IADC/SPE-199625-MS

Automated Evaluation of Rocks Physical Properties to Enhance Drilling

Efficiency and Reduce Non-Productive Time

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Mohammed Murif Al-Rubaii, Saudi Aramco; Mohammed Ahmed Mahmoud and Rahul N Gajbhiye, KFUPM;
Abdullah Al-Yami and Mohammed B Al-Awami, Saudi Aramco; Saad Alafnna, KFUPM

Copyright 2020, IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Galveston, Texas, 3–5 March 2020.

This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s).
Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling Contractors or the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction
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its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the International Association of Drilling
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Abstract
Evaluating physical properties of rock while drilling can improve and optimize drilling operations and
save time and cost of the drilling operation. Logging tools, correlations, mini-frac test, micro-frac test, and
coring operations are used to have required parameters of physical properties of rock to have a clear image
about features of drilled formation. However, most of them are expensive, consumed time, decelerate wells’
deliveries and have impact of error influence. In this paper, physical properties of rock were calculated
by using surface drilling parameters and fluid rheological properties to ensure delivery of wells with
efficient drilling operations in optimum time and cost. Surface drilling parameters and fluid rheological
properties were collected to evaluate rock physical properties. The drilling parameters and mud rheological
properties in certain hole sections were analyzed first to determine the effect of rate of penetration (ROP)
and cuttings concentration in annulus (CCA) on physical rock properties of rock. Evaluating physical
rock properties while drilling from surface drilling parameters and fluid rheology properties will help and
enhance the drilling operations, minimize drilling problems and has a major impact on cost optimization.
The data selected are from the same hole size, formation type and mud type. The relationship between
collected drilling parameters, fluid rheological properties and physical rock properties were then evaluated
to determine the relationships of the correlations strengths. This is the first time to evaluate physical
rock properties from drilling surface parameters and fluid rheological properties and showed acceptable
calculated values. The results of this work include a developed model of rock bulk density that has been
validated and compared with sonic and bulk density logs. The model has shown very low absolute error
(less than 2%). Other physical properties of rock were determined based on developed bulk density model
by using strong correlations that are applicable for same scenario. Evaluation of physical rock properties in
the hole sections was tested and helped estimate bulk density, porosity and Ultimate Compressive Strength
(UCS).
2 IADC/SPE-199625-MS

Introduction
Reservoir quality is determined primarily by the distribution of petro-physical properties such as porosity,
permeability, pore size distribution, pore geometry and the presence of pore filling materials that may
have an effect on productivity or hydrocarbon recovery efficiency. Other important factor such as relative
permeability and capillary pressure relationships, are related to rock wettability and capillary pressure
effects. Thus, in order to fully describe reservoir quality, it is necessary to have knowledge of the
composition and characteristics of reservoir fluids, as well as the rock pore system. Automated evaluation
of physical rock properties while drilling will empower drilling team to have a basic element for reservoir

