Seismic MWD: Drilling in time, on time, it's about time

Abstract

Since the dawn of logging-while-drilling (LWD) in the 1980s, the industry has wanted a reliable while-drilling borehole seismic measurement. However, a number of technical roadblocks prohibited its realization until recently. These difficulties included the nature and required accuracy of the measurement, timing issues, sensors, automation, and the lack of an electrical connection between the downhole tools and the surface in a while-drilling configuration.