Method and apparatus utilizing ionizing and microwave radiation for saturation determination of water, oil and a gas in a core sample

Patent · 01 January 1994

OSTI ID:869465

Maerefat, Nicida L ^[1]; Parmeswar, Ravi ^[2]; Brinkmeyer, Alan D ^[3]; Honarpour, Mehdi ^[4]

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1. Sugar Land, TX
2. Marlton, NJ
3. Tulsa, OK
4. Bartlesville, OK

A system for determining the relative permeabilities of gas, water and oil in a core sample has a microwave emitter/detector subsystem and an X-ray emitter/detector subsystem. A core holder positions the core sample between microwave absorbers which prevent diffracted microwaves from reaching a microwave detector where they would reduce the signal-to-noise ratio of the microwave measurements. The microwave emitter/detector subsystem and the X-ray emitter/detector subsystem each have linear calibration characteristics, allowing one subsystem to be calibrated with respect to the other subsystem. The dynamic range of microwave measurements is extended through the use of adjustable attenuators. This also facilitates the use of core samples with wide diameters. The stratification characteristics of the fluids may be observed with a windowed cell separator at the outlet of the core sample. The condensation of heavy hydrocarbon gas and the dynamic characteristics of the fluids are observed with a sight glass at the outlet of the core sample.

• Research Organization: IIT Research Institute (Chicago, IL)
• DOE Contract Number: FC22-83FE60149
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5341101
• OSTI ID: 869465
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/324/73/250/
absorbers
adjustable
allowing
apparatus
apparatus utilizing
attenuators
calibrated
calibration
cell
cell separator
characteristics
condensation
core
core sample
core samples
detector
determination
determining
diameters
diffracted
dynamic
dynamic range
emitter
extended
facilitates
fluids
gas
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heavy
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hydrocarbon
hydrocarbon gas
ionizing
linear
measurements
method
microwave
microwave absorber
microwave detector
microwave emitter
microwave measurement
microwave radiation
microwaves
noise ratio
observed
oil
outlet
permeabilities
positions
prevent
radiation
range
ratio
reaching
reduce
relative
respect
sample
samples
saturation
separator
sight
signal-to-noise
signal-to-noise ratio
stratification
subsystem
utilizing
utilizing ionizing
water
wave absorber
wide
wide diameter
windowed
x-ray