Formation Evaluation

Objectives
• Describe information that can be obtained from a
mud log and from core samples.
• List and describe the information that can be
obtained from:
– six conventional openhole well logs
– six conventional cased-hole well logs
• Calculate water saturation using Archie’s equation,
given well log readings.
• Explain the purpose of subsurface maps and
describe basic contouring principles.
 Outline
Formation Evaluation
• Mudlogging
• Cores
• Wireline logs
• Logging while drilling (LWD)
• Drillstem testing
• Subsurface maps
Reservoir Modeling
 Gathering Data
Logs Borehole
Seismic
Information
from nearby 2D/3D
wells Surface
Operating Company Seismic

Core Regional
Data Geological Data
Data
Subsurface Geological
Procedures
 Mudlog Example
Drilling Rate Hydrocarbon Analysis

Interpreted
Total Chromotograph PPM
Visual Porosity

Continuous

Lithology
M. per Hr. Depth (m) Cuttings Analysis
Lithology Gas in air % Methane--- Ethane---
Propane--- Butane---
Remarks
Pentane---

20 15 10 5 1 10 PPM 1 K 10 K
LS: wht, dk, br, vf, xin, cin, hd
w tr foss

SH: dk gy, gy, frm, occ sft,

occ sity

SS: lt gy, cir, xin, sb ang, sb,

rnd, m grn, oil stn, bri yel
flour, bri gid stng cut

SH: dk gy, gy, frm, occ sft,

occ sity

SS: lt gy, cir, xin, sb ang, sb,

rnd, m grn, oil stn, bri yel
flour, bri gid stng cut
SH: dk gy, gy, frm, occ sft,
occ sity
 Cores
• Allow direct measurement of reservoir
properties
• Used to correlate indirect measurements,
such as wireline/LWD logs
• Used to test compatibility of injection fluids
• Used to predict borehole stability
• Used to estimate probability of formation
failure and sand production
 Information from Cores
Standard Analysis Special Core Analysis
• Porosity • Vertical permeability
• Horizontal to air
permeability to air • Relative permeability
• Grain density • Capillary pressure
• Cementation exponent
(m) and saturation
exponent (n)
Coring Assembly and Core Bit
Drill collar
connection
PDC Cutters

Thrust bearing

Outer barrel
Inner barrel
Fluid
vent
Core retaining
ring
Core bit
Whole Core

(Whole Core Photograph, Misoa

Sandstone, Venezuela)
Whole Core

(Whole Core Photograph, Misoa

Sandstone, Venezuela)
Sidewall Sampling Gun

Core bullets

Formation rock

Core sample
Sidewall Coring Tool

Coring bit

Samples
 Well Log Analysis
• Openhole logs

• Cased-hole logs
 Well Log
SP Resistivity
 Logging While Drilling
Azimuthal resistivity
(depth of investigation Transmitter for
12 in. or less) Gamma ray wireless telemetry
detector and measurement
Measurement of current
antenna

3/4º fixed Surface-adjustable

bent housing Motor
Stabilizer bent housing
and bearings Inclination RPM
gravity toolface
 Increasing Increasing Increasing
radioactivity resistivity porosity

Shale

Oil sand

Shale

Gamma Resisitivity Porosity

ray
 Openhole Well Logs
• Passive measurements
• Gamma ray: Indicates lithology
• Spontaneous potential: Indicates
lithology
• Caliper: Hole condition

• Active measurements
• Resistivity: Fluid saturation, fluid
Cap rock type
Oil • Porosity: Rock properties, quantity
of hydrocarbon
• Density: Rock properties, seismic
response
• Sonic log: Rock properties,
seismic response
Reservoir rock Source rock
 Borehole Conditions
Uninvaded zone
Zone of Transition or Annulus
Flushed zone
Bed 1
Sandstone Mud
cake
Bed
thickness
Bed
Boundary
Temperature,
Pressure Drop
Hole
Bed 2 size
Shale
 Well Log Interpretation
Logs provide detailed essential
information on wells and reservoirs
Well
• Rock type
Sandstone
• Porosity
Depth • Permeability
Claystone
• Fluid type
• Fluid volume
Limestone
• Formation tops
• Fractures
Shale

Granite
Common Types of Logs

• Gamma (GR)
• Spontaneous Potential (SP)
• Sonic (DT)
• Density (RHOB)
• Neutron (CNT)
• Resistivity (LLD)
 Gamma Ray Log

• Measures the formation’s natural radioactivity

• Passive recording
• Gamma ray logs are used for
– Shale identification
– Horizon marker identification
Spontaneous Potential (SP) Log
• Useful to
– Detect permeable beds
– Locate bed boundaries
– Determine formation water resistivity (Rw)
– Give qualitative indications of bed shaliness
• Measures electric currents flowing in the
drilling mud
Flow depends on difference between
resistivities of formation water (Rw) and
of mud (Rmud)
 Spontaneous potential Resistivity

SP Log

Depths
millivolts ohms. m2/m

20 0.2 1.0 10 100 1000 2000

Sand line

Shale line
 Sonic Log
• Measures acoustic properties of P, S, and
surface waves
• Transmits acoustic signal and measures time to
travel through the formation
• Values used:
– as a porosity indicator
– to identify lithology
– to create the acoustic impedance log
– to correlate with the borehole and surface
seismic data
– for fracture identification
 Upper
transmitter

