3rd International Conference on Mechatronics and Industrial Informatics (ICMII 2015)

Application of Archie Formula in Areas of Data Deficiencies

Bowen Qian1, a , Rui Deng1,b *, Bifang Lu1,c and Weinan Liu2,d

1
Key Lab of Exploration Technologies for Oil and Gas Resources, Ministry of Education (Yangtze
University), No. 111 Daxue Road, Caidian District, Wuhan 430100, China
2
School of Geophysics and Oil Resources, Yangtze University, No. 111 Daxue Road, Caidian
District, Wuhan 430100, China
a
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Keywords: Logging Curve, Saturation Model, Archie Formula, Formation Factor, Resistivity Index
Abstract. Based on the well logging data of the research area and the existing reservoir
interpretation, Archie Formula is modified to work out the new saturation model which can be used
to accurately calculate reservoir saturation when data of well log is incomplete. This paper
introduces the general situation of research area and concludes the new saturation
interpretation model by modifying Archie Formula according to characteristics of block,
interpreting the 4 wells in research area in remarkably improved remarkably.

Preface
Research area situates at the middle of upthrown side of Du32 fault of middle part in the
western slope in the western depression of Liaohe Basin, which is a monoclinal structure emerging
in the slope and complicated by faults. The major oil reservoir, in ancient climate conditions which
is alternate wet and dry and turbulent shore-shallow lake environment with shallow water body in
the sedimentary stage. Main lithofacies types include inequigranular sandstone covering about
10.24%, medium-fine sandstone about 8.44%, fine sandstone about 21.69%, clay-bearing
inequigranular sandstone about 33.4%, clay-bearing siltstone about 18.07%, pelitic siltstone about
8.13%.
In whole research area, the maximum of reservoir porosity is 35.4% with an average of 26.3%;
permeability maximum is 15.8μm2 with an average of 1.136μm2 ; maximum of carbonate content is
39.6% with an average of 12.19%; maximum of clay content is 33.3% with an average of 12.19%;
Intensity median maximum is 0.64mm with an average of 0.201mm. The sorting is uniform and
the average of sorting coefficient is 1.79. Most wells in research area only have 7 curves including
CAL，SP，RLLD，RLLS，RMN，RML，AC, which lead to data deficiency of well log and
rock-electricity under the condition of high shale content. According to the actual situation of
research area, the accuracy of saturation interpretation have been improved.

Classic Archie’s Formula

According to the rock-electric experiment, Archie firstly put forward the relation formula between
hydrocarbon reservoir resistivity and water saturation, that is Archie’s Formula.

Rt 1
I= =
R0 Sw n (3-1)

© 2015. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 982

 As Ro couldn’t be measured directly under the reservoir condition, Archie established the
relation between rock resistivity and rock porosity when filled with formation water. Accordingly
rock resistivity when 100 % full of formation water can be calculated by using rock porosity.
Therefore, saturation interpretation model that can be directly adopted for reservoir evaluation
reads.

abR w
Sw = n
Rt ⋅ ϕ m
(3-2)
The relation of reservoir rock resistivity and hydrocarbon saturation which was established by
Archie Formula have laid the geological basis of well log interpretation for hydrocarbon reservoir.
In Archie Formula, taking the ratio of Rt and Ro can eliminate the influence on the result caused by
characteristic changes of some porosity and fluid, highlighting water saturation as the main factor.
In Formula (3-2) , parameters (a, b, m, n), called as Archie parameters, are usually determined by
rock-electric experiments. Due to the complexity of influence factors of reservoir rock electrical
property, Mungan and Moore have analysed and pointed out that Archie Formula contains 3
implicit assumptions[2] , which include that 1. the relation of saturation and resistivity shall be only;
2. for the given reservoir rock, n is constant; 3. all the formation water can conduct current.The
above assumptions could be completely or approximately fulfilled only when rock physical
property is good and hard to achieve if complex reservoirs, such as argillaceous sandstone or
fractured reservoir, is encountered.

