Spontaneous Potential (SP)

John Warren
 Self Potential (SP) log
Discipline Used for Knowing
Quantitative Petrophysics Formation Mud filtrate
water resistivity &
resistivity (Rw) formation T

Shale volume SSP and

shale line
Qualitative Petrophysics To indicate Shale line
permeability

Geology Facies
(shaliness) Clay/
Grainsize
Correlation relationships
 Self Potential (SP) log
● Spontaneous potential log is a record of the direct current (DC)
voltage between naturally occurring potential of a moveable
electrode in the well bore, and the potential of a fixed electrode
located at the surface (must be earthed). The lack of a earth is a
problem in offshore wells - log is rarely run on offshore platforms
● Records differences in electrical potential from formation to
formation
● Hole must be filled with conductive mud, SP can not be measured
in oil-based mud,empty holes or cased holes
● Scale of log is millivolts, there is no absolute zero and only
changes in potential are recorded
● Measurement is straightforward, understanding and correctly
interpreting the log is not
 Liquid junction or diffusion
effects (≈17% of SP)
membrane Net current flow

Na Na
Cl Na Cl Na
Na Na
Cl Na Cl Na

Cl Na Cl
Cl + - Na Cl

Cl Na Cl Cl Na Cl
Na Na
Cl Cl

Original conditions Dynamic conditions

● Ions from solution with higher concentration tend to flow to
solution with lesser concentration (osmosis)
● Because Cl- ions flow faster, a conventional current flows from
less concentrated to more concentrated solution
 Liquid junction potential (Elj)
● Mud filtrate is typically the less concentrated solution
compared to formation (connate) water
● The greater the contrast in salinity between mud filtrate and
formation water, the larger is this potential

Mud Shale

Invaded Invaded Connate

zone zone water

Current Current

Shale
 Shale membrane potential 

(Em ≈ 83% of SP)
Na
Na
(ionic sieve)
Shale Cl
Cl Na Shale
Cl Cl
Na

Na Cl Cl
Cl
Mud Na
Mud Cl Na
Cl
Cl
Connate
Sand Cl Na
Sand Connate
water Cl
water

Original conditions Dynamic conditions

● Clay lattices are permeable to Na+ ions but not so permeable to Cl-
ions. Thus a shale acts as a “battery” or ionic sieve
● Reflects crystalline structure or clay where cation exchange capacity
allows cations to cling to clay surface while anions migrate
 Origin of SP signature
V
(-) (+)
● Where Rmf > Rw the main
contributing batteries are:
 Shale base

 line
Shale
Ed the liquid junction
Esh
potential across invaded- SSP
virgin contact in the aquifer & 
 Esh*

Esh the membrane potential

across sand shale contact 
 Emc
SP Ed
amplitude Sand

● Lesser batteries are liquid

junction (electrofiltration)
effects across mudcake (Emc)
and across thin shale layer Shale
Mud
next to borehole (Esh*)
 Total SP (Etotal = Ed + Esh)

SP
Emembrane
Elj + Em
Shale
Sand
Eliquid junction
Invaded Virgin
Mud zone zone
● The contributions of Esh* and Emc tend to be small and to cancel each
other so the the total potential measured by an SP log is considered a
combination of the liquid junction potential (Ed≈ 17% of SP) and the
membrane potential (Esh ≈ 83% of SP)
 Total Potential
● For NaCl solutions at 25°C (77°F):

Esh = -59.1log(Rmfe/Rwe)

and Ed = -11.5 log(Rmfe/Rwe) 

where Rmfe and Rwe are equivalent resistivities closely related to
the actual values of Rmf and Rw and the values are in millivolts

!
● Combining the two means the total potential or static SP (SSP):

SSP = -K . log (Rmfe/Rwe) 

where K is proportional to absolute temperature and is
approximated by (61+0.13T) with T in °F, that is:



SSP = - (61 + 0.13T) . log (Rmfe/Rwe) 



