5.

2 IP Basic Guide for Students

After the use, practice and understanding of the basic functionalities of Interactive
Petrophysics (IP) software a short user’s guide for students assuming no familiarity
with IP was written:

Interactive Petrophysics Basic User’s Guide

This guide is designed to introduce Interactive Petrophysics (IP) software to beginners,

i.e. students taking the basic petrophysics course TPG 4175 taught at NTNU. IP is a PC-
based software program used for well log property analysis. The guide is divided into
13 steps which cover the basics of working with IP from starting the IP program,
navigating its interface, using the IP database organization, to covering a workflow of a
basic petrophysical evaluation. These steps are:

 Step 1: Data Availability and Well Parameters

 Step 2: Database Setup and Data Loading
 Step 3: Managing Well Header Information
 Step 4: Working with Log Plot and Program Default Plots
 Step 5: Saving Well and Plot Format
 Step 6: Log Editing (Erasing, Shaping, Depth Shifting, and Splicing Curves)
 Step 7: Environmental Corrections
 Step 8: Clay Volume Calculation
 Step 9: Crossplot Module
 Step 10: Porosity and Water Saturation
 Step 11: Creating Zones
 Step 12: Cutoff and Summation Analysis
 Step 13: Plot Output (Creating an output image)

5.2.1 Step 1: Data Availability and Well Parameters

Before starting to use the IP Software for performing a petrophysical evaluation, it is

very important and recommended to first spend some time looking at the data we
have available and also at the parameters of the specific well. This can be done by
reading the well header on the paper log or also the well and field information on the
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate website (http://factpages.npd.no).

The parameters and data of any well are given in the well header. The well header is a
section of the well record page that primarily contains information about the company
that drilled the well, the country where it has been drilled, the field where the well is
located; also contains technical information such as depth drilled, depth logged,
bottom hole temperature (BHT), Rm, Rmf, Rmc, Rm temperature, Rmf temperature,
Rmc temperature, depth, correction parameter data, different logging runs, casing
intervals, bit size, type of mud used, mud weight, mud salinity, etc.

The data availability refers to the data type LAS, LIS, ASCII binary files. These data
types are in the format that IP can open and inside them are the curves available, the
depth of the run and sometimes depending on the data we can have some driller
parameters. This guide used LAS files. To open a LAS File and see its info right click on
the file and go to name of file.las→ Open with→ Textpad

Once the file is open you will see at the beginning of the file description text the
information available about the curves, their logged depth, their tools, etc; while the
rest is just the numbers and symbols which complete the binary file and are the codes
that IP reads. It is recommended to have those files as a reference to review their
information whenever needed. The following is an example of how a LAS looks like
when opened with Textpad:
5.2.2 Step 2: Database Setup and Data Loading

Some of the main features used throughout IP are shown below:

Source 1: (IP, 2014)

First of all, we need to create a new Database or open one in case we have it already.
On the menu bar, click File→ New Database → Browse and open where you want your
data to be saved, usually the same folder where you have the data →OK. If we want
to open data just click on File→ Open Database.

When you have created your database, the next step is to create a new well. Click

Well→ Create New Well or click on the create new well icon tool located in the
toolbars circled below:
Then you need to put a name to the well and select the units your data is in. Usually
we choose meters (but it depends on the data). Then click OK. Your new well should
appear in the left column just below the name of the database, and in the status bar
written in red you can confirm that well has been successfully created.

Notice that in the left of the well it appears a (-1). This means that the well is not
saved, you also see the (-1) in the bottom. When you save your work you will be able
to see (1), meaning that it has been successfully saved to the database.

Next step is to Load the Data. To do so, on the menu bar click on Input/Output →
Load Data and then just click on the type of data you want to load.
Once you load your data a new screen opens in the ‘work area’ of the program. There
you can see the parameters your data has and the units it has. You can choose which
log/curve to load by switching on the red check mark ✓under the Load column.

Click Load. If in that file we do not have all the data wanted, we need to load another
file and this can be done by clicking on New File, and repeat. Once you have loaded all
the data wanted, click Load → Close.

