Numar Corporation

Duncan Mardon

George R Coates

Manfred G Prammer

Melvin N Miller

Daniel Lee Miller

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.

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

A well logging system and method 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.

System and method for lithology-independent gas detection using

A simple, pore-level model for diffusion and NMR relaxation of oil-water mixtures in water wet pores has been developed. In addition to lending physical insight into the relaxation time behavior of mixed pore fluids, the model can be used to generate a practical tool for interpreting diffusion log data, i.e., a T2 vs. D cross plot. Locating points on the cross plot simultaneously yields the near wellbore water saturation and the rock pore size. For light oils, T2 is shown to be mainly a pore size indicator whereas D is controlled mainly by Sw. The pore size 'resolution' decreases as oil viscosity and/or Sw decreases. A preliminary verification of the model has been made with limited core data and the results of applying the model to interpreting NMR log data are encouraging. The capability to separate the effects of pore size from fluid saturation on NMR response of pore fluids indicates an important potential advantage of the T2 and D measurement combination over standard T2 logging for characterizing formation pore size and related reservoir flow properties.

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Kingwood, TX, United States of America

Duncan Mardon