Comparison of Coupled-Potentials and Field-Based Finite-Volume Techniques for Modeling of Borehole EM Tools

In this letter, we compare two finite-volume (FV) techniques, viz., the field-based formulation and the coupled vector-scalar potentials formulation, for the modeling of borehole electromagnetic tools in 3-D earth formations. Eccentric boreholes, anisotropic dipping beds, and high-contrast multilayered earth formations are considered. We compare the two FV formulations in terms of accuracy, convergence rate, and CPU time. Although these two formulations yield similar accuracy in the examples considered, their efficiencies in terms of convergence rate and CPU time depends on the scenario.