The Modification of Archie Formula

On account of various hysteresis effect, the relation of saturation and resistivity, not being only,
shall also be concerned with saturation history and displacement method. Secondly, for the
reservoir with strong heterogeneity, not all the formation water can conduct current due to the
existence of trapping phenomenon. Therefore, it always presents rock electrical property in complex
reservoir that Archie Formula can’t describe, which is called Non-Archie Phenomenon. In order to
implement saturation evaluation of complex reservoir, a series of extended Archie Formula have
been developed in the course of practice.
We know that common saturation model is drawn from experiment research[6].

abR w
Sw = n
Rt ⋅ ϕ m
（4-1）
In the model, Sw denotes water saturation; denotes formation water resistivity; Rt represents
hydrocarbon pure rock resistivity; φ represents effective porosity, a, b, m and n are coefficients. Rw
which requires many data to determine, can be replaced by these data that can be obtained easily or
already known when there are no enough data to confirm Rw.
Iterative method is adopted to verify Rw layer by layer in search of optimum value. Logging
curve value that is used to replace Rw shall accord with the changes of oil-water reservoir,
remaining stable and with low occurrence of extraordinary large abnormal value. SP curve which is
the only one related with the calculation of Rw among the several curves, can distinguish
oil-gas-water reservoirs as SP abnormal value of hydrocarbon reservoir is lower than that of water

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layer. Pure water layer, full of water and with pure rock property and large thickness own the
largest SP abnormal value.
By editing program, taking into logging curve data, then calculating average value by layers and
comparing with existed Logging interpretation conclusion, the below formula can be obtained:

1.0
S =
n 0.5 ∆ SP
w
R tΦ m
（4-2）
Both m and n is 2.0.

The Application of Field Data

Well X3 is a production well in research area whose porosity and permeability can be determined
by conventional methods and whose saturation can be interpreted by using research model. Below
is the interpretation Fig 1.

Fig. 1. X3 Well Logging Interpretation Result

In Well X3, there are 4 water layers whose porosity is in range of 18.4%-29.5% and water
saturation is in range of 50.6%-62.1%; 7 heavy-oil layers whose porosity is in
range of 25.2%-39.4% and water saturation is in range of 18.5%-29.4%; an oil-water layer whose
porosity is 38.2% and water saturation is 30.9%.
It’s seen from the logging curve data that deep lateral logging curve values of oil reservoir of this
well area is very high. The porosity and water saturation can be seen from the below table 1.

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 Table 1. X3 Well Data Chart
Water
Porosity Interpreting
Depth [m] Saturation Right or Not
[%] Conclusion
[%]
933.00-935.00 28.3 50.6 water layer yes
935.00-944.60 18.4 62.1 water layer yes
946.40-951.40 29.5 61.3 water layer yes
952.60-958.80 25.7 60.6 water layer yes
967.00-969.80 30.4 28.3 heavy-oil layer yes
972.80-987.80 25.3 27.1 heavy-oil layer yes
988.40-996.00 35.1 23.1 heavy-oil layer yes
1001.00-1005.00 27.9 26.7 heavy-oil layer yes
1007.80-1011.40 25.2 29.4 heavy-oil layer yes
1023.00-1033.40 39.4 23.8 heavy-oil layer yes
1077.80-1090.40 34.2 18.5 heavy-oil layer yes
1102.40-1109.00 38.2 30.9 oil-water layers yes

4 wells and 68 layers of research area have been separately studied in accordance with the model
discussed in the paper and after comparing with the data of oil testing and producing test, the
accuracy rate is 95.59%.

Conclusion
On the basis of Archie Formula and without the data of formation water resistivity to calculate
water saturation in well logging interpretation, the paper analyses the feasibility of self-potential SP
curve data replacing formation water resistivity and finally proves the feasibility and simplicity of
the discussed saturation model.
In spite of the convenience on the structure and operation led by the saturation formula model
that is discussed in this paper, there are still lots of deficiencies. For instance, average value of
spontaneous potential is taken in this paper to eliminate the influence of spontaneous potential
abnormal value with some useful information being discarded which need further study.

Acknowledgements
This work is Supported by The Yangtze Youth Fund Grant (No.2015cqn31).

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