Geological constraint using probability functions in stochastic mineralogy modeling

A method for estimating at least one property of a volume of interest of an earth formation from a radiation based measurement, the volume of interest surrounding a borehole intersecting the earth formation, the method comprising:

• obtaining tool measurements from the borehole including a response indicative of radiation detected in the borehole;
• estimating a plurality of estimated elemental concentrations for the volume using the response;
• solving for an optimal mineralogical model comprising apportioning downhole measurement phenomena to candidate minerals by using an optimization procedure to determine the optimal mineralogical model in dependence upon the plurality of estimated elemental concentrations and a secondary dependence relation between the tool measurements, the mineralogical model including a mineralogical composition of the volume, wherein the mineralogical composition comprises a concentration of each mineral of a plurality of minerals of the volume and wherein the secondary dependence relation is indicative of a relative probability between two or more minerals of the candidate minerals, comprising:
• constraining the candidate minerals for a solution in dependence upon the secondary dependence relation;
• and
• conducting further operations in the formation in dependence upon the optimal mineralogical model.