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description, well design and production optimization.
By understanding, the physics of engineering that applies solid mechanics, mathematics and physics
to quantify how rocks respond to drilling, stresses, pressure, and other phenomena will allow having
proactive avoidable problems and designed engineered solutions. Knowing physical rock properties, such
as bulk density, grain density, porosity, ultimate compressive strength and formation resistivity factor
will effectively help to have better estimation of overburden stress, formation pressure and compressive
strength. Using Moher circle and interpretation of its usage can ultimately lead to find shear stress's rate,
permeability, formation tops and formation pressure are related to reservoir and well description, and
extremely contributes to have clear and obvious image of them.
Automated evaluation of physical properties of rock meets the requirements or alignment with fourth
industrial revolution (4IR) as digital twin (bridging that is between physics and data) which is a part of 4-IR
and can ensure optimized well design such as casing design, drilling string design, mud window, bit selection
and improved well drilling performance. Holenka at el (1995) measured the bulk density, photoelectric
factor and neutron porosity by quadrants around the borehole. Li, Y. at el (2006) used the concepts of density
anomaly and density anomaly indicators, which are derived, based on Gardner's velocity-density relation
density anomalies that may be resulted by hydrocarbon saturation or mineral composition of rocks. They
investigated the physical background of density anomalies, and derived the equations for calculating density
anomaly indicators.
Oluyemi at el (2006) developed model of UCS to estimate reservoir strength and applied the model as
real time prediction. The developed model was based on number of parameters such as bulk compressibility,
stress path, porosity, grain size and sorting that have great influence of UCS by using a new neural
network model. Kelessidis (2011) evaluated rock drillability prediction from in situ determined unconfined
compressive strength of rock as well. Ijasan, at el (2013) estimated porosity and fluid content of formation
from neutron and density logs using an interactive matrix scale. Hydrogen index, grain density. bulk density,
porosity and shale content were calculated by using combined tools together. Dang el at (2016) developed
a new approach for measuring organic grain density by combining low-pressure pycnometer (LPP) grain-
density measurements, low-temperature oxygen plasma etching, and total organic clay (TOC) measurements
to estimate the grain density of organic matter in bulk shale. Organic density is clearly a direct function
of thermal maturity. Ma at el (2018) predicted grain density of rock by using NMR logging tool, studied
pore size structure by analyzing petro-physical hysteresis data and evaluated porosity by developing robust
model based on physics of rock.

The Scope of Improtance of Formation Evaluation While Drilling

Formation evaluation covers a wide range of measurements and their subsequent analyses. Although there
is often a strong emphasis on the evaluation while drilling.These are not the only data available to the petro-
physicist. Core analysis directly measures such key rock parameters as the porosity, permeability, and fluid
saturation. Drill stem testing (DST) gives insight into the reservoir permeability away from the wellbore,
skin factor, and the presence of potential barriers and impediments to flow within the reservoir, such as
faults and baffles. The parameters evaluated Values of predicted density log, porosity and UCS will help
IADC/SPE-199625-MS 3

to establish various formation evaluation studies are essential input data for geologists and geophysicists,
as well as production, petroleum and reservoir engineers. The task of the formation evaluation specialist
interpreting the log data acquired from a well (often a petro-physicist or a specialist geologist) is to determine
the type and quality of rock encountered, and whether this rock contains a sufficient volume of potentially
commercially producible hydrocarbons.
A reservoir rock is one that has both storage capacity that is porosity and the ability to allow fluids to flow
through it that is permeability. Porosity can form between the grains of sediments as they are laid down,
such as with inter-granular porosity in sandstone reservoirs. Porosity can also be developed, particularly in

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carbonate reservoirs, when chemicals in the groundwater react with rocks after they have been deposited.
Fracture porosity after deposition can result from the stresses caused by tectonic movements. Although not
intuitive at first, good porosity does not necessarily guarantee good permeability. However, with using the
introduced methodology will help to minimize or even eliminate the usage of the logging especially if the
filed reach the developments level. That will lead to massive cost and time effectiveness. Porosity is that
fraction of the total rock volume, which is filled with water, gas or oil.
The bulk density is generated by logging while drilling (LWD) and wireline well logging tools as figure
– 2 that provide a continuous record of a formation's bulk density along the length of an open borehole.
Overall distinction is made in this topic between those density logs obtained with logging while drilling
tools and from surface drilling parameters sensors as shown in figure – 3. The density of a mixture of
mineral components in a rock formation is a linear function of the densities of its individual constituents
(Abu-Khamsin, 2004). It is, therefore, possible in certain circumstances to calculate the porosity of a rock
formation from a density log reading alone. Porosity is one of the critical formation parameters used for
estimating the volume of hydrocarbons in place (STOIIP and GIIP) in a hydrocarbon accumulation.

Figure 1—Porosity formation of the Rock.

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IADC/SPE-199625-MS

Figure 2—Density Well Log.

