A method for obtaining elemental concentration and determining the formation mineralogy uses a tool having multiple dual-function detectors that can detect both neutrons and gamma rays simultaneously. The method includes emitting neutrons into the formation, detecting neutron and gamma ray signals from the formation and discriminating the neutron signal and the gamma ray signal, obtaining the space, time and energy dependent fluence rates for fast neutrons and thermal neutrons, obtaining gamma ray energy spectra from inelastic scattering and neutron capture reactions from one or more detectors, obtaining the energy spectrum of inelastic gamma rays and/or capture gamma rays from a single element, calculating concentration of the element in the formation using its energy spectrum of inelastic gamma rays or capture gamma rays from one or more detectors and the space, time and energy dependent fluence rate of fast neutrons or thermal neutrons, and determining the formation mineralogy.

The accurate determination of formation hydrocarbon or water saturation is a useful step in the petrophysical evaluation of petroleum reservoirs. This disclosure presents a new method for estimating hydrocarbon saturation directly from a porosity log and a total organic carbon (TOC) log. The method is enabled by the recent development of a geochemical spectroscopy logging tool that combines inelastic and capture gamma ray measurements to provide a robust and accurate TOC log. The method differs from the prior approach of using carbon-to-oxygen ratios that is most often applied in cased hole evaluation. The main advantages of this method are that it does not use knowledge of formation water resistivity, it does not rely on a resistivity model, it does not use an extensive calibration database, and it is largely independent of clay or other lithology effects. Here, the principles of the method and the main challenges are described, and calculations that explore uncertainties in the saturation estimates arising from uncertainties in the log inputs are presented. The statistical uncertainty in the estimate of hydrocarbon saturation is as good as 10 saturation units (s.u.) in conventional reservoirs with porosities of 15 porosity units (p.u.) or greater. The method has been applied to the determination of hydrocarbon saturation in a variety of formations, including bitumen-filled dolomite, heavy oil sand, and shaly-sands with both open hole and cased hole wells. The method works equally well in formations drilled and logged with either oil- and water-based mud. The saturation estimates have been benchmarked against a combination of conventional and new logging approaches (e.g., resistivity, magnetic resonance and dielectric logs) and core measurements, with generally excellent agreement among independent determinations. Hydrocarbon saturations can be determined accurately using the method in a number of formation types where conventional methods and models for estimating fluid saturation commonly fail, such as freshwater and unknown water salinity in formations under enhanced oil recovery. The case studies included herein demonstrate that a TOC log derived from geochemical spectroscopy logs can be used to obtain reliable estimates of hydrocarbon saturation in a wide range of environmental conditions and formations.

Devices may include a scintillation detection device including a scintillator, a photon detector at least partially enclosed by the scintillator, and at least one reflector at least partially enclosing the scintillator. In another aspect, an oilfield wellbore device may include an oilfield string with at least one scintillation detection device on the string and a pressure housing enclosing the one or more scintillation detection devices. In another aspect, a method of measuring radiation in an oil and gas well may include conveying at least one scintillation detection device to at least one zone of interest in the oil and gas well and recording data from at least one scintillation detection device as a function of location in the well.

An x-ray based cement evaluation tool for measurement of the density of material volumes within single, dual and multiple-casing wellbore environments is provided, wherein the tool uses x-rays to illuminate the formation surrounding a borehole, and a plurality of detectors are used to directly measure the density of the cement annuli and any variations in density within The tool uses x-rays to illuminate the casing surrounding a borehole and a plurality of multi-pixel imaging detectors directly measure the thickness of the casing The tool includes an internal length having a sonde section, wherein the sonde section further includes an x-ray source; a radiation shield for radiation measuring detectors; sonde-dependent electronics; and a plurality of tool logic electronics and PSUs. Other systems and subsystems appropriate for carrying out the foregoing are also disclosed, as are a plurality of example methods of use therefor.

