Patent ID: 8736270

Claim:
A logging while drilling system to detect and measure one or more subterranean features and/or characteristics ahead of or around a drill bit, comprising: a transmitter module having a transmitter longitudinal axis and a transmitter antenna located on or near the drill bit, the transmitter module having connectors on both ends and being removeably connected into a bottomhole assembly; a receiver module having a receiver longitudinal axis and a receiver antenna, the receiver module, the receiver module having connectors on both ends and being removeably connected into the bottom hole assembly and being positioned at a separate location along the logging while drilling system relative to the transmitter module such that the transmitter antenna and the receiver antenna are spaced apart axially along the bottom hole assembly, wherein at least one of the transmitter antenna and the receiver antenna is a directional antenna, and wherein the spacing between the transmitter antenna and the receiver antenna is selected to be equal to or greater than the thickness of at least one reservoir bed being investigated by the logging while drilling system; and a control system having a processor capable of: processing look-ahead data and/or look-around data received from the logging while drilling system; relating the look-ahead data or the look-around data to an electromagnetic coupling tensor; transforming one or more components of the electromagnetic coupling tensor to a corresponding formation parameter; and outputting the look-ahead data and/or the look-around data and/or corresponding formation parameters to an output device.