Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determining permeability of subsurface formations

US5463549A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
10References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 1993
Grant dateOct 31, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 15, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01V3/38
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Characteristics of invasion profiles exhibiting effects of gravity, and particularly their manifestations on resistivity logs of a plurality of different radial depths of investigation, are used to determine formation characteristics, including vertical permeability. One embodiment includes the following steps: suspending a logging tool in the borehole; producing a plurality of resistivity measurements, having respectively different radial depths of investigation, as the logging device is moved through the borehole, to obtain a plurality of resistivity logs; determining the presence of a buoyancy marker in the resistivity logs in a formation bed invaded with filtrate from the drilling mud, and the extent of the buoyancy marker; and determining permeability of the formations as a function of the extent of the buoyancy marker.

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