the time domain. Therefore, the preferred impact source can be used effectively in lithological interface detection.

Under the special geological environment of the buried pipe, the ground is lost at the bottom of the pipe, which is created by various kinds of external factors. The pipe in the suspended state would be greatly deformed due to its own weight, internal pressure, and other factors, resulting in the failure of the pipeline. When a variable wall thickness weld occurs in the suspended section of the pipeline, the change of the pipeline stress will be more complicated and changeable. In this study, ABAQUS software is used to establish a pipe–soil model of variable wall thickness butt welds of suspended pipelines. The axial stress distribution with different affected factors in the pipe, the change of curvature, and Mises stress change of the entire pipe along the axial direction are obtained by analyzing the internal pressure, wall thickness ratio, suspended length, weld position, and cone length. The results show that the stress at the root of the weld changes significantly; therefore, the weld has a greater impact on the stress of the entire pipeline. The change of internal pressure has little effect on the stress at the pipe weld. As the suspended length increases, the change in stress at the weld is more obvious. When the weld seam is close to the soil, the support of the soil will gradually shift the maximum stress position of the pipe from the top of the pipe to the bottom of the pipe. With the increase in cone length, it will reduce the sudden change of pipe section and the change in stress effectively. The places where the curvature greatly changes along the axial direction are at the pipe–soil separation and the middle of the pipeline, while the stress reaches the maximum at the pipe–soil separation, and the place with the largest stress change is the weld in the middle of the pipeline.