Abstract: Methods and systems are described for using pulsed neutron ?-ray spectroscopy to measure formation water salinity from within a borehole. Through generating a cross-plot of database values of ratios of spectroscopically determined yields of hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) from two detectors, deriving apparent salinities therefrom, formation and borehole water salinities can be determined.

Abstract: A method for well logging includes emitting a plurality of bursts of high energy neutrons into a wellbore and formations surrounding the wellbore. During and for a selected duration after at least one of the plurality of bursts, gamma rays are detected at at least one location spaced apart from the emitting and characterizing an energy of the detected gamma rays. After the last burst, gamma rays are detected and energy spectrum and rates of detection with respect to time thereof are determined. The foregoing is repeated for a selected number of times. After the selected number of times background gamma rays are measured. At least one of the numbers of detected gamma rays during a selected time interval and an energy spectrum of the detected gamma rays during the selected time interval is used to determine selected formation properties.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to irradiate a portion of a geological formation with neutrons in a neutron burst generated by a switchable electronic source, to measure (with one or more detectors) a flux of gamma rays to provide a measured flux, at least a portion of the gamma rays being generated by the neutrons, and to determine one or more of a neutron porosity, a density, and/or a photoelectric factor of the geological formation based on the measured flux. Other apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for pulsed neutron well logging of a subsurface formation, includes irradiating the formation with a plurality of bursts of neutrons of a group of selected durations; detecting gamma rays resulting from interaction of the neutrons during a group of selected time gates which contains at least some early and late gamma ray counts. The gamma rays are detected at at least two axially spaced apart locations from a position of the irradiating. A weighted sum of the numbers of gamma rays detected in each of the time gates is calculated. A ratio of the weighted sum of detected gamma rays at a first axial spacing to the weighted sum at a second axial spacing is determined. The ratio is used to determine a hydrogen index of the subsurface formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating a density of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole. The method includes: emitting a pulse of fast neutrons into the formation during a neutron-pulse time interval; detecting gamma-rays due to inelastic scattering and thermal capture of the emitted neutrons in the formation to provide a gamma-ray energy spectrum due to the inelastic scattering and the thermal capture during a first time interval within the neutron-pulse time interval and to provide a time spectrum of counts or count rates due to thermal capture during a second time interval occurring after the neutron-pulse time interval; determining a macroscopic capture cross section of the formation from a decay in the time spectrum of counts or count rates; determining an elemental weight fraction from the gamma-ray energy spectrum; and estimating the density of the formation using the macroscopic capture cross section and the elemental weight fraction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating a density of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole. The method includes: emitting a pulse of fast neutrons into the formation during a neutron-pulse time interval; detecting gamma-rays due to inelastic scattering and thermal capture of the emitted neutrons in the formation to provide a gamma-ray energy spectrum due to the inelastic scattering and the thermal capture during a first time interval within the neutron-pulse time interval and to provide a time spectrum of counts or count rates due to thermal capture during a second time interval occurring after the neutron-pulse time interval; determining a macroscopic capture cross section of the formation from a decay in the time spectrum of counts or count rates; determining an elemental weight fraction from the gamma-ray energy spectrum; and estimating the density of the formation using the macroscopic capture cross section and the elemental weight fraction.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining a downhole parameter in an underbalanced drilling environment which include: selectively activating a first fluid flowing from the formation through a wellbore while under balanced drilled; detecting the activated first fluid, and determining a depth at which said fluid enters the wellbore.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring neutron-induced activation gamma-rays in a subterranean formation are provided. In one example, a downhole tool for measuring neutron-induced activation gamma-rays may include a neutron source and a gamma-ray detector. The neutron source may emit neutrons according to a pulsing scheme that includes a delay between two pulses. The delay may be sufficient to allow substantially all neutron capture events due to the emitted neutrons to cease. The gamma-ray detector may be configured to detect activation gamma-rays produced when elements activated by the emitted neutrons decay to a non-radioactive state.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate in general to methods and apparatus for determining downhole mud flow rates and other downhole parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system configured for detecting cosmic ray muon (CRM) flux along a variety of trajectories through a subterranean test region, collecting the muon detection data and processing the data to form a three-dimensional density distribution image corresponding to the test region. The system may be used for identifying concentrations of high (or low) density mineral deposits or other geological structures or formations well below the earth's (or ocean floor) surface. The system may be utilized for imaging geological materials and structures of higher and/or lower density in a test region having a depth of several kilometers or more.

