The distance from the borehole wall into the formation that the mud filtrate has penetrated. The term assumes equal invasion on all sides of the borehole. It is the diameter of the circle thus formed, with the center being the center of the borehole. The diameter of invasion affects whether a log measures the invaded zone, the undisturbed zone, or part of each zone. The term is closely related to the depth of invasion, being twice the depth of invasion plus the borehole diameter. Diameter of invasion is a more appropriate parameter for describing the response of azimuthally symmetric measurements such as induction, laterolog and propagation resistivity.

The term is well-defined in the case of a step profile of invasion. In the case of an annulus or a transition zone, two diameters must be defined, corresponding to the inner and outer limits of the annulus or transition zone. When the invasion model is not specified, the term usually refers to the outer limit of invasion.