ACADEMY FOR POSTGRADUATE

STUDIES
PETROLEUN GEOLOGY

WELL LOGGING

Hamed Elwerfalli
 What is well logging?
 Well log is a continuous record of measurement made in bore hole
respond to variation in some physical properties of rocks through
which the bore hole is drilled.

 Open-hole logging, also known as well logging is the practice of making

a detailed record (a well log) of the geologic formations penetrated by a
borehole.
 Open hole logs are run before the oil or gas well is lined with pipe or cased

 Traditionally Logs are display on girded papers shown in figure. Now a

days the log may be taken as films, images, and in digital format

 Well logging is performed in boreholes drilled for the oil and gas and
ground water
History of Well Logging
1912 Conrad Schlumberger give the idea of using electrical measurements to map
subsurface rock bodies.
in 1919 Conrad Schlumberger and his brother Marcel begin work on well logs.
The first electrical resistivity well log was taken in France, in 1927
The instrument which was use for this purpose is called SONDE, the sond was stopped
at periodic intervals in bore hole and the resistivity was plotted on graph paper.
In 1929 the electrical resistivity logs are introduce on commercial scale in Venezuela,
USA and Russia
For correlation and identification of Hydrocarbon bearing strata.
The photographic – film recorder was developed in
The dip meter log were developed in 1930
The Gamma Ray and Neutron Log were begin in 1941
Logging Unit–A specialized truck installed with a full computer system
for data acquisition & processing

Measurement methods
To log the well, drilling must be stopped and the drill string must be
removed from the borehole.
 Typically, the winch lowers the wireline cable and sonde to the bottom of
the borehole.
 When the sonde is on the bottom, the winch slowly rises it up to the
surface.
 When it moves up through the borehole, the sonde takes formation
measurements. This is called "logging up.
 In some cases, measurements may be taken as the sonde is lowered
into the borehole.
 The electrical cable carries power to the sonde. Measurementsare not
stored in the sonde.
 Instead,formation measurements are transmitted up hole through the
cable to the logging unit for processing.
 Principal of Well Logging

 A well log is a record of certain formation data versus depth.

 The appropriate downhole logging tools instrument called ‘sonde’, about

3.5 inches in diameter is lowered into mud-filled hole on logging cable.

 This tools will measure the electrical, acoustic, and radioactive properties
of the formation.

 The result will be analyzed to determine which of the layers are porous and
permeable, and likely to contain hidrocarbon.

 A depth calibration wheel records the length of cable in the hole.

 Survey is normally done from the bottom up. As the sonde is pulled up the
hole, a continuous measurement signal is sent to the surface where the
data is processed and recorded as a curve.
The Importance of Well Logging:

 Determination of lithology.
 Determination of reservoir characteristics (e.g. porosity, saturation,
permeability).
 Determination formation dip and hole size.
 Identification of productive zones, to determine depth and thickness of
zones.
 Distinguish between oil, gas, or water in a reservoir, and to estimate
hydrocarbon reserves.
 Geologic maps developed from log interpretation help with determining
facies relationships and drilling locations.

Advantages:
 Continuous measurements.
 Easy and quick to work with.
 Short time acquisition.
 Economical.
Types of Boreholes
According to Casing operation:
The name open hole is applied because these logs are recorded in the
uncased portion of the well bore.
The closed hole logs is applied because these logs are recorded in the cased
portion of the well bore.

The various types of logs, the ones used most frequently in hydrocarbon
exploration are called open hole logs.
According to conductivity of the borehole:
Conductive (water base drilling mud) and Non-conductive bore holes (oil base
mud, air drilled or cased holes)

Formation Evaluation:
Critical information from a well comes from:
 The mud log Open holes
 Cores. Cased holes
 Cutting
 Geophysical logs
Classification of Well Logging
Gamma Ray Logging (GR)
The GR log is a measurement of the natural radioactivity of the formations.

 In sedimentary formations the log normally reflects the shale content of the formations.

A scintillation detector that measures the natural radiation from a formation

..

For both logs GR and SP:

Deflections to the right = Shale
Deflections to the left = Sand
Clay

Sand
Spontaneous Potential Logging (SP)
The spontaneous potential (SP) curve records the naturally
occurring electrical potential (voltage) produced by the
interaction of formation connate water, conductive drilling
fluid, and shale.

 Though the SP is used primarily as:

 A lithology indicator
 Acorrelation tool,
 Permeability indicator,
 Shale volume indicator
 Porosity indicator,
 Measurement of Rw
Log Presentation
Identify Permeable Zones
Shale Content
Shale Content
SP shapes and Depositional Sequence
Caliper Log
POROSITY DETERMINATION BY LOGGING

Increasing Increasing Increasing

radioactivity resistivity porosity

Shale

Oil sand

Shale

Gamma Resisitivity Porosity

ray
 Porosity Log Types

Main Log Types

 Bulk density

 Sonic (acoustic)

 Compensated neutron

These logs do not measures porosity directly. To accurately

calculate porosity, the analyst must know:

 Formation lithology
 Fluid in pores of sampled reservoir volume
 Density Logging

 Density logging tools are used to measure the bulk

density of the formation.
 The tool is based on a radioactive source.

