Apparatus for microinductive investigation of earth formations

摘要

A wall-engaging apparatus for microinductively investigating a characteristic of an earth formation traversed by a borehole includes an antenna set mounted in a sensing body adapted for sliding engagement with the wall of the borehole. The antenna set includes first, second and third antenna elements. The second and third elements, being structurally identical but differentially coupled, are positioned in electromagnetic symmetry about the first antenna element. Either the first antenna element or the differentially coupled second and third antenna elements may be energized by suitable circuits, while the other is coupled to circuits for receiving signals indicative of a set characteristic. In another wall-engaging apparatus for microinductively investigating a characteristic of earth formations traversed by a borehole, a transmitter antenna is mounted in a conductive wall-engaging body, within a volume bounded in part by an integral conductive backplane and conductive side wall and opening to the wall-engaging face of the body, for coupling focused electromagnetic energy into a formation. The volume preferably is conformal with the transmitter antenna. Circuits are provided for energizing the transmitter antenna and for detecting a magnetic field from the engaged formation arising from the coupled electromagnetic energy.