Adding Core Images

In some cases you might have core photographs in your data that you want to upload
to your Log Plot. To add them, click on Input/Output →Load Data→ Picture Curves.
The Picture Curve Data window will appear. Before any graphics file can be loaded,
you must Select a Picture Curve or either Create New Curve. To load a new graphics
file into a picture curve, click in a blank cell under the Graphics File Name column
header. Once selected, select No to the question whether you want to make a copy of
the picture. Now define the Top Depth and Bottom Depth which allows the picture to
be scaled to the log data. If you wish to delete a picture (an individual graphics file),
click in the row you wish to delete (do not click on the Graphics file Name cell because
this will launch the file browser) and then click the Delete Row button. Click Update
Plots. Close.

Now you have successfully created a Picture Curve, which you will be able to load later
following Step 4 in this guide.

5.2.3 Step 3: Managing Well Header Information

The Well Header is the upper part of the well record page. It contains data about that
well. Some of the newer Las and Lis files have the header information on them and it
just needs to be recalled. Older files need information from the paper logs or NPD
webpage to input the parameters and create the Well Header.

To create a Well Header, click on Well → Manage Well Header Info, or click in the Well

Header icon in the toolbar.

A new page will appear and some header data might be already filled in depending on
if the LAS or LIS file has it. If needed, complete filling in the header data. In this guide,
the General tab and the Logging tab are addressed. The General Tab includes the
cultural attributes of the well, and it includes parameters such as Well Name,
Company, Field, Location, etc.
The Logging Tab contains the well log attributes, and there you can find parameters
such as Log Run Number, Mud Resistivity, Mud Filtrate Resistivity, etc., for different
logging runs.

Click Apply → OK.

5.2.4 Step 4: Working with Log Plot and Program Default Plots

The log plot window is launched in IP by:

Click View → Log Plot, or press Ctr+L or from the work bar click the Log Plot icon. You
have two icons: the one circled in red is for a vertical well, and the one circled in green
is for a horizontal well.
Then in the work area a window will appear. Click on File → Program Default Plots.
There you have lot of options to choose from and for the course we will use the 4
Tracks Blank.

Then a blank log page will appear. Under track 1 (first column to the left), the depth
curve is displayed. Then we need to plot a log curve in each of the remaining tracks. To
do so, we click in the blank space under the number of the track and a new page will
appear where the Curves and Shading tabs are shown. In the Curves tab you can
choose what logs to include in the chosen Trk (Track) by selecting from the drop-down
list under Item. Next, set your Left Scale and Right Scale, check Visible for the curve to
be displayed, and select a linear or logarithmic scale under Log. Also, choose the Line
Color, the Wth (width), and the line Style. Press Apply.

Note: in Step 2, you created a Core Picture Curve which can be loaded now to your
plots. Follow the same steps above, but in the Style column instead of a line select
Pictures. The scale goes from 0 to 1 and it represents width of the track. Press Apply.
Next, click on the Shading tab. The Shading tab can be used for many applications,
for example, for displaying the neutron-density or sand crossover that can imply the
presence of a clean zone (or gas if the separation is very large). Another example of
using the shading option is in the caliper log for displaying the presence of mudcake
which is a good indicator of permeability. Both shading examples are shown below:

Press Apply, then OK to end the shading or curve editing and the curve(s) will appear
in the track selected. Repeat until all the curves you want are loaded in different
tracks. Once the curves are loaded, more options regarding track editing can be found
if we right click in the track and look for such as zoom in, create a new track, delete
track, etc.

The Lock box checked (circled in red, illustrated above) sets the current displayed plot
as the default plot for this well. The default plot format will be then saved into the
database and will be displayed automatically when a new plot window is launched.

Navigating the log plot display

Some of the features that will be used in the lot plot display are shown below:

Source 2: (IP, 2014)

The ‘Overview’ track on the right hand side of the display shows the entire depth
range for the well, with the current display section (in the main plot window) as two
horizontal red lines (top and bottom). You can change the depth interval being
displayed by right clicking on one of the red marker lines and dragging it to a new
position. The main log plot will be re-scaled to fit into the window. The Scale 1: has a
drop-down list of plot scales that allows you to quickly change the vertical scale of the
log plot display.

