Abstract: Techniques for estimating the fraction of water in formations being investigated use measurements of dielectric permittivity at a number of frequencies. The techniques have the advantage of minimizing or eliminating external inputs that can introduce inaccuracies.

Abstract: Techniques for determining formation characteristics use measurements of dielectric permittivity at a number of frequencies. Determined characteristics include the vertical and horizontal formation dielectric constant and conductivity, the formation water conductivity, the water saturation, the cementation and the saturation exponents. In laminated formations these profiles can be determined for each lamina. Also, formation dielectric properties are used in determination of the rock type.

Abstract: A method for determining a property of a substance in a downhole measurement region includes the following steps: providing a static magnetic field having a static magnetic field gradient in the measurement region; applying, in the measurement region, a pulse sequence that includes a tipping pulse, a re-focusing pulse, and a pulsed field gradient pulse train; wherein the pulsed field gradient pulse train includes a first portion and a second portion; the first portion comprising a first pulse or set of pulses having a first polarity and a second pulse or set of pulses having a second polarity, the second polarity being opposite to the first polarity, and wherein the first portion occurs before the re-focusing pulse; the second portion comprising a third pulse or set of pulses having the first polarity and a fourth pulse or set of pulses having the second polarity, and wherein the second portion occurs after the re-focusing pulse; and receiving one or more spin echoes from the measurement region.

Abstract: A method for producing borehole-compensated values from non-borehole-compensated measurement signals taken with a logging device in a borehole in earth formations, includes the following steps: producing a database that includes a multiplicity of data points, each data point representing a combination of formation parameters and borehole parameters, database input vectors representing multi-dimensional non-borehole-compensated model measurement values respectively associated with the data points, and database output vectors representing multi-dimensional borehole-compensated model measurement values respectively associated with the data points; deriving a multi-dimensional measurement signal vector from measurement signals taken with the logging device in the borehole; and interpolating the measurement signal vector using the database to obtain an interpolated output vector representative of borehole-compensated measurement signals.

Abstract: A method of forming a porous silica film includes the following steps: a) providing a substrate; b) coating, on a surface of the substrate, a layer of charged polyelectrolyte; and c) applying an aged silica-bearing non-colloidal solution to the coated surface of the substrate to adsorb porous silica thereon. The adsorption cycle of steps (b) and (c) is repeated a number of times to control film thickness. The age and concentration of the silica-bearing solution are selected to control the porosity and the index of refraction of the porous silica film.

Abstract: A method for determining formation shear slowness of formations surrounding an earth borehole that includes: transmitting sonic energy into the formations from a dipole source in the borehole; measuring signals from orthogonal wave components that have traveled through the formations at each of a plurality of receiver locations in the borehole, spaced at a respective plurality of distances from the transmitter location; transforming the signals to the frequency domain and separating dispersive and non-dispersive portions of the transformed signals; and determining fast and slow shear slowness of the formation from the low frequency asymptotes of the dispersive portions of the transformed signals. Related methods for determining shear directionality and the magnitude of anisotropy of anisotropic formations surrounding an earth borehole and associated apparatus are also described.

Abstract: A method for determining properties of a transverse isotropic region of earth formations traversed by a wellbore having substantially vertical and deviated sections therethrough, including measuring sonic velocity properties in formations surrounding the substantially vertical section of the wellbore; measuring sonic velocity properties in formations surrounding the deviated section of the wellbore; and determining, from the measured velocities, all of the transverse isotropic elastic constants of the region.

Abstract: A method for determining properties of an earth formation surrounding an earth borehole that involves: providing a logging device moveable through the borehole; transmitting sonic energy into the formation; receiving sonic energy that has traveled through the formation; producing signals representative of the received sonic energy; determining whether the formation is anisotropic; determining whether the formation is inhomogeneous; and outputting a characterization of the formation as one of the following types: isotropic/homogeneous, anisotropic/homogeneous, isotropic/inhomogeneous, and anisotropic/inhomogeneous.

