IP Library Granted Patent US 11,048,012
Granted Patent B2
US 11,048,012 · App. 16/173,245 · Granted Jun 29, 2021

Formation characterization system

Inventors: John Rasmus (Richmond, TX); Gong Li Wang (Sugar Land, TX); Dean M. Homan (Sugar Land, TX); Natalie Uschner-Arroyo (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
G01V3/28G01V3/30G01V3/38
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,048,012
App. No.
16/173,245
Granted
Jun 29, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A formation characterization system can include a processor; memory accessibly by the processor; instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to instruct the system to: acquire induction measurements in a borehole in a formation using an induction tool; determine dielectric properties of the formation using the induction measurements; and generate a log that characterizes particles in the formation based on the dielectric properties.

Claims (37)

1. A method for logging a borehole penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

deploying an induction logging tool in the borehole, the induction logging tool including at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil;

causing the transmitter coil to transmit electromagnetic energy into the formation, said transmitted electromagnetic energy inducing a voltage response in the receiver coil;

processing the voltage response via a mathematical inversion to compute a dielectric constant of the formation; and

processing said computed dielectric constant of the formation to estimate a kerogen maturity index of the formation, said kerogen maturity index being indicative of a hydrocarbon bearing potential of the formation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a log of the kerogen maturity index, said log being rendered to display the kerogen maturity index with respect to a position of the induction logging tool in the borehole.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter coil transmits the electromagnetic energy at a frequency that is a resonant frequency of the formation, the resonant frequency depending on characteristics of particles in the formation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a stimulation operation based on the estimated kerogen maturity index and performing the stimulation operation during a subsequent fracturing operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said estimated kerogen maturity index increases with increasing values of said computed dielectric constant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said processing said computed dielectric constant of the formation comprises using a fitting function that relates the kerogen maturity index to the dielectric constant of the formation.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation and wherein said processing said computed dielectric constant of the formation comprises using a fitting function that relates the kerogen maturity index to the dielectric constant of the formation and the graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fitting function relates the kerogen maturity index to a logarithm of the dielectric constant of the formation and the graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

deploying a gamma ray spectroscopy logging tool in the borehole;

causing the gamma ray spectroscopy logging tool to make gamma ray spectroscopy measurements of the formation; and

processing the gamma ray spectroscopy measurements to compute a graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation,

wherein processing said computed dielectric constant of the formation further comprises processing said computed dielectric constant of the formation and said computed graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation to estimate the kerogen maturity index of the formation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kerogen maturity index correlates to a vitrinite reflectance of the formation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter coil is a z-axis transmitter coil and the receiver coil is a z-axis receiver coil.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the induction logging tool is a triaxial induction logging tool.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the transmitter coil is an x-axis transmitter coil and the receiver coil is a x-axis receiver coil.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the voltage response includes in-phase and out-of-phase voltage components; and

processing the voltage response comprises processing the in-phase and the out-of-phase voltage components of the voltage response via a mathematical inversion to compute a dielectric constant of the formation.

15. A system comprising:

an induction logging tool configured for deployment in a borehole penetrating a subterranean formation, the induction logging tool including at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil, the transmitter coil configured to transmit electromagnetic energy into the formation thereby inducing a voltage response in the receiver coil;

a processor;

memory accessibly by the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to instruct the system to (i) process the voltage response via a mathematical inversion to compute a dielectric constant of the formation, and (ii) process said computed dielectric constant of the formation to estimate a kerogen maturity index of the formation,

wherein the kerogen maturity index is indicative of a hydrocarbon bearing potential of the formation.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a gamma ray spectroscopy logging tool configured for deployment in the borehole and configured to make gamma ray spectroscopy measurements of the formation;

wherein the instructions instruct the system to (ia) process the voltage response via a mathematical inversion to compute a dielectric constant of the formation, (ib) process the gamma ray spectroscopy measurements to compute a graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation, and (ii) process said computed dielectric constant of the formation and the graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation to estimate a kerogen maturity index of the formation.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions instruct the system to compute the dielectric constant of the formation using a fitting function that relates the kerogen maturity index to the dielectric constant of the formation and the graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the fitting function relates the kerogen maturity index to a logarithm of the dielectric constant of the formation and the graphite to kerogen ratio of the formation.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the induction logging tool and the gamma ray spectroscopy logging tool are co-deployed on a tool string which is in turn deployed in the borehole.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions instruct the system to compute the dielectric constant of the formation using a fitting function that relates the kerogen maturity index to the dielectric constant of the formation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2021
From: RASMUS, JOHN; WANG, GONG LI; HOMAN, DEAN M.; USCHNER-ARROYO, NATALIE
To: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055239/0837 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62578185 · Oct 27, 2017
Related Publication 20190129056A1 · May 2, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,529,312