METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS FORMATION SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS DURING WELLBORE DRILLING

摘要

A wellbore formation sample acquisition and analysis instrument (10) includes an annular drill bit (12) configured to couple to one end of a drill string (20). The bit defines a passageway (12D) extending from a cutting face thereof to an exterior surface at a longitudinally spaced apart position from the cutting face. The instrument includes at least one sensor (44, 46, 48) configured to measure a selected parameter of a sample of subsurface formation urged into the passageway (12D) by action of the cutting face against subsurface formations. Samples of the subsurface formations are ejected from the exterior surface end of the passageway by the samples entering the cutting face end thereof.