Abstract: A method for determining a radial profile of sonic shear velocity of formations surrounding a fluid-containing borehole, including: suspending a logging device in the borehole; transmitting sonic energy from the logging device to establish flexural waves in the formation; receiving sonic energy from the flexural waves and producing, from the received sonic energy, measurement signals at a number of frequencies; determining, at each frequency, the flexural wave velocity in the formation; deriving sonic compressional and shear velocities of the substantially undisturbed formation; deriving sonic compressional velocity of the borehole fluid; and determining the radial profile of sonic shear velocity from the derived compressional and shear velocities of the substantially undisturbed formation, the derived compressional velocity of the borehole fluid, and the flexural wave velocities.

Abstract: A method for determining the nuclear magnetic resonance longitudinal magnetization decay of formations surrounding an earth borehole that involves: providing a logging device moveable through the borehole; applying a static magnetic field in the formations to align spins in the formations in the direction of the static magnetic field; producing a tipping pulse for tipping the direction of the spins with respect to the static magnetic field direction; and detecting the time varying magnitude of the spin magnetization as the magnetization returns toward the static magnetic field direction; the longitudinal magnetization decay being determinable from the detected time varying magnitude of the spin magnetization. Related methods and apparatus for implementing these methods are also described.

Abstract: A method for determining alteration of a region of an earth formation surrounding an earth borehole, comprising the steps of providing a logging device that is moveable through the borehole; transmitting sonic energy into the formation and receiving, at a plurality of transmitter-to-receiver spacings, sonic energy that has traveled through the formation, and producing signals representative of the received sonic energy for the plurality of transmitter-to-receiver spacings; determining sonic transit times and differential transit times for the respective transmitter-to-receiver spacings; deriving a test statistic from the differential transit times; and determining the presence of alteration of a region of the formations from the test statistic. An associated apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

Abstract: A method for determining a characteristic of formations surrounding an earth borehole, includes the following steps: (a) providing a logging device that is moveable through the borehole; (b) producing, from the logging device, a static magnetic field in the formations; (c) transmitting, into the formations, from the logging device, a magnetic pulse sequence and receiving, during the pulse sequence, magnetic resonance spin echo signals; the magnetic pulse sequence having a portion of a pulse acquisition sequence with relatively long pulse spacing times tE,1 and another portion of the pulse acquisition sequence with relatively short pulse spacing times tE,2; and (d) repeating step (c) with pulse spacing times tE,2 that are different than tE,2;(e) deriving respective T2 distributions from the spin echo signals obtained during the another portion of the pulse acquisition sequence of step (c) and during the another portion of the pulse acquisition sequence of step (d); and (f) determining the characteristic of the

Abstract: A method of determining acoustic properties of borehole earth formations, comprising: (a) transmitting acoustic energy from a transmitter location and receiving acoustic energy (a portion of which traveled through the formations) at a plurality of receiver locations in the borehole; (b) deriving data signals from the received acoustic energy; (c) selecting model values of the acoustic properties; (d) producing an intermediate matrix; (e) performing a singular value decomposition on the intermediate matrix to obtain a basis matrix of eigenvectors; (f) deriving a propagator matrix as a function of the model values; (g) producing a reduced propagator matrix from the propagator and basis matrices; (h) producing a test statistic using the data signals and the reduced propagator matrix; and (i) repeating steps (c)-(h) for different combinations of model values, and selecting, as output acoustic property values, the combination of model values resulting in a maximized test statistic.

Abstract: A method is set forth for making a diamond film coated wear part, including the following steps: providing a part; depositing a first layer of polycrystalline diamond film on the part with non-{100} crystallographic faceting; and depositing on the first layer a second layer of polycrystalline diamond film having {100} crystallographic faceting, the second layer having a thickness sufficient to overgrow the roughness of said surface of said first layer with a continuous film.

