Case 12673

Rock types and shale properties through rock mineralogy using “ECS logging tool”

Keywords:

Shale property, rock type, logging tool, elemental capture spectroscopy (ECS)

Applications:

Downhole logging tools can indicate mechanical characterization of shale materials. Oil, mining and gas industries and geotechnical and civil engineering businesses can use such technology to reduce capital and operation costs.

Problem:

Costly coring operations in the petroleum industry, geotechnical and civil engineering businesses

Technology:

The invention utilizes the downhole ECS logging tool to optimize costs, standardize testing procedures, and provide mechanical material properties of shale at great depths from mineralogy composition and physical properties such as density and porosity.

Advantages:
  • Reduces logging and coring operation cost
  • Decreases the need for downhole core samples

Inventors:
  • Prof. Franz-Josef Ulm(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT)
  • Jose Alberto Ortega (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT)
  • Prof. Christopher Bobko (Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, NCSU)
  • Prof. Younane Abousleiman (University of Oklahoma)
  • Minh Quang Tran (University of Oklahoma)
  • Son Hoang (University of Oklahoma)

Intellectual Property:

U.S. Patent Serial Number 12/106899, filed April 21, 2008

Publications:

Abousleiman, Y., Tran, M., Hoang, S., Ortega, J. A., Ulm, F.-J. (2009) Geomechanics field characterization of the two prolific U.S. Mid-West gas plays with advanced wire-line logging tools. Proceedings from ATCE 2009: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4-7 October, SPE 124428

Last revised: December 7, 2012

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