Patent · US Expired

Logging apparatus and method for determining concentrations of subsurface formation elements

US5053620A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
14References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 1989
Grant dateOct 1, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V5/06
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Method and apparatus for identifying and determining the concentrations of subsurface formation elements next to a borehole, by detecting and counting the gamma rays resulting from the activation of Al atoms by neutrons emitted by a high energy source. The total count rates from Al are corrected for Si interference by (1) calculating the ratio of the count rates of gamma rays from Si activation to the count rates of the gamma rays resulting from the inelastic collisions of neutrons with Si atoms, thus providing a reference ratio independent of environmental parameters; (2) detecting and counting the gamma rays resulting from the Si inelastic collisions; (3) determining from the count rates of silicon inelastic gamma rays and from said ratio, the count rates of Si activation gamma rays; and (4) subtracting, from the total count rates of activation gamma rays, the count rates of Si activation gamma rays. The method comprises also detecting and counting the gamma rays resulting from the capture of said neutrons by atoms of a plurality of elements.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.