Formation temperature estimation by inversion of borehole measurements, Part II: Effects of fluid penetration on bottom‐hole temperature recovery
Using nonlinear inverse techniques, we show that the change in borehole temperature with time, after mud circulation has stopped, can be used to provide very precise estimates of true formation temperatures and of mud temperature at the time circulation stopped. In addition, ruggedly stable estimates can also be made of the thermal invasion distance, the formation thermal conductivity, and the efficiency of heating the mud by the thermal recovery wave. It is well known that convective heat flow into (or out of) the formation influences the thermal recovery. We show that the flow rate at the borehole can also be obtained approximately from the borehole temperature measurements using the inverse method. Fidelity and reproducibility of the inverse procedure arc examined using synthetic data. Applications to field data from three wells in the Cooper basin of Australia and four wells in the North Sea confirm the accuracy of the method in satisfying the observed data, in determining true formation temperatures, and in assessing the magnitude of fluid penetration into the formation.