You can Zoom-in by right-clicking on any place of the log plot window and select Zoom
In. Then, click the top depth of the interval you want to zoom into (this depth will be
displayed as a solid red line), click the bottom depth of the interval you want to zoom
into. To un-zoom, right click on any place of the log plot and select Un-Zoom.

5.2.5 Step 5: Saving Well and Plot Format

In IP you can save wells and plot format. They are both equally important when
keeping your work saved and recalling it at a later time.

Saving Wells

Saving a well means that the well you created will be saved in the folder where you are
working. To save a click on File and then you can choose between two options Save
Current Well or Save Current Well As, choose one to save.
Saving Plot Format

Saving plot format is the action that saves the work you did on the plot. To do so, go to
the work area window and click in File → Save Plot Format. A new window will appear,
name the plot file and click Save.

Reopening a Saved Log Format

When you start IP in a future session and open the previously saved database (where
you saved your well in Step 2), in order to recall the previously saved log format,
double-click on the well name, then double-click on Log Plots, and then double-click
on the plot format you saved.

Saving Data

IP supports several output formats to output data, such as LAS, ASCII, LIS, and Dbase4.
This means that IP can save the data you already corrected and analyzed in LAS, ASCII,
LIS and Dbase4 format. As an example, the data will be saved to LAS files. To do so,
click Input/Output →Save Data → LAS Write. Then a new window will appear like the
one bellow.
In the columns under Select Wells and Depth Intervals to Output, choose the well
from which you want to select curves for output, along with the well depth interval
you want. Under Available Curves you have the available curves and the ones you
want to save as LAS file you click > for individual selection or >> for all curves to go to
the Selected Curves column (you can use < or << in case you made a mistake in
selection).

5.2.6 Step 6: Log Editing (Erasing, Shaping, Depth Shifting, and Splicing
Curves)

Erasing a curve

Click on Edit→ Interactive Curve Edit, click on the curve you want to edit in the active
plot display, or click on curve name in the log track header. Keep the same name on
the result curve, then check on the Null Data and click Start Edit. Say OK to overwrite
curve names. In case you made a mistake, click Undo Edit.
To erase a curve click and hold the left-mouse-button down where you want to erase
then release the mouse button and click the Interval Break button to move to a
different section of the curve that you would like to erase. Click Finish Edit and the
zone you selected will be erased.

Editing the shape of a curve

Similar to above, but do not check the Null Data check box and click Start Edit. To edit
a curve click and hold the left-mouse-button down to draw a new piece of curve, then
release the mouse button and click the Interval Break button to move to a different
section of the log curve.

Depth Shifting

The depth shift tool in IP allows you to depth-shift a curve and this is useful for
example for depth-matching two log runs before splicing (gluing) them together. Click
on Edit → Interactive Bulk Depth Shift. A window containing the curves will open,
click Select Shift Curve, then on the log header click on the curve that you want to shift
and click Start Shift. The curve will be highlighted in green and ready to shift. Once
you have adjusted the curve to the accurate depth, click Finish Shift → Close.
Splice Log Curves

To splice two curves means to glue two curves together. This is used to splice two or
more different runs into one curve. Click on Edit → Interactive Curve Splice. Then
name the Result Curve (it is recommended to use the word Splice in front of the curve,
for example SpliceDT) and in the Input Curves add the curve that you would like to
splice.

Then click OK, a new window will open with the Input Curves in the left and the Result
Curve in the right. Click Finish Splice to finish and then you have the option to save.
5.2.7 Step 7: Environmental Corrections

Create a Temperature Curve

The temperature curve is required for some logging tool corrections and it is created in
IP by clicking on Calculation→ Temperature Gradient. A new window will appear
where you can input the temperatures along with their depths, leaving the Depth
Reference Curve as Depth and the Output Curve as Temp. Remember to select the
correct temperature unit. Click Run.

In a new Track, you can select the curve Temp and the temperature gradient will
appear.
Environmental Corrections

Click on Calculations → Environmental Corrections → then choose the logging

company (Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, etc); for example, click on
Schlumberger Corrections. Then the Schlumberger Environmental Correction dialog
screen appears. Tool types are organized on a series of tabs with appropriate
parameter selection options on each tab, depending on the tool type.
Fill in your available correction parameter data (careful with units). Click Run Tab →
Save → Close. It is important to Save corrections so when you re-open an IP session,
you can recall the corrections by clicking on Load.

