Schlumberger introduced its Scanner family of wireline measurements that overcome many of the limitations of standard logging tools. The Scanner family delivers more simultaneous radial measurements, in true 3D, and at multiple depths of investigation, to help clients fully characterize the subsurface environment and better understand their reservoirs.

The first three Scanner services introduced today are the Sonic Scanner* advanced acoustic scanning platform; the Rt Scanner* multiarray triaxial induction tool; and the MR Scanner* next-generation wireline nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tool.

"At Schlumberger, we continually test the limits of existing technology, in an effort to respond to the technical and economic challenges of complex reservoirs and extreme environments," said Sami Iskander, president, Wireline, Schlumberger. "The innovative Scanner family of services reduces uncertainty and helps clients to better understand their subsurface formations, which ultimately leads to vastly improved technical and business decisions for the lifetime performance of their oil or gas asset."

Sonic Scanner
Sonic Scanner uses the latest technology for advanced acoustic acquisition, including cross dipole and multispaced-monopole measurements. In addition to axial and azimuthal measurements, the tool makes a radial measurement with typical depths of investigation equal to two to three times borehole diameter. The Sonic Scanner platform provides multiple depths of investigation, excellent waveform quality and user-friendly presentations that simplify the complexity of sonic logging, without compromising the quality and quantity of information. Applications include geomechanics, geophysics, reservoir characterization, and well integrity.

Norwegian based Hydro, a leading European-based energy company, used the tool in the North Sea. "Hydro has recently used the Sonic Scanner tool to provide good quality sonic data in a very slow formation where no other sonic could have achieved results," said Steve Williams, formation evaluation advisor, Hydro. "We are also actively pursuing this technology to improve our geomechanical understanding in many of our difficult-to-drill formations."

Rt Scanner
The Rt Scanner provides direct measurements to evaluate the vertical and horizontal resistivity around the wellbore, as well as the dip and azimuth of the formation, in true 3D. From these measurements, a reservoir model, and hence reserves estimates, can be built from the enhanced hydrocarbon and water saturation estimations in laminated, anisotropic or faulted formations.

The Rt Scanner technology has been successfully run in thinly laminated gas and oil-producing formations in the Middle East, and around the world. This has enhanced hydrocarbon saturation estimation in these low-resistivity pay environments and reduced the uncertainty of the hydrocarbon-in-place assessment. In some cases, this capability has led to commerciality being proved where previously it would have been overlooked.

MR Scanner
MR Scanner provides nuclear magnetic resonance measurements to help resolve petrophysical challenges in a variety of environments, including unknown or varying salinities, low-resistivity or low-contrast pay zones and/or thin beds. This is made possible using a single pass with multiple depths of investigation. MR Scanner provides detailed formation evaluation of the near-wellbore region, fluid identification and in situ hydrocarbon characterization. In Middle East carbonate reservoirs, normally difficult to interpret using conventional resistivity techniques, the MR Scanner service has clearly distinguished hydrocarbon-bearing zones from the water zones using patented interpretation techniques.