Methods, systems, devices, and products for making formation resistivity measurements including reducing the resistivity of the fluid proximate the electrode using ionizing radiation to induce a transient increase in electrical conductivity of the fluid for the resistivity measurement. The fluid may include oil-based mud. Methods include making the downhole measurement using the electrode during the transient increase. An electrode may be disposed on a pad having a bremsstrahlung assembly disposed thereon. Methods may include mitigating effects of an electrical resistivity of the fluid on the formation resistivity measurement by using the radiation to induce a transient increase in electrical conductivity of the fluid for the formation resistivity measurement. Methods may include using the ionizing radiation to generate at least one of: i) free ions; and ii) free electrons.

Methods, systems, devices, and products for making formation resistivity measurements including reducing the resistivity of the fluid proximate the electrode using ionizing radiation to induce a transient increase in electrical conductivity of the fluid for the resistivity measurement. The fluid may include oil-based mud. Methods include making the downhole measurement using the electrode during the transient increase. An electrode may be disposed on a pad having a bremsstrahlung assembly disposed thereon. Methods may include mitigating effects of an electrical resistivity of the fluid on the formation resistivity measurement by using the radiation to induce a transient increase in electrical conductivity of the fluid for the formation resistivity measurement. Methods may include using the ionizing radiation to generate at least one of: i) free ions; and ii) free electrons.

A method for determining a corrected neutron gamma density of a formation includes emitting neutrons into a formation using a neutron source to generate gamma-rays. Additionally, the method includes detecting a first count rate of gamma-rays and a gamma-ray spectrum using at least a gamma-ray detector of the downhole tool. The method also includes detecting a second count rate of neutrons using a neutron detector. The method includes using a processor to perform a gamma-ray spectroscopy analysis on the formation based on the gamma-ray spectrum and determining a correction based on results of the gamma-ray spectroscopy analysis. The method includes applying the correction to the first count rate or the second count rate and determining a neutron gamma density of the formation based on a first corrected count rate of gamma-rays or a second corrected count rate of neutrons. The method also includes outputting the determined density of the formation.

Systems and methods may utilize information collected by a pulsed-neutron logging tool along with modeling a characterization of a borehole to form a 3-stage correction algorithm. This algorithm may be used to find an oil, water, and gas holdup in the borehole. During operations, a pulsed neutron logging tool which emits neutrons to interact with nuclei inducing gamma radiation. The gamma radiation is detected into a response which may be correlated to the location of a holdup in a borehole by using the entire spectrum or ratios of selected peaks. In examples, a borehole density index may be implemented to complement the response and improve accuracy and measurement confidence.

In some embodiments, a method includes emitting, from a transmitter positioned in a wellbore formed in a subsurface formation, a pulse of neutrons into the subsurface formation and detecting gamma ray emissions at a near field and a far field generated in response to the pulse of neutrons being emitted into the subsurface formation. The method includes determining a single elemental decay for one chemical element of a number of chemical elements present in the subsurface formation based on the gamma ray emissions and determining at least one geophysical property of the subsurface formation based on the single elemental decay of the one chemical element.

A neutron generator includes an ion source disposed in a pressurized environment containing an ionizable gas. The ion source includes a substrate with a bundle of carbon nanotubes extending therefrom. The ends of the nanotubes are spaced from a grid. Ion source voltage supply circuitry supplies a positive voltage potential between the substrate and the grid of the ion source to cause ionization of the ionizable gas and emission of ions through the grid. An ion accelerator section is disposed between the ion source and a target. The ion accelerator section accelerates ions that pass through the grid towards the target such that collisions of the ions with the target cause the target to generate and emit neutrons therefrom. The ion source, accelerator section and target are housed in a sealed tube and preferably the carbon nanotubes of the bundle are highly ordered with at least 10.sup.6 carbon nanotubes per cm.sup.2 that extend in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis of the tube. The neutron generator provides gas ionization at much higher atomic to molecular ratio that the prior art, which allows for small compact size designs suitable for logging tools that are used in space-constrained downhole environments.