Abstract: Articles of manufacture are described called environmentally degradable urns that are also equivalently called temporally degradable urns. Such urns are comprised of chemically and/or biologically and/or physically degradable materials manufactured to provide sealed geometric cavities suitable for the initial deposit of ashes following the cremation of human remains. One-piece castings of environmentally degradable material to hold the cremated remains are also described. Each environmentally degradable urn is designed to degrade within a predetermined period of time following burial in a particular terrestrial location in the earth. Terrestrial cemeteries comprised of one or more environmentally degradable urns placed into the earth are described. Methods of operation of cemeteries for such environmentally degradable urns are described which prescribe as little initial ecological disturbance as possible.

Abstract: Methods to quantitatively determine the separate amounts of oil and gas in a geological formation adjacent to a cased well using measurements of formation resistivity are disclosed. The steps include obtaining resistivity measurements from within a cased well of a given formation, obtaining the porosity, obtaining the resistivity of formation water present, computing the combined amounts of oil and gas present using Archie's Equations, determining the relative amounts of oil and gas present from measurements within a cased well, and then quantitatively determining the separate amounts of oil and gas present in the formation.

Abstract: A monolithic long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into a geological formation having at least one hardened rod which has a length of at least three times its diameter composed of hard material such as tungsten carbide that is cast into a relatively soft steel matrix material to make a rotary drill bit that compensates for wear on the bottom of the drill bit and that also compensates for lateral wear of the drill bit using passive, self-actuating mechanisms, triggered by bit wear to drill relatively constant diameter holes.

Abstract: Methods of operation of different types of multiple electrode apparatus vertically disposed in a cased well to measure information related to the resistivity of adjacent geological formations from inside the cased well. The multiple electrode apparatus have a minimum of three spaced apart voltage measurement electrodes that electrically engage the interior of the cased well. Measurement information is obtained related to current which is caused to flow from the cased well into the adjacent geological formation. First compensation information is obtained related to a first casing resistance between a first pair of the spaced apart voltage measurement electrodes. Second compensation information is obtained related to a second casing resistance between a second pair of the spaced apart voltage measurement electrodes. The measurement information, and first and second compensation information are used to determine a magnitude related to the adjacent formation resistivity.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Abstract: This invention relates to the measurement of the longitudinal components of low frequency A.C. magnetic fields from within cased boreholes which are used to measure geophysical properties of geological formations. The applied A.C. magnetic fields are generated by passing low frequency A.C. current through insulated wires or by conducting low frequency A.C. current through geological formations, either of which are examples of conducting A.C. currents through different "circuit pathways". The currents generating the applied A.C. magnetic fields are in the frequency range between 0.001 Hz and 20 Hz. The measured longitudinal components of the resulting total A.C. magnetic fields within the cased boreholes are responsive to various geophysical parameters which include the resistivities of the portions of the geological formations subject to said applied A.C. magnetic fields and to thickness variations of the casing.

Abstract: Articles of manufacture are described called temporally degradable urns which are chemically and/or biologically degradable urns for the initial deposit of ashes following the cremation of human remains are described. Each temporally degradable urn is designed to degrade within a predetermined period of time following burial in the earth. Cemeteries comprised of one or more temporally degradable urns placed into the earth are described. Methods of operation of cemeteries for such temporally degradable urns are described which prescribe as little initial ecological disturbance as possible. After the predetermined period of time, the buried urns completely chemically and/or biologically disintegrate, therefore returning the land its previous ecological condition. Thereafter, that land becomes suitable for the preservation of flora and fauna. Such methods of operation of urn cemeteries can be used as the critical methodology for the routine and ongoing preservation of entire ecosystems.

Abstract: Methods of operation of an apparatus having at least two pairs of voltage measurement electrodes vertically disposed in a cased well to measure the resistivity of adjacent geological formations from inside the cased well. During stationary measurements with the apparatus at a fixed vertical depth within the cased well, the invention herein discloses methods of operation which include a measurement step and subsequent first and second compensation steps respectively resulting in improved accuracy of measurement. First and second order errors of measurement are identified, and the measurement step and two compensation steps provide methods to substantially eliminate their influence on the results. A multiple frequency apparatus adapted to movement within the well is described which simultaneously provide the measurement and two compensation steps.

Abstract: A.C. current is conducted through geological formations separating two cased wells in an oil field undergoing enhanced oil recovery operations such as water flooding operations. Methods and apparatus are disclosed to measure the current leakage conducted into a geological formation from within a first cased well that is responsive to fluids injected into formation from a second cased well during the enhanced oil production activities. The current leakage and apparent resistivity measured within the first cased well are responsive to fluids injected into formation from the second cased well provided the distance of separation between the two cased wells is less than, or on the order of, a Characteristic Length appropriate for the problem.

