Feasibility study of a surface-borehole NMR method

We present results of a feasibility study of a borehole induction-coil sensor for surface-borehole NMR (SBNMR) investigations. This sensor of 7 cm diameter and 180 cm length is connected to a standard MRS (Magnetic Resonance Sounding) instrument. Thus, SBNMR is a cost-effective extension of the MRS method. Using a downhole sensor increases the depth of investigation and the resolution of MRS. In the near-horizontal Earth's magnetic field, the sensitive area of the sensor is represented by a cylinder of a few meters in diameter. A blind zone of 0.5 to 1 m around the borehole is due to the disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field by the magnetic core of the sensor. The relatively large volume investigated with SBNMR and the blind zone around borehole may represent an advantage of SBNMR over the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) borehole tool investigating a narrow zone around the borehole. However, using the Earth's magnetic field renders the SBNMR performance site dependent with an inherently low signal-to-noise ratio. Our first results show a good correspondence between SBNMR, MRS and borehole data. •A new geophysical tool was developed and successfully tested.•Surface-Borehole NMR shows better resolution than Surface NMR.•Surface-Borehole NMR provided data unavailable with Borehole NMR.•A good correlation between Surface-Borehole NMR and borehole data.