DOWNHOLE FAULT DETECTION IN WELL SYSTEM USING SPREAD SPECTRUM TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY (SSTDR)

Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for downhole fault detection in a well system are disclosed. A spread spectrum time domain reflectometry (SSTDR) apparatus of the well system may transmit an SSTDR signal downhole via a well electrical cable of the well system and receive a reflected SSTDR signal. The SSTDR apparatus may determine whether a downhole fault exists in the well electrical cable or in a well device based on a signal analysis of the reflected SSTDR signal and the transmitted SSTDR signal. The SSTDR apparatus may also use historical SSTDR data and a machine learning algorithm for downhole fault detection and analysis. When a downhole fault is detected, the SSTDR apparatus also may determine a type of the downhole fault and a location of the downhole fault, such as the depth downhole of the downhole fault.