 Total SP value (Etotal)
● When mud filtrate salinities are less than formation
waters (i.e. Rmf < Rw) then SP deflects to the left, the
SP potential is negative, this is called the normal SP
● When mud filtrate salinities are more than formation
waters (i.e. Rmf < Rw) then SP deflects to the right, ,
the SP potential is positive, this is called the reverse
SP
 SSP
● SSP represents the maximum SP that a thick, shale-free, porous
and permeable formation can have for a given ratio between Rmf/
Rw
● SSP is necessary when determining accurate values of Rw and
volume of shale
● Measured SP is influenced by:
» Bed thickness (e.g. when <3m {10’} SP <SSP)
» Bed resistivity (high resistivity reduces deflection of a curve)
» Invasion (usually not significant)
» Borehole diameter (usually not significant)
» Shale/hydrocarbon content (reduces SP of a permeable bed)
» And most importantly by Rmf/Rw
 Shape of SP curve
● The sharpness of the SP curve at a bed boundary and therefore the
vertical bed resolution depends on the pattern of current flow at the bed
boundary
● Beyond the bed boundary the current flow decreases to zero. If the bed
is thick enough the potential becomes constant and very close to the
SSP boundary
● Boundaries are opposite points of inflection on the curve, not
necessarily the halfway point on the curve transition. The more gradual
the boundary transition the more difficult to define the bed boundary
● “Rule of Thumb:” The thickness required for the SP to reach 80% of the
thick bed reading (SSP) is:

Ri = Resistivity invaded zone

Ri
h= Rm Rm = Resistivity mud
 Shape of SP curve
Current lines Shale base line
A Rsand
=
B Rshale=50
Rshale A
= Rsand Rshale=1
= 1 B Rshale
50
= 1
1
A B Rsand=1
A Rsand=1
B

A Rsand Rshale=50
= Rshale=1 A
B Rshale = 50
B 50
= 500
1

Rsand=500 A B
A B Rsand=50

Rshale=10 Rshale=25
 SP of thin beds in hard rock
SP log & inflections SP currents
-

+
+

Thin permeable bed - +

relatively conductive
Compact bed
v. high resistivity

Shale bed
-
impervious &
conductive
Resistivity of formation water
(Rw) from SP curve
● Calculate formation temperature
● Correct Rmf and Rm to formation temperature
● With thin beds, correct SP to static SP (SSP)
» Need bed thickness
» Need resistivity from shallow reading tool (Ri)

● Use SSP to calculate Rmf/Rwe

● Back out the equivalent resistivity Rwe from Rmf/Rwe
value
● Correct Rwe to Rw from knowledge of NaCl solutions
and formation temperatures
 Volume of shale calculation
● Fine clay laminations or dispersed clays create internal
membrane potentials that create a potential opposite to the
normal electrochemical potential. This reduces the SSP to a
PSP or pseudo static spontaneous potential. 


● The percent reduction in a nonhydrocarbon bearing sand is

equivalent to the percentage of shale

!
● Vsh= 1.0 - (PSP/SSP)



Vsh is volume of shale in permeable bed

PSP is pseudo static spontaneous potential

SSP is static spontaneous potential of thick clean sand or
carbonate
 SP Anomalies
● Where hydrocarbons are present the SP deflection is lessened,
this creates an inflection in the curve that can sometimes be
used to identify a hydrocarbon-bearing portion of a sand
● Vertical migration of filtrate (less dense fluid) within a highly
permeable sand filled with brine (more dense fluid) means after a
few days the invasion is quite deep in the upper part of bed and
much less so in lower part of bed. The SSP is significantly
reduced in lower part of bed (as the diffusion potential Ed is much
reduced). At the top of the sand the SP deflection is rounded by
the much higher resistivity of the deeply invaded fresher filtrate.
● Spurious DC currents or noise can be created by anomalous
inputs such as telluric currents, bimetallic potentials, cathodic
protection devices, leaky rig power sources, welding machines,
magnetised cable drums, and intermittent contact between
casing and logging cable.