Transverse relaxation measurements for moving samples in the presence of strong magnetic field gradients

Abstract

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is one of the primary techniques used in the oil industry for logging operations and in the laboratory environment to study rock formations due to its reliability in offering a reliable estimation of oil well productivity. Two types of well-logging operations exist, Wireline Logging and Logging While Drilling (LWD). Wireline Logging involves NMR measurements taken under static conditions. In contrast, LWD involves measurements taken during the drilling process while the tool is in motion, translating, rotating, and vibrating relative to the formation. To understand the behavior of NMR signals measured under LWD conditions on a laboratory scale, we developed a setup that includes a single-sided magnet, rf probes, and a mechanical system that emulates a relative sinusoidal motion between the sample and the applied magnetic field. Four representative rock samples were selected according to their relaxation times, which were short, intermediate, and long compared to the oscillation period of the LWD simulator: three sandstone, Fontainebleau, Berea Sandstone, and Portland Red, and one carbonate, Indiana Limestone. The results show that even with the modifications observed in the relaxation times distribution, which could lead to misinterpreting the geological formation parameters, the total porosity remains unaffected and independent of the sample motion during the NMR measurements, even under severe conditions and using the standard procedures of the data processing.