Porosity and permeability measurement of underground formations containing crude oil, using EPR response data

• US 6,573,715 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: King, James D., Ni, Qingwen, De Los Santos, Armando
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shrivastav, Brij B.
• Application Number:
  US09/788,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 324/303, 324/300, 324/309, 324/316, 324/319, 324/306, 324/314, 324/338, 324/339
• US Class Current: 324/303
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/60 using electron paramagnetic resonance G01R33/24, G01R33/62 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/32 operating with electron or nuclear magnetic resonance
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/12 using multifaceted mirrors

Abstract

A method and apparatus (10) for detecting and measuring the amount of crude oil in underground rock formations. EPR measurements are used to calculate the amount of crude oil, and may be calibrated to determine the particular type of crude oil. These measurements may be used in conjunction with NMR measurements, to provide accurate estimations of pore size and permeability.

Claims

1. An EPR/NMR apparatus for detecting petrophysical features of a fluid-filled underground formation having a region of static magnetic field sensitivity, comprising:

at least one antenna for providing an RF magnetic field in said region at an EPR frequency, and for receiving an EPR response signal from the fluid;

a transmitter operable to provide power at said EPR frequency;

a detector for receiving said ESR response signal from said antenna;

a processor operable to analyze said EPR response signal by relating the amplitude of said EPR response signal to an estimated amount of crude oil in said underground formation;

at least one antenna for providing an RF magnetic field in said region at an NMR frequency and for receiving an NMR response signal, and wherein said processor is further programmed to analyze said NMR response signal by relating the amplitude of said NMR response signal to an estimated amount of hydrogen-bearing fluid in said underground formation; and

a transmitter operable to provide power at said NMR frequency to said antenna;

wherein said processor is further operable to calculate the oil and water fractions in said fluid, to determine a NMR relaxation rate, and to calculate a pore size distribution of pores of said underground formation, based on said relaxation rate.

2. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor calculates said pore size distribution for a single fluid as measured by NMR response data.

3. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor calculates said pore size distribution using said crude oil and water fraction values.

4. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor further calculates the permeability of said underground formation, based on said pore size distribution.

5. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate pore size distribution of said underground formation based on the amplitude of said NMR response signal.

6. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate pore size distribution based on the amplitude of the response signal and a distribution of transverse relaxation times.

7. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein the same transmitter provides power at both the EPR and NMR frequencies.

8. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein the same antenna provides the RF magnetic fields for both EPR and NMR response signals.

9. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein the same antenna receives both NMR and EPR response signals.

10. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to also relate the relaxation time constants of the NMR response signal to the estimated amount of hydrogen-bearing fluid.

11. The EPR/NMR apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to relate the amplitude of the NMR response signal to the estimated composition of hydrogen-bearing fluid.

12. A computer-implemented EPR/NMR method of detecting petrophysical features of a fluid-filled underground formation having a region of static magnetic field sensitivity, comprising the steps of:

providing an RF magnetic field in said region at an EPR frequency;

receiving an EPR response signal;

analyzing said EPR response signal by relating the amplitude of said EPR response signal to an estimated amount of crude oil in said underground formation;

providing an RF magnetic field in said region at an NMR frequency;

receiving an NMR response signal;

analyzing said NMR response signal by relating the amplitude of said NMR response signal to an estimated amount of hydrogen-bearing fluid in said underground formation;

calculating the oil and water fractions in said fluid, using the results of said analyzing steps for both EPR and NMR responses; and

determining a NMR relaxation rate and calculating a pore size distribution of pores of said underground formation, based on said relaxation rate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said pore size distribution is calculated for a single fluid as measured by NMR response data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said pore size distribution is calculated from said crude oil and water fraction values.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of calculating the permeability of said underground formation, based on said pore size distribution.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of calculating pore size distribution of said underground formation based on the amplitude of said NMR response signal.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of calculating pore size distribution based on the amplitude of the response signal and a distribution of transverse relaxation times.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing and receiving steps associated with the EPR response signal are performed at a time separate from the providing, receiving, and analyzing steps associated with the NMR response signal.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing and receiving steps associated with the EPR response signal are with equipment different from that used for the providing, receiving, and analyzing steps associated with the NMR response signal.