Patent · US Expired

System and method for lithology-independent gas detection using multifrequency gradient NMR logging

US6242912A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
37References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 19, 1997
Grant dateJun 5, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 19, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02A90/30
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A well logging system and method are disclosed for detecting the presence and estimating the quantity of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons in the near wellbore zone. The system uses a gradient-based, multiple-frequency NMR logging tool to extract signal components characteristic for each type of hydrocarbons. To this end, a new data acquisition method is proposed in which measurements at different frequencies are interleaved to obtain, in a single logging pass, multiple data streams corresponding to different recovery times and/or diffusivity for the same spot in the formation. The resultant data streams are processed to determine mineralogy-independent water and hydrocarbon saturations and porosity estimates. Gas and oil saturations are used to obtain accurate estimates of the water content, permeability and other parameters of interest.

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