Borehole Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study at the China University of Petroleum

The research of borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) began in the 1950 s, but the maturity and large-scale applications of relevant instruments started in the mid-1990. To date, borehole NMR is an important means for borehole in-situ analysis and oil and gas evaluation, which significantly improves the success rate of exploration and the evaluation accuracy of oil and gas reservoirs. Its development has also contributed importantly to low-field and industrial NMR theories and experimental methodologies. Companies and individuals in the United States, China and other countries have developed the capabilities to engineer and deploy borehole NMR instruments and measurements independently. NMR imaging and evaluation of heterogeneous reservoirs and unconventional oil and gas are worldwide problems, involving the innovation of borehole NMR and the advanced manufacture of instruments and equipment. The commercial technology of borehole oil and gas exploration is highly competitive and proprietary. It is difficult to gain full insight into the details of the technologies and development from published literatures. Based on the research of the author's NMR laboratory at the China University of Petroleum (CUP), this paper reviews the core technologies of borehole NMR and its applications, discusses selected important issues that have not been fully solved, and looks forward to the direction and prospects of future development.