Measurement-while-drilling devices with pad mounted sensors

A Measurement-while-Drilling (MWD) apparatus mounted on a drilling assembly for determining a parameter of interest of a formation surrounding a borehole, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a rotatable housing;
• (b) a directional sensor disposed in the housing for making measurements related to the orientation of the housing;
• (c) a telemetry device disposed in the housing, said telemetry device adapted to receive depth information from an uphole controller;
• (d) at least one substantially non-rotating formation evaluation sensor operatively coupled to the housing and on the outside thereof, said at least one formation evaluation sensor in contact with the formation to make measurements related to the parameter of interest;
• (e) a processor for determining the parameter of interest from the measurements made by the directional sensor, the depth information and the measurements made by the at least one formation evaluation sensor.

A method of determining a parameter of interest of the formation surrounding a borehole while drilling the borehole, comprising:

• (a) conveying in the borehole a drilling assembly including a drillbit for drilling the borehole and a measurement while drilling (MWD) assembly apparatus including a rotatable housing;
• (b) making measurements related to a parameter of interest of the formation with a formation evaluation sensor on a substantially non-rotating pad carried on at least one substantially non-rotating member on the outside of the housing;
• and
• (c) processing the measurements from the formation evaluation sensor in a processor on the housing to determine the parameter of interest.

A method of determining, while drilling a borehole with a drilling assembly, a parameter of interest of the formation surrounding the borehole, comprising:

• a) using a plurality of substantially non-rotating sensors at known positions on the outside of the assembly to obtain data relating to the parameter of interest;
• (b) transmitting from a surface control device information about the depth of the drilling assembly to a telemetry device on the drilling assembly;
• (c) obtaining the orientation of the plurality of sensors by using a directional sensor disposed in the assembly;
• (d) processing the data about the parameter of interest in a processor disposed in the drilling assembly by using the orientation of the sensors and the information about the depth of the drilling assembly to give processed data about the parameter of interest;
• and
• (e) transmitting said processed data about the parameter of interest to the surface using a telemetry device on the drilling assembly.

A method of obtaining a seismic image of the subsurface near a borehole while drilling the borehole, said method comprising:

• (a) placing a plurality of seismic detectors at a location away from the borehole;
• (b) placing at least one seismic transmitter on a substantially non-rotating sleeve on a drilling assembly conveyed in the borehole, said transmitters being in contact with the borehole wall;
• (c) using a processor on the drilling assembly to activate the plurality of transmitters and exciting seismic waves having a waveform in the formation at a selected time;
• (d) communicating information about the selected time to a processor;
• (e) recording the seismic waves excited in the formation by the at least one seismic transmitter at the plurality of seismic detectors;
• and
• (f) processing the recorded seismic waves in the processor to form an image of the subsurface.