You can check the correction results and compare them by loading the corrected curve
into the same track as the uncorrected curve.

5.2.8 Step 8: Clay Volume Calculation

To calculate clay volume, click on Interpretation → Clay Volume or Ctrl+Alt+C or the

Clay Volume icon .

There you have several ways of how to calculate the clay volume. Under the Single
Clay Indicators you can use GR, Neutron, Resistivity, SP, or a blank option where you
can put a different parameter such as Thorium. Also, you can calculate the clay
volume with Double Clay Indicator where you use two curves (such as density-
neutron) to calculate the Vclay. After your selection, click on Run → Yes to the
question “Do you wish to initialize Clay parameter plot?”

Then a new window will open, in this window you have the curve or curves you used to
calculate the Vclay and another column with the Vclay.

As you can see in the image above there are two arrows pointing at the GR maximum
and minimum lines of cutoff values. The cutoffs can be adjusted to select the
maximum and minimum value for the GR in different zones. By doing so, we can get a
more accurate value of the Vclay in the different zones.

5.2.9 Step 9: Crossplot Module

The Crossplots are used to graphically represent relationships between data and to
perform calculations on log curves; they can be scaled with linear or logarithmic axes.
Moreover, the Crossplot Module has some predefined overlays available to display on
the crossplot.

To create a crossplot click on View → Crossplot or click on the crossplot icon . A

new window will appear (see below) where you can choose what Curve Name to load
on the X Axis and Y Axis (two axes); also Z1 and Z2 Axis if you want data to be
displayed simultaneously on the cross plots with three axes. Set the Scale and check
whether you want it Log (logarithmic) or not. You can choose if you want any overlay
lines from the dropdown list of OverLay Lines. You can select the interval depth
meaning that you can do a crossplot just in the zones of interest by clicking the option
Interval Depths and selecting the Top and Bottom of that zone.

As an example, HNPHI (neutron) is in the X Axis, HRHOB in the Y Axis, and HGR in the
Z1 axis. Schlumberger Density/Neutron is selected for the overlay lines and an interval
depth was set. Then click Apply → OK.
A new window will appear like the one below where you have the crossplot with three
lines for Sandstone, Limestone, and Dolostone as overlay. We can also see that the GR
appears in the Z axis with colours.

Once the crossplot is done you have many options, if you click on File you can save the
crossplot, print it, copy it to clipboard, etc. If you click on Edit Format you will return to
the window where you put the parameters to change the scale for example. If you go
to Function you can do a lot of things such as create areas, highlight points (this can
also be done clicking the highlight icon ), pressure gradients, regression (fitting a
curve to data),etc. You can also check on the 3D box and you will be able to see the
crossplot in 3D as shown below.

5.2.10 Step 10: Porosity and Water Saturation

The calculation of porosity can also be done with IP. It can be done in two different
ways:

Porosity and Water Saturation in the Simple Log Interpretation

Porosity computed in the Simple Log Interpretation module is solved from the density,
sonic log or neutron-density crossplot; choose the appropriate input curve(s). The
water saturation can be computed using as input the parameters of Gamma Ray,
Resistivity, Vclay (optional); using the basic Archie formula. The simple module does
not include hydrocarbon or bad-hole corrections, and no flushed zone Sxo calculations
are made.

To do this click on Interpretation → Basic Log Analysis. Then a new window will
appear like the one you can see in the image bellow. Under the Curves tab, you can
choose the input curves and the output curves. Under the Parameters tab in the top of
the window. There you can split in zones, set the parameters for Vclay, density
calculation, neutron calculation and water saturation calculation.
Then first click on Run and after click Make Plot. A new window will appear like the
one below, showing the calculated porosity, Sw, and also a lithology curve.
Porosity and Water Saturation Analysis Module

The Porosity and Water Saturation Analysis module incorporates some commonly used
porosity and saturation models. This module assumes that any neutron curve entered
is in Limestone matrix units. If this is not the case then the curve should be converted
to Limestone units using the appropriate environmental correction module.

