Earth formation and fluid material investigation by nuclear magnetism relaxation rate determination

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE PORE SIZE OF PORES WITHIN AN EARTH FORMATION PENETRATED BY A WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SUBJECTING THE FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION TO A POLARIZTION PROCEDURE EMPLOYING AT LEAST ONE CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD TO INDUCE NUCLEAR POLARIZATION AND RELAXATION OF THE PROTONS IN FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION, INTERRUPTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD DURING SAID PROCEDURE TO CAUSE PRECESSION OF SAID POLARIZATION IN THE EARTH''S MAGNETIC FIELD, MEASURING PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS FROM SAID PRECESSING POLARIZATION, AND CONSTRUCTING A RELAXATION CURVE FOR SAID PROTONS FROM SAID MEASURED PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS TO INDICATE THE RATE OF RELAXATION FOR SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION, (B) SUBJECTING SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION TO AT LEAST ANOTHER POLARIZATION PROCEDURE EMPLOYING A VARIATION IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD, INTERRUPTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD DURING SAID PROCEDURE TO CAUSE PRECESSION OF SAID POLARIZATION IN THE EARTH''S MAGNETIC FIELD, MEASURING PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS FROM SAID PRECESSING POLARIZATION, AND CONSTRUCTING A SECOND RELAXATION CURVE FOR SAID PROTONS FROM SAID MEASURED PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS TO INDICATE THE RATE OF RELAXATION FOR SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION IN RESPONSE TO SAID VARIATION IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD. (C) DETERMING THE RELAXATION RATE FOR FORMATION WATER FROM SAID INDICATED RELAXATION RATES FOR FORMATION FLUIDS BY IDENTIFYING A FLUID RELAXATION RATE NOT DEPENDENT UPON VARIATIONS IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD, (D) DETERMINING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RELAXATION COMPONENTS FOR SAID FORMATION WATER RELAXATION RATE AND THE AVARAGE OF SAID DISTRIBUTED COMPONENTS, (E) AND DETERMINING THE AVERAGE PORE SIZE OF SAID PORES FROM AID AVERAGE OF SAID DISTRIBUTED RELAXATION COMPONENTS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID PORE SIZES FROM THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID RELAXATION COMPONENTS FOR SAID FORMATION WATER.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE PORE SIZE OF PORES WITHIN AN EARTH FORMATION PENETRATED BY A WELL BORE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SUBJECTING THE FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION TO A POLARIZTION PROCEDURE EMPLOYING AT LEAST ONE CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD TO INDUCE NUCLEAR POLARIZATION AND RELAXATION OF THE PROTONS IN FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION, INTERRUPTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD DURING SAID PROCEDURE TO CAUSE PRECESSION OF SAID POLARIZATION IN THE EARTH''S MAGNETIC FIELD, MEASURING PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS FROM SAID PRECESSING POLARIZATION, AND CONSTRUCTING A RELAXATION CURVE FOR SAID PROTONS FROM SAID MEASURED PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS TO INDICATE THE RATE OF RELAXATION FOR SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION, (B) SUBJECTING SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION TO AT LEAST ANOTHER POLARIZATION PROCEDURE EMPLOYING A VARIATION IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD, INTERRUPTING SAID MAGNETIC FIELD DURING SAID PROCEDURE TO CAUSE PRECESSION OF SAID POLARIZATION IN THE EARTH''S MAGNETIC FIELD, MEASURING PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS FROM SAID PRECESSING POLARIZATION, AND CONSTRUCTING A SECOND RELAXATION CURVE FOR SAID PROTONS FROM SAID MEASURED PRECESSIONAL SIGNALS TO INDICATE THE RATE OF RELAXATION FOR SAID FLUIDS WITHIN SAID FORMATION IN RESPONSE TO SAID VARIATION IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD. (C) DETERMING THE RELAXATION RATE FOR FORMATION WATER FROM SAID INDICATED RELAXATION RATES FOR FORMATION FLUIDS BY IDENTIFYING A FLUID RELAXATION RATE NOT DEPENDENT UPON VARIATIONS IN SAID CONTROLLABLE MAGNETIC FIELD, (D) DETERMINING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RELAXATION COMPONENTS FOR SAID FORMATION WATER RELAXATION RATE AND THE AVARAGE OF SAID DISTRIBUTED COMPONENTS, (E) AND DETERMINING THE AVERAGE PORE SIZE OF SAID PORES FROM AID AVERAGE OF SAID DISTRIBUTED RELAXATION COMPONENTS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID PORE SIZES FROM THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID RELAXATION COMPONENTS FOR SAID FORMATION WATER.