Digital Borehole Logging Instrumentation And Software, A Systems Approach To Design And Implementation

With the advent of small and powerful computers, new borehole geophysical logging<br>systems are being designed and manufactured. Many of these systems lack an<br>integrated approach of combining digital downhole probes, uphole instrumentation,<br>and acquisition and analysis software in an interactive, simple to use, and flexible system.<br>This case study describes the “systems approach” during the design of logging<br>hardware and software which allows for the equipment and support programs to be<br>altered and updated for a changing market demand without requiring massive engineering<br>or conceptual changes. This “systems approach” allows for a fully interactive<br>logging acquisition, presentation, and analysis system capable of supporting a variety<br>of geophysical downhole probes, and analysis routines.<br>The “systems approach” to the design of a fully-digital borehole logging system<br>incorporates a three-phase plan. The first phase consists of the design of fully digital<br>downhole instrumentation requiring no additional uphole electronics, other than a<br>universal probe interface board located in the surface instrumentation. The second<br>phase consists of a standard computer system used as a surface recording, analysis,<br>and output device for the log data. The third phase is an integrated software package<br>that monitors, controls, and allows input from the digital probes and the logging operator.<br>This case study describes the advantages to this “systems approach” of design in log<br>accuracy, ease-of-use, and integration of data for post-analysis using log data derived<br>from an actual field-proven system.