R1
R2
R3
R4

Lower
transmitter
 Compressional Rayleigh
waves waves Mud waves

E3
E1

T0 E2

50
sec
 Density Log
• Measures bulk density of formation
• Counts gamma ray interactions with electrons
in the formation
• Values used to
– identify lithology
– create acoustic impedance log
– identify gas
– calculate porosity

Electron density is directly related to bulk density

Mud cake
(mc + hmc)

Formation (b)

Long spacing
detector

Short spacing
detector
Source
 Caliper

Depths
Hole diam. in inches -.25 0 +.25
6 16
Correction
Grams/CC
Gamma ray Bulk Density
API units Grams/CC
0 10 2.0 2.5 3.0

Mud Wt. 10 lb/gal

 Neutron Log
• Fast neutrons are fired at the formation and lose
energy by colliding with hydrogen atoms as they are
similar in size
• The tool measures the Hydrogen Index (HI) of the fluid
• Hydrogen Index = quantity of hydrogen per unit
volume
– HI (water) = 1
– HI (oil) < 1
– HI (gas) << 1
• The neutron log is used for
– Porosity calculation
– Lithology identification with bulk density log
 Resistivity Log
• Resistivity values are used
– To identify fractures
– To calculate hydrocarbon saturation
• Log measures the resistivity of the
formation water which depends on
– Amount of water present
– Pore structure
• Hydrocarbons are more resistant than water
to flow of electric current than water
 Meter

Generator
B N

M
Spacing O

Normal
 Meter

Generator
B

Spacing

M
O
N

Lateral (basic arrangement)

 Archie’s Equation
Empirical constant

a Rw
(usually near unity) Resistivity of
formation water,

S w n
-m

m

Water m Cementation

Rt
exponent
saturation,
(usually near 2)
fraction Saturation
exponent
(also usually Resistivity of
near 2) Porosity, uninvaded
fraction formation, -m
 Example Log Suite
Sonic Density Acoustic Caliper Gamma Resistivity Neutron
Impedance * Porosity
s/ft g/cc s/ft.g/cc in API m pu

Depth

?
Logging While Drilling (LWD)

• Provides:
• Real time correlation for picking coring and
casing points
• Real time overpressure detection in
exploration wells
• Real time logging to minimize “out of
target” sections (geosteering)
• Real time formation evaluation to facilitate
“stop drilling” decisions
Cased-Hole Logs
Formation Properties From
Cased-Hole Logs
• Porosity
• Saturation
• Permeability
• Reservoir geometry
• Temperature and pressure
 Why Log Cased Wells?
• To monitor production:

• Fluid contact detection and movement

• Other water/gas movement

• Injection front advance

• Water salinity
 Common Cased-Hole Logs
• Gamma ray log
• Natural gamma ray spectrometry log
• Neutron log
• Sonic log
• Thermal decay time log
• Gamma ray spectrometry log
 Drill Stem Testing
1. For exploration wells, establishes
the existence of hydrocarbons in
commercial quantities.

2. For production wells, can be used

to determine if stimulation is
needed.

3. Both open and cased hole DST

are performed.
Drill Stem Test Pressure History
Set Release
Packer Packer
Measuring pressure

1 2 3 4 5 6

Time
Modular Dynamic Tester

Electric power module

Hydraulic power module

Probe module

Dual probe module

Flow control module

Sample module
Subsurface Mapping
 Contour Maps
Data Type of Map

• Elevation • Structure, Fault, Salt

• Thickness of • Interval Isopach

sediments (isochore)
Isometric View of Dipping Plane
Structure Contour Map
(Horizontal Plane)

Isometric View
of Dipping Plane
(45 dip)
Isometric View of
Curved Surface
 Reading Assignment
Formation Evaluation

• SPE 28578, “Use of Resistivity Logs to

Calculate Water Saturation in the
Prudhoe Bay Field.”
 Summary
Formation Evaluation
• Well samples - mud logging

• Cores - whole and sidewall

• Well logs

• Drill stem tests

• Subsurface mapping
 Exercises
Formation Evaluation
 Exercise 1
• Describe the information that can be
obtained from a mud log and core
samples.

• List six conventional openhole well logs

and describe the information that be
obtained from each.

• List six conventional cased hole well logs.

 Exercise 1
Solution
• Describe the information that can be
obtained from a mud log and core
samples.

• List six conventional openhole well logs

and describe the information that be
obtained from each.

• List six conventional cased hole well logs.

 Exercise 2
• If the resistivity of the formation water
is 0.02 ohm-m, the resistivity of an
hydrocarbon zone is 10.0 ohm-m, and
the porosity is 0.3, what is the water
saturation?
 Exercise 2
Solution
• If the resistivity of the formation water
is 0.02 ohm-m, the resistivity of an
hydrocarbon zone is 10.0 ohm-m, and
the porosity is 0.3, what is the water
saturation?
 Exercise 3
• What are structural and isopach maps
used for?

• Closely spaced contour lines indicate

what?
 Exercise 3
Solution

• What are structural and isopach maps

used for?

• Closely spaced contour lines indicate

what?
 Exercise 4
• Draw a contour map of these subsurface
elevations. Use a contour interval of 25
feet.
130 240
190

210

85 163
62
51 150

80
190 225
257

178 205
116
 Exercise 4
Solution
125
240
130
190
175 150 200
200 210

75 85
163
62 150
51 150
80 175
190 225 200
100 257 225
116 178 205