Magnetic Resonance measurements for Mud Logging (MR – ML™)
New NMR-based approach for evaluating reservoir parameters in real time while drilling

KMS Technologies – KJT Enterprises Inc. and their alliance partner NMR Plus Inc. of Canada have developed new technology to evaluate rock and fluid properties in real time while drilling. The hardware development was done by KMS Technologies’ sensor experts while the applications come from NMR Plus Inc.

Overview
The approach is based on Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements and is intended for faster and more reliable identification of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs while drilling a well (mud logging). Drill cuttings and micro-samples of hydrocarbons delivered to the surface can be subjected to further detailed petrophysical parameter determination. The new NMR application provides better results when used in conjunction with conventional techniques.

Benefits
• Formation evaluation parameters during mud logging
• NMR log calibration parameters
• Low cost NMR log substitution
• Competitive NMR device and software prices

Measurement benchmarks

We benchmarked the instruments to verify the estimation errors. The error of estimating the total NMR signal amplitude As depends upon the properties of the rock under study and the accepted measurement mode. The relative error of As for routine measurements (δ) is not greater than±1.5%. Accuracy of the total porosity (top) and permeability (bottom) measurements can be seen from the figures, which compare porosity and permeability values obtained by NMRmeasurements with those resulting from conventional laboratory experiments. Fully water-saturated rock cuttings provide the most preferable condition for evaluating permeability the NMR measurements. The figures
demonstrate high coefficients of correlation of MR-ML™
measurements with a conventional method of the porosity and permeability estimations.