Abstract: Data acquired using a pulsed nuclear source are susceptible to two sources of error. One error is due to large statistical noise towards the end of an acquisition window. Another source of error is the contamination of the early portion of the data by borehole and other effects. The beginning of the processing window is adjusted based on the signal level at the end of the processing window for the preceding pulsing of the source. The end of the processing window is derived from statistical considerations.

Abstract: A method for determining thermal capture cross-sections of formations surrounding an earth borehole, including the following steps: providing a logging device that is moveable through the borehole; transmitting, from the logging device, bursts of neutrons into the formations; detecting, at the logging device, resultant gamma ray counts, and deriving a measurement spectrum from the gamma ray counts; deriving a forward model comprising a combination of model exponential components having respective model decay times and model amplitudes; deriving an error function that depends on comparison between the forward model and the measurement spectrum; and determining, by regularized inversion, optimized exponential components of the model that substantially minimize the error function; the optimized exponential components being indicative of the thermal capture cross-sections of the formations.

Abstract: A method for downhole spectroscopy processing is described. The method includes: obtaining raw spectroscopy data using a downhole tool; processing the raw spectroscopy data using the downhole tool to obtain a downhole processed solution; transmitting the downhole processed solution to a surface processing system; and using the surface processing system to determine lithology information from the downhole processed solution. A downhole tool for processing raw spectroscopy data is also described. The tool includes: a neutron source; at least one detector for detecting the raw spectroscopy data; processing means for processing the raw spectroscopy data to produce a downhole processed solution; and means for transmitting the downhole processed solution to a surface location.

Abstract: Measurements made with porosity and density logging tools in a gas reservoir may differ due to invasion effects. The effects are particularly large on measurement-while-drilling applications where invasion is minimal. Using a Monte-Carlo method, a relationship is established between true formation porosity and porosity estimates from density and porosity tools. This relationship is used on real data to get an improved estimate of formation porosity and of gas saturation.

Abstract: The energy E of a signal pulse P inputted to an energy measurement apparatus 1 for measurement, and corresponding to the total integrated intensity, is calculated in an energy calculation unit 10 from the integrated signal intensity Q acquired by a gate integrator 32, and from the pulse interval T measured by a pulse interval measurement unit 23. At this time, pileup correction is performed using at least one of the integrated signal intensity or the energy, and the pulse interval of the signal pulse inputted prior to the signal pulse for measurement. By this means, the correct energy E, with the effect of pileup eliminated, can be determined with good precision. Hence a method and apparatus for energy measurement are realized which enable correct and precise measurement of the energy of individual signal pulses, even when the pulse interval between signal pulses is short.

Abstract: Measurements from many logging instruments such as Gamma ray counts from a pulsed neutron instrument, typically have a spectrum that contains a plurality of exponentially decaying components. The slowest decaying component is obtained by fitting a single exponential over the tail end of the data and selecting a beginning for the fitting window that minimizes the product of the chi-square and the standard error of the fit. The single determined component may be subtracted from the data and the process repeated to give additional components. The determined components are indicative of thermal neutron capture cross-sections.

Abstract: A nuclear logging-while-drilling measuring systems, and the correction of the formation property measurements for adverse effects of instrument standoff from the borehole wall, is disclosed. Detector responses for one or more downhole detectors are sampled and recorded over a time segment. The response samples are then sorted by magnitude, and a running integral of the sorted samples as a function of time is performed over the time segment. Linear segments are then fitted to the running integral, wherein each straight line segment is a function of one or more formation properties, and also a function of the standoff distance of the detector from the borehole wall. Segments are then combined to obtain a measure of one or more formation properties of interest, where the adverse effects of borehole standoff are minimized. Standoff magnitude is also obtained. No independent caliper of the borehole is required to perform the standoff correction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determining gas saturation, liquid saturation, porosity and density of earth formations penetrated by a well borehole. Determinations are made from measures of fast neutron and inelastic scatter gamma radiation induced by a pulsed, fast neutron source. The system preferably uses two detectors axially spaced from the neutron source. One detector is preferably a scintillation detector responsive to gamma radiation, and a second detector is preferably an organic scintillator responsive to both neutron and gamma radiation. The system can be operated in cased boreholes which are filled with either gas or liquid. Techniques for correcting all measurements for borehole conditions are disclosed.