Chemical shift imaging of particle filtration in sandstone cores

Abstract Recent developments have led to increased interest in the application of borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a probe of petrophysical properties. Of particular importance in this connection is the measurement of the lon-gitudinal relaxation time, T 1 . As T 1 is controlled by the pore surface area, its value may be strongly influenced by the invasion of submicron-sized clay particles found in drilling muds. We have studied this effect by the application of phase encode magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. The extent to which T 1 values are affected by particulate invasion is found to depend strongly on the mud characteristics. With thinned spud muds there is a region deep within the core where T 1 values are significantly reduced due to an initial spurt of clay particles. In better formulated muds this effect is greatly reduced.