Patent ID: 8373412

Claim:
An apparatus for estimating a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) property of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole, the apparatus comprising: a logging tool; a source of a static magnetic field, the source being disposed at the logging tool and configured to polarize the region of investigation in the earth formation; a transmitter antenna disposed at the logging tool and configured to transmit electromagnetic energy into the region of investigation; a first receiver sensor disposed at the logging tool and configured to receive first NMR signals in an azimuthal direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the logging tool from the region of investigation in response to an interaction between the static magnetic field and the transmitted electromagnetic energy; a second receiver sensor disposed at the logging tool and configured to receive second NMR signals in an azimuthal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the logging tool from the region of investigation in response to an interaction between the static magnetic field and the transmitted electromagnetic energy; and a processor configured to: receive the first NMR signals from the first receiver sensor; associate the first NMR signals with a first azimuthal direction at which the first NMR signals were received; receive the second NMR signals from the second receiver sensor; associate the second NMR signals with a second azimuthal direction at which the second NMR signals were received, wherein second azimuthal direction is different from the first azimuthal direction; and estimate the property from the first and second NMR signals and the associated azimuthal directions at which the first and second NMR signals were received.