Formation thermal measurement apparatus, methods, and systems

An apparatus, comprising:

• a thermal source;
• thermal receivers arranged as a substantially one-dimensional ring;
• a movement mechanism to move the thermal source or the thermal receivers;
• and
• a controller to activate the thermal source to heat a portion of a geological formation proximate to a bore hole, to determine a distance of movement as a function of time of the thermal source or the thermal receivers relative to a heating location in the borehole via operation of the movement mechanism, and to receive signals provided by the thermal receivers, responsive to activation of the thermal source.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a thermal source;
• thermal receivers arranged as a substantially two-dimensional array to enable anisotropic measurement of thermal characteristics of a geological formation, when the formation receives energy from the thermal source;
• a movement mechanism to move the thermal source or the thermal receivers;
• and
• a controller to activate the thermal source to heat a portion of the geological formation proximate to a bore hole, to determine a distance of movement as a function of time of the thermal source or the thermal receivers relative to a heating location in the borehole via operation of the movement mechanism, and to receive signals provided by the thermal receivers, responsive to activation of the thermal source.

A processor-implemented method, to execute on one or more processors that perform the method, comprising:

• activating a thermal source in a borehole to heat a portion of a geological formation proximate to the borehole;
• moving the thermal source or thermal receivers within the borehole, to reduce a distance between a location of heating by the thermal source, and one or more of the thermal receivers;
• receiving signals from one or more of the thermal receivers, responsive to activation of the thermal source, wherein the moving serves to reduce a time between heating the location and the receiving;
• and
• processing the signals, distance information related to the moving, and time of the receiving to determine a thermal property of the geological formation.