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IADC/SPE-199625-MS 5

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Figure 3—Calculated Bulk density (g/cc) VS depth (ft)

Petro-physicists have a number of options for calculating the porosities from well logs, and these
alternatives enable them to make the most accurate porosity estimates for a range of situations. The three
main porosity tools, available with both logging while drilling (LWD) and wireline tool conveyancing
methods generate compensated neutron porosity, formation density together with a photoelectric factor
measurement, and sonic logs. These logging tools, irrespective of whether they are acquired by LWD or
6 IADC/SPE-199625-MS

wireline, are sensitive to the formation rock matrix material, shale content, porosity and fluid content of
the pore spaces.
It is still a common practice to conduct the main petro-physical interpretation in vertical and low deviation
angle wells using wireline conveyed logging tools. In higher deviation angle wells, often due to tool
conveyancing difficulties, either LWD or combinations of wireline and LWD are generally preferred. In
a few challenging offshore appraisal and development wells with complex geology (Ferraris et al., 2012),
a pilot vertical well is drilled, and only the basic resistivity, density and neutron porosity LWD data are
acquired. This is followed by a comprehensive wireline logging program consisting of array induction,

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neutron density, nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental spectroscopy, together with formation pressure
measurements and fluid samples. So the new methodology will ensure to estimate the porosity in type of
wells either vertical or directional wells.
The scale of formation evaluation measurements varies considerably, according to the technique used.
An overall scale of formation evaluation activities can be approximately presented in terms of orders
of magnitude. If one meter is taken as a unit of measurement, then some common formation evaluation
techniques can be placed in order, as shown in Table 1. Quantitative analyses of LWD and wireline well
logs provides values for a variety of reservoir parameters, such as: Porosity, Fine-grained rock (shale or
clay) content, lithology, net/gross ratio in the reservoir intervals, hydrocarbon saturation, fluid type (oil, gas,
water) and net pay. From these analyses, many associated parameters can be derived by their integration with
other data to establish hydrocarbons initially in place (STOIIP, GIIP), contingent resources, and parameters
for mapping within the discovered reservoir. Not all formation evaluation objectives are quantitative.
There are a number of qualitative, semi-quantitative and descriptive geoscience objectives, such as well-to-
well correlations facies analysis, synthetic seismogram generation, structural reconstructions, depositional
environment studies, and post-depositional diagenesis studies. In petroleum exploration, appraisal, and
field development, Physical rock properties evaluation are used to determine the ability of a wellbore to
produce hydrocarbons at commercial rates and to establish the reservoir parameters at each of the well
locations. The variability of the various reservoir properties is modeled throughout the reservoir to estimate
the original hydrocarbon in place volume and optimize the potential development well locations. Multi-
disciplinary studies determine whether the hydrocarbon in place volume is of a commercial size and the
reservoir rock has potentially commercial deliverability rates, leading to a conceptual Field Development
Plan (FDP). Formation evaluation is part of the process of "defining a potentially commercial discovery" if
the petrophysical formation evaluations are confirmed by drill stem testing (DST) to establish hydrocarbon
flows, productivity index and skin

Table 1—Scale and Uses of Some of the Common Formation Evaluation Techniques.

Order of
Formation Evaluation Technique Purpose and Uses of Data
Magnitude (meters)

106 Satellite imagery Overall basin outline

105 Basin geological studies; gravity Exploration lead generation

and magnetic airborne surveys

104 2D seismic and/or 3D seismic Exploration prospect definition, prospective resources

estimation

103 3D seismic Field appraisal (contingent resources estimation) and field

development (reserves estimation)

102 Drill stem tests Well productivity, skin damage, potential permeability
barriers and baffles to flow

101 Wireline formation tests Formation pressures in a vertically distributed profile and
fluid samples

100 Full diameter cores Porosity, permeabilities, lithology, fluid saturation, reservoir
description, depositional environment studies
IADC/SPE-199625-MS 7

Order of
Formation Evaluation Technique Purpose and Uses of Data
Magnitude (meters)

10-1 LWD and wireline logs Porosity, lithology, fluid saturation

10-2 Core plug and sidewall core Detailed petrophysical studies to determine rock and fluid
analysis; borehole imaging loos properties
(Fiaure 4)

10-3 Drill cuttings analysis (mud Initial hydrocarbon indicators-fluorescence on drill cuttings
logging) and cuttings gas

10-4 Core analysis Detailed rock and fluid properties analyses

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10-5 X-ray mineralogy Rock and clay typing

10-6 Scanning electron microscope Pore and micropore scale studies

(SEM)

Assumptions

• Tourtosity constant = 1

• Cementation factor = 2

• Boit oefficient = 0.8

• Transport ratio = 0.55

• Pore Pressure gradient = 1 psi/ft

Limitations

• Rig sensors availability.

