Measuring source rock potential using a quantum electronic scanner
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorSebastian Csutak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes methods and systems for determining source rock potential in a subterranean region of a hydrocarbon reservoir. One method includes receiving, an electron spin resonance (ESR) image from an in-situ ESR scanner that is attached to a wellbore at a first subterranean location, wherein the wellbore extends into the subterranean region of the hydrocarbon reservoir; determining, a spin concentration level of a source rock in the first subterranean location based on the ESR image; and determining, the source rock potential at the first subterranean location based on the determined spin concentration level.
Claims20
A method for determining source rock potential in a subterranean region of a hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising:
- receiving, an electron spin resonance (ESR) image from an in-situ ESR scanner that is attached to a wellbore at a first subterranean location, wherein the wellbore extends into the subterranean region of the hydrocarbon reservoir;
- determining, a spin concentration level of a source rock in the first subterranean location based on the ESR image;
- and
- determining, the source rock potential at the first subterranean location based on the determined spin concentration level.
An in-situ electron spin resonance (ESR) scanner, comprising:
- a transmitter configured to irradiate microwaves to a source rock sample in a first subterranean location of a hydrocarbon reservoir;
- a receiver configured to generate ESR images based on the microwaves that are reflected from the source rock sample or penetrated through the source rock sample;
- a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field for ESR measurement of the source rock sample;
- and
- a communication interface configured to transmit the ESR image to a surface of the reservoir.
A method for scanning a source rock sample in a subterranean region of a hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising:
- generating, by an in-situ electron spin resonance (ESR) scanner, a magnetic field for the source rock sample at a first subterranean location;
- irradiating, by the ESR scanner, microwaves to the source rock sample at a first subterranean location;
- generating an ESR image based on the microwaves that are reflected from the source rock sample or penetrated through the source rock sample;
- and
- transmitting the ESR image to a surface of the reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.