Abstract: A method for determining a pore characteristic of a substance includes the following steps: subjecting the substance to a substantially uniform static magnetic field; applying a magnetic pulse sequence to the substance, the pulse sequence being selected to produce nuclear magnetic resonance signals that are responsive to internal magnetic field inhomogeneities in the pore structure of the substance, and detecting, as measurement signals, nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the substance; applying a reference magnetic pulse sequence to the substance, the reference pulse sequence being selected to produce nuclear magnetic resonance signals that are substantially unresponsive to internal magnetic field inhomogeneities in the pore structure of the substance, and detecting, as reference measurement signals, nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the substance; and determining a pore characteristic of the substance from the measurement signals and the reference measurement signals.

Abstract: A method for the determining a nuclear magnetic resonance characteristic of earth formations surrounding a borehole, includes the following steps: providing a logging device that is movable through the borehole, the logging device having a longitudinal axis; providing a first coil, in the logging device, for generating a magnetic field in the formations; providing a second coil in the logging device; applying a polarizing signal to the first coil; detecting, with the second coil, magnetic resonance of spins in the formations that are precessing around earth's magnetic field; and providing a third coil in the logging device, the third coil being operative to produce a further magnetic field in the borehole that reduces the contribution of spins in the borehole to the magnetic resonance detected by the second coil.

Abstract: An improved technique for determining the thickness of a member, especially pipe such as fluid-filled casing in an earth borehole, includes the following steps: directing a pulse of ultrasonic energy toward the inner surface of the pipe, and receiving and storing, as a function of time, signals representative of ultrasonic energy reflected from the inner surface of the pipe; determining, from the stored signals, the arrival time of the initial echo from the inner surface; determining, from the stored signals, the arrival time and the amplitude of a first candidate initial echo from the outer surface of the pipe; performing a reverse search on the stored signals to determine, from stored signals at times earlier than the arrival time of the first candidate, the arrival time and the amplitude of a second candidate initial echo from the outer surface; comparing amplitudes of the first and second candidates, and selecting, based on the comparison, one of the first and second candidates as the actual outer surface

Abstract: Technique and apparatus are disclosed for identifying characteristics of hydrocarbons, such as distinguishing light and heavy formation oil, in formations surrounding an earth borehole. The technique and apparatus can also be used for determining residual oil saturation, permeability, and bound water volume. An embodiment of the method of the invention includes the following steps: providing a nuclear magnetic resonance logging device that is moveable through the borehole; providing, from the logging device, a polarizing magnetic field and cycles of a magnetic pulse sequence, and receiving magnetic resonance spin echoes from the formations; processing the received spin echoes to produce a T.sub.2 distribution; computing a magnetic resonance porosity from the T.sub.2 distribution; deriving a measure of total porosity of the formations; and comparing the magnetic resonance porosity with the total porosity.

Abstract: A technique is provided for determining a nuclear magnetic resonance characteristic of formations surrounding an earth borehole, including the following steps: providing a logging device that is moveable through the borehole; providing, on the logging device, first and second coils having respective axes that are generally orthogonal; producing, at the logging device, a prepolarizing signal; applying pulse sequence signals to the first and second coils, the pulse sequence signals implementing repeated refocusing of spins in the formations by both adiabatic and non-adiabatic reorienting of the spins to form spin echoes; and detecting, at the logging device, the spin echoes from the formations, the spin echoes being indicative of the nuclear magnetic resonance characteristic of the formations.

Abstract: A logging device for measuring nuclear magnetic resonance characteristics of earth formations surrounding a borehole having means for producing a static magnetic field in formations surrounding the borehole, means for producing an audio frequency magnetic field in the formations, means for rotating the static magnetic field with respect to the audio frequency magnetic field, and means for detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals from spins in the formation precessing around the earth's magnetic field. A method of measuring nuclear magnetic resonance characteristics of earth formations surrounding a borehole using such a device is also described. In its preferred form, the invention involves an NMR technique and apparatus in which spins in the formations are tipped by adiabatic fast passage, resulting in a relatively large depth of investigation, but does not require treating of the borehole fluid.