• Mulfunction of rig sensors.

Methodology
Field data were used for offshore fields that have the same hole size and formation type such (sandstone,
limsteone, shale, siltstone and dolomite with OBM mud. The approach here is to predict those physical
rock properties by using surface field data of drilling parameters and mud rheology and analyze them to
develop the bulk density model. The data were screened and filtered to capture only of effective mud weight
and ECD of mud properties. Finding the bulk density will allow the drilling engineers to use in the well to
evaluate physical properties of the drilled hole section. The ROP was utilized in order to calculate effective
mud weight while drilling by using generated cuttings concentration in annulus and then calculate ECD by
using effective mud weight and mud properties.
After that, bulk density was estimated and compared with bulk density log to validate the result and
check applicability of usage in drilling automation as real time. The other physical rock properties were
estimated by using best or closest availability of correlations that has shown high accuracy when they were
compared with logs values. The model of bulk density was compared with bulk density of deviated hole
section that was having the interval length 2000 feet. The results were optimum and the average absolute
error between values of calculated bulk density by using developed model and bulk density log was less
than 2%. The results show that the ROP has strong relationship with bulk density, grain density, pore fluid
density, porosity, formation resistivity factor, velocity propagation of compression of correlation and UCS.
All other physical properties were calculated based on the validation of bulk density model compared
with bulk density log. The results of these correlations were compared with results of graphs of porosity
with UCS, Grain density with real grain density of drilled formation and porosity with formation resistivity
8 IADC/SPE-199625-MS

factor and have shown similar results of graphs from literature review. The CCA and ROP have strong
direct relationships with effective mud weight while drilling. ROP can explain and evaluate porosity
while drilling and especially total porosity can be calculated after estimating grain density of drilled
formation. UCS was calculated by using the developed bulk density model and velocity of propagation
correlation. Automated physical rock properties ensure the performance optimization of drilling and
workover operations significantly. The results were very optimistic and acceptable for discussion. The plots
of some of physical properties such as bulk density, porosity and UCS were plotted against depth in figure
−3, 4 & 5 respectively.

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Figure 4—Porosity VS Depth (ft)

IADC/SPE-199625-MS 9

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Figure 5—UCS (MPa) VS depth (ft)

Conclusions & Summary

After completing this work, it was found that the bulk density model is an effective tool to ensure optimized
automated evaluation processes of physical properties while drilling. Surface drilling fluid properties and
drilling parameters were used to develop bulk density model. The model can be applied in all challenging
hole sections with different drilling parameters and mud systems. The real time values of automated
10 IADC/SPE-199625-MS

evaluation while drilling down hole will give a better application of physical rock properties. The developed
bulk density model with respect of drilling parameters and mud rheological properties is more realistic than
other correlations.
The model is an effective tool for drilling engineering team, reservoir engineering, production
engineering, geologists, geophysicists, and petro-physicists as well. A lot of predictable knowledge can
be estimated and predicted form the bilk density model. Other applications such as geo-mechanical team
members will be able to estimate the earth stresses and formation pressures and stresses applied on wellbore
such as hoop stress. Operator's company will ensure proper well operations performance and minimize non-

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productive time of running logging tools and the related failures. Applying the model will reduce reducing
flat time by replacing automation process while drilling rather than usage of tools. The model achieves
efficiency and well operations performance that lead to cost effectiveness and contribute to well delivery.
The estimated or predicted values of physical rock properties will minimize massively the amount of
conducted work of finding them from lab work or logging tools. In addition, the results will help to interfere
to predict future values in the next plans for drilling, geology, geophysics, reservoir, production information.
That will empower the teams to plan, design and be decisive to execute the work successfully in optimum
time and cost with high quality and economics.

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