Abstract: Methods of operation of an apparatus having at least two pairs of voltage measurement electrodes vertically disposed in a cased well to measure the resistivity of adjacent geological formations from inside the cased well. During stationary measurements with the apparatus at a fixed vertical depth within the cased well, the invention herein discloses methods of operation which include a measurement step and subsequent first and second compensation steps respectively resulting in improved accuracy of measurement. The invention also discloses multiple frequency methods of operation resulting in improved accuracy of measurement while the apparatus is simultaneously moved vertically in the cased well. The multiple frequency methods of operation disclose a first A.C. current having a first frequency that is conducted from the casing into formation and a second A.C. current having a second frequency that is conducted along the casing.

Abstract: This invention relates to the measurement of the longitudinal components of low frequency A.C. magnetic fields from within cased boreholes which are used to measure geophysical properties of geological formations. The applied A.C. magnetic fields are generated by passing low frequency A.C. current through insulated wires or by conducting low frequency A.C. current through geological formations, either of which are examples of conducting A.C. currents through different "circuit pathways". The currents generating the applied A.C. magnetic fields are in the frequency range between 0.001 Hz and 20 Hz. The measured longitudinal components of the resulting total A.C. magnetic fields within the cased boreholes are responsive to various geophysical parameters which include the resistivities of the portions of the geological formations subject to said applied A.C. magnetic fields.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of the differential current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring the acoustically modulated electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. Voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of the leakage current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. Simultaneously subjecting the casing and formation to an acoustic source acoustically modulates the leakage current measured thereby providing a measure of the acoustically modulated electronic properties of the adjacent formation.

Abstract: This invention relates to the measurement of the longitudinal components of low frequency A.C. magnetic fields from within cased boreholes which are used to measure the geophysical properties of geological formations. The applied A.C. magnetic fields are generated by passing low frequency A.C. current through insulated wires or by conducting low frequency A.C. current through geological formations. The currents generating the applied A.C. magnetic fields are in the frequency range between 0.001 Hz and 20 Hz. The measured longitudinal components of the resulting total A.C. magnetic fields are responsive to various geophysical parameters which include the resistivities of the portions of the geological formations subject to said applied A.C. magnetic fields.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of differential current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the resistivity of a geological formation through borehole casing which may be surrounded by brine saturated cement. A.C. current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. The A.C. voltage difference is measured between two additional vertically disposed electrodes on the interior of the casing which provides a measure of the resistivity of the geological formation. A calibration and nulling procedure is presented which minimizes the influence of variations in the thickness of the casing. The procedure also minimizes the influence of inaccurate placements of the additional vertically disposed electrodes.

Abstract: New methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the presence of oil and water in gelogical formations using a new physical effect called the Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Effect (APLE). The presence of petroleum in formation causes a slight increase in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the reservoir. This is the phenomena of paramagnetism. Application of an acoustic source to a geological formation at the Larmor frequency of the nucleous present causes the paramagnetism of the formation to disappear. This results in a decrease in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the oil bearing formation. Repetitively frequency sweeping the acoustic source through the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present (approx. 2 kHz) causes an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field which is a consequence of the APLE.

Abstract: Nucleons which are chemically bound to oil and water in geological formations possess magnetic moments which align in the earth's magnetic field causing the natural nuclear paramagnetism of the formation. An A.C. magnetic field at the Larmor frequency is repetititively applied to the formation adjacent to a borehole resulting in a repetitive excitation-relaxation process of the nucleons present within an "excitation zone" which results in an amplitude modulation of the paramagnetism within this zone. This physical process results in an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the excitation zone of the formation and is called the Paramagnetic Logging Effect (PLE). The PLE may be measured with logging tools in open holes and within cased well bores.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow induction logging of geological formations through borehole casing. Longitudinal and azimuthal excitation A.C. magnetic fields applied on the interior of the borehole casing penetrate the walls of the borehole casing under certain circumstances. These A.C. magnetic fields produce eddy currents in the adjacent geological formation, thereby producing secondary A.C. magnetic fields characteristic of the formation. Under certain circumstances, the longitudinal and azimuthal components of the secondary A.C. magnetic fields consequently penetrate to the interior of the casing and are measured to provide the resistivity and changes in the resistivity of the formation.

Abstract: New methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the presence of oil and water in geological formations using a new physical effect called the Acoustic Paramagnetic Logging Effect (APLE). The presence of petroleum in formation causes a slight increase in the earth's magnetic field in the vicinity of the reservoir. This is the phenomena of paramagnetism. Application of an acoustic source to a geological formation at the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present causes the paramagnetism of the formation to disappear. This results in a decrease in the earth3 s magnetic field in the vicinity of the oil bearing formation. Repetitively frequency sweeping the acoustic source through the Larmor frequency of the nucleons present (approx. 2 kHz) causes an amplitude modulation of the earth's magnetic field which is a consequence of the APLE.