US 12,709,980 B2 · Downhole detection of formation and fluid properties using quantum sensor for NMR measurements

Abstract

Described herein are systems and techniques for improving an accuracy of determinations made using data sensed in a wellbore or in a laboratory. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensing devices may be used to collect data in a wellbore or lab. NMR sensing devices include a magnet (e.g., a permanent magnet or electromagnet) that provides a magnetic field that aligns the spins of protons/nuclei in substances near the NMR sensing device. The magnetic field strength provided by the magnet of the NMR sensing device affects the sensitivity of the NMR sensing device and affects frequencies that the NMR sensing device effectively uses when the NMR sensing device operates. Systems and techniques of the present disclosure may measure concentrations of lithium in brine deposits when identifying particular brine deposits that include sufficient lithium concentrations to justify extracting lithium from those particular brine deposits.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

one or more magnets that provide a magnetic field that polarizes nuclei of a sensitive volume;
an inductive element that transmits an electromagnetic (EM) pulse sequence toward the sensitive volume, wherein the EM pulse sequence is transmitted over a length of the inductive element to stimulate emission of a plurality of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from the nuclei of the sensitive volume;
a plurality of quantum sensing elements disposed along the length of the inductive element, wherein:
each of the plurality of quantum sensing elements sense at least an NMR signal of the plurality of NMR signals based on a quantum sensing element size, and
resolution of data sensed by each of the plurality of quantum sensing elements corresponds to the quantum sensing element size;
and
a first structure that contains the one or more magnets, the inductive element, and the plurality of quantum elements, wherein the first structure is coupled to or part of a wellbore deployment mechanism.

4 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

control deployment of a nuclear magnetic (NMR) sensing device in a wellbore;
control exposing nuclei of a sensitive volume to a magnetic field that polarizes the nuclei of the sensitive volume;
control transmission an electromagnetic pulse sequence over a length of an inductive element toward the sensitive volume to stimulate emission of a plurality of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from the nuclei of the sensitive volume;
and
evaluate data sensed by each of a plurality of quantum sensing elements disposed along the length of the inductive element, wherein:
each of the plurality of quantum sensing elements sense at least an NMR signal of the plurality of NMR signals based on a quantum sensing element size, and
resolution of the data sensed by each of the plurality of quantum sensing elements corresponds to the quantum sensing element size.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Downhole detection of formation and fluid properties using quantum sensor for NMR measurements

Life of this patent

Downhole detection of formation and fluid properties using quantum sensor for NMR measurements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20