To do this click on Interpretation → Porosity and Water Saturation or press Ctrl+Alt+P

or click on the Porosity and Water Saturation icon .

Then a new window will appear. Under the Input Curves tab you have to load the
curves you have available and they have to be environmentally corrected. In the Initial
Porosity Model you can choose between Neutron-Density, Density, Neutron-Sonic,
etc. Under the Temperature Units select Centigrade as units. Below that you can
chose if your mud is oil based by selecting the Default Mud Type is OBM. Under
Default Saturation Equation drop-down list, select which method you want to
calculate Sw with such as Archie, Indonesian, Poupon, Waxman Smits, etc (for the
basic course choose Archie). In the Output Curves tab, you can choose which output
curves you want to display.
Then click OK → Yes (confirming you wish to initialize Phi Sw parameter plot). A new
window will appear like the one showed below.

5.2.11 Step 11: Creating Zones

We can split our well into different zones; this is useful for the zonation of lithology or
permeable beds. We create a new track and then click on Input/Output→ Load
Data→ Load Zone Tops.
Click on New Tops and the Edit Zone Tops window will appear. Create a Zone Set
Name name and then under the tab Zones fill in the Zone Name, Zone Top, and Zone
Bottom. Set the color in the Set Zone Colors tab. Then click OK and the zone will be
created. If you wish to make any other changes to the zones, you can click Edit in the
Zone Set window.

5.2.12 Step 12: Cutoff and Summation Analysis

The Cutoff and Summation Analysis defines the net reservoir and net pay intervals and
calculates the average petrophysical properties of each zone of interest.
Click on Interpretation → Cutoff and Summation or Ctrl+Alt+X or click in the cuttoff

and summation icon . The Cutoffs and Summation Report Setup window will
appear and is organized on three tabbed screens which are Input Curves, Reports Set-
Up/Default Cut-offs and Output Curves.

In the Input Curves tab, the first three input curves are pre-defined as Porosity, Water
Saturation, and Clay Volume. You have different depth indexes such as TVD, MD, or
TVT that can be used.

The Curve Type column allows you to set a type for the input Porosity, Water
Saturation and Clay Volume curves. The Input Curves window should look like the one
below:

Then click Run → Yes to answer “Do you wish to initialize Cutoff parameter plot?” The
plot should open. Adjust your cutoffs by moving the interactive cutoff lines for each of
the cutoff types. This will adjust the Reservoir Flag (green) and the Pay Flag (red).
5.2.13 Step 13: Plot Output (Creating an output image)

Log plots can be output in different ways either as an image/graphic file, sent directly
to a printer, or copied into the WINDOWS clipboard for incorporation in other
documents.

Click on the Output Plot to Printer icon that is located to the left of the scale in
the work area panel.
Main Plot Tab

The Plot Output window appears with several options (tabs). Under the Main Plot tab
you have the option of output device and you can choose to send the plot to a printer,
make an image (graphic file in the format of tif, jpg, etc), or copied into clipboard.
Depending on your choice, you will need to setup the printer or set the file name and
extension.

On the bottom of the Plot Output window, check the following:

 - Use Default Gridline Spacing: when this is selected it means that when you
click on on the Plot Scale drop-down list box and select a log vertical scale, the
grid line spacing boxes will be updated to the default settings for that vertical
scale.

Click on Set Top/Bottom Depths to set the top depth and bottom depth fields that you
want the log plot output to include. For example, you can set it to the whole well
range by clicking on the [Whole Well] option, or you can set it to a zone created
previously by clicking on the Select from Zone Set option.

- Plot Track Headers Titles: when selected, the Track Header Titles will be
included on the output Log Plot.
- Plot Scales at bottom of log: if selected, it will show the scales at the base and
top of the output Log Plot.
- Plot Shading description in header: if selected, it will output the shading boxes
created previously with their respective description in the curve track headers
of the Log Plot.

Plot Header Tab

Click on the Plot Header Tab. To see the well header on the output Log Plot, select
under the Plot Header drop-down list the Full template; then below add a Plot Title.