Abstract: This invention is useful for determining the permeability of a geological formation using 1H NMR diffusion measurements acquired in the laboratory and using downhole 1H NMR well logging. The current technology for obtaining formation permeability downhole using NMR is not adequate for low-permeability, unconventional source rock formations with high organic content. This new method uses laboratory 1H NMR diffusion measurements for creating continuous downhole well logs of the mobile-hydrocarbon permeability of the hydrocarbon-filled pore space of downhole geological formations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2021
Date of Patent:
March 19, 2024
Assignee:
VINEGAR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Inventors:
Harold J. Vinegar, Philip M. Singer, George J. Hirasaki, Zeliang Chen, Xinglin Wang, Eva Vinegar
Abstract: The following invention is used for determining the relative permeability of a fluid in a rock for three different phases: water, oil, and gas, in both conventional and unconventional formations. The permeability of a phase describes how much it can flow in porous media given a pressure gradient and is useful in evaluating reservoir quality and productivity. The following invention is a method to determine the three-phase relative permeabilities in both conventional and unconventional formations using NMR restricted diffusion measurements on core with NMR-active nuclei, combined with centrifugation of the core. In addition, the tortuosity, pore size (surface-to-volume ratio), fluid-filled porosity, and permeability is determined for each of the three phases in a rock.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2021
Date of Patent:
March 5, 2024
Assignee:
Vinegar Technologies LLC
Inventors:
Eva Vinegar, Philip M. Singer, George J. Hirasaki, Zeliang Chen, Xinglin Wang, Harold J. Vinegar
Abstract: New methods for determining the volumetric composition and saturation of methane and NGLs (natural gas liquids: ethane, propane, butane, and pentane) in a petroleum reservoir combining NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) logging and NMR core analysis and for determining the mean pore-size and tortuosity of the light hydrocarbon-filled porosity in a petroleum reservoir using NMR core analysis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 8, 2020
Date of Patent:
August 24, 2021
Assignee:
Vinegar Technologies LLC
Inventors:
Harold J. Vinegar, Philip M. Singer, George J. Hirasaki, Zeliang Chen, Xinglin Wang
Abstract: A method and system for detecting a subsurface tunnel includes propelling an instrumented pipeline pig through a horizontal detection conduit, acquiring and analyzing magnetometer measurements and VLF EM resistivity measurements to detect distortions and/or anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field and/or VLF electromagnetic field, respectively, and correlating the data with position data of the pipeline pig to compute a parameter of a tunnel such as, for example, location, size and depth.