Density
Caliper

Bulk density, b, is dependent upon:

– Lithology
– Porosity
– Density and saturation of fluids in pores
• Saturation is fraction of pore volume
occupied by a particular fluid (intensive
Density Logging
Sonic (Velocity) Logs
• Sonic (DT)
– Acoustic energy emitted by a transmitter, travels through the
formation/fluids, detected by multiple detectors.
– Log displays the interval transit time (Dt) in msec/ft
(actually an inverse velocity).
 Sonic or Acoustic Logs
 Provide continuous record of the time taken in microsecond/foot by sound wave to travel from the
transmitter to the receiver n the sonde.

 Velocity of sound through a given formation is a function of its lithological and porosity.

 Dense, low porosity rocks are characterized by high velocity of sound wave and vise-versa for
porous and less dense formation
 Factors Affecting Sonic Log Response
GR DT
0 API 200 140 USFT 40
 Unconsolidated formations CALIX SPHI
6 IN 16 30 % 10

 Naturally fractured formations 4100

Sonic
 Hydrocarbons (especially gas) Caliper travel time
Gamm
 Rugose salt sections a Ray
Sonic
porosit
y

4200
 Neutron Loggong
 Logging tool emits high energy neutrons into formation
 Neutrons collide with nuclei of formation’s atoms
 Neutrons lose energy (velocity) with each collision
 The most energy is lost when colliding with a hydrogen atom nucleus
 Neutrons are slowed sufficiently to be captured by nuclei
 Capturing nuclei become excited and emit gamma rays

 When the detector records slow neutrons, it means a lot of hydrogen is

present – main component of water and hydrocarbon, but not of rocks.
 Considered as porosity log because hydrogen is mostly present in pore
fluids (water, hydrocarbons) the count rate can be converted into apparent
porosity.
Neutron Loggong
 Depending on type of logging tool either gamma rays or non-captured
neutrons are recorded.
 Log records porosity based on neutrons captured by formation.
 If hydrogen is in pore space, porosity is related to the ratio of neutrons
emitted to those counted as captured.
 Neutron log reports porosity, calibrated assuming calcite matrix and
fresh water in pores, if these assumptions are invalid we must correct
the neutron porosity value.
 Porosity Logs

• Density porosity (solid black line)

– measure the bulk (average) density of the formation (rock & fluids)
• Neutron porosity (dashed red line)
– measures the hydrogen content

Deflections to the left = more porous

Deflections to the right = less porous
– Dashed red left of Solid black black = Shale
– Dashed red right of Solid black = Gas Sand
– Dashed red over Solid black = Wet Sand or Oil Sand
001) BONANZA 1
GRC ILDC RHOC DT
0 150 0.2 200 1.95 2.95 150 us/f 50
SPC SNC CNLLC
-160 MV 40 0.2 200 0.45 -0.15
ACAL MLLCF
6 16 0.2 200
CNLLC
10700
0.45 -0.15

10800

Neutron
10900
Log
 Resistivity Log
Resistivity logs: Water is a better conductor of electricity than oil and gas.
Petroleum fluids are much more resistive to electricity than formation
water having measurable salinity.
Resistivity logs operate on this principle.
The resistivity tool basically consists of two electrodes. The first
electrode sends electric current into the fluid-filled formation, and the
current flows back to the second electrode located at the other end of the
tool forming an electric circuit.
Depending on the conductivity of the formation fluid, the intensity of
current varies as the tool is slowly pulled toward the surface.
Oil zones are indicated by relatively high resistivity.
Common resistivity tools include, dual laterolog and microspherically
focused log.
Additionally, dual induction logs are also employed to determine fluid
type and saturation, and are equipped with induction coils to measure the
conductivity.
Resistivity Log
 Resistivity measures the electric properties of the formation,
 Resistivity is measured as, R in W per m,
 Resistivity is the inverse of conductivity,
 The ability to conduct electric current depends upon:
 The Volume of water,
 The Temperature of the formation,
 The Salinity of the formation

The Resistivity Log:

 Resistivity logs measure the ability of rocks to conduct electrical current
and are scaled in units of ohm-meters.The Usage:
 Resistivity logs are electric logs which are used to:
 Determine Hydrocarbon versus Water-bearing zones, Indicate Permeable
zones,
 Determine Resisitivity Porosity.
Resistivity Logs
• High deep resistivity means:
– Hydrocarbons
– Tight streaks (low porosity)

• Low deep resistivity means:

– Shale
– Wet sand Formation Fluid
different from
Drilling Fluid
• Separation between resistivities means:
– The formation fluid is different from the
drilling fluid
– The formation is permeable to the
drilling fluid
Formation Fluid
similar to
Deep, Medium, and Shallow refers to
Drilling Fluid
how far into the formation the
resistivity is reading (4 ft, 2 ft, few in)
Resistivity Profiles
Depth of Investigation:
Logging tools are designed to measure resistivity at different depts
radially from the wellbore to determine the resistivity of the flushed zone
and the virgin zone.

Flushed ‘zone is closest to the wellbore and has “been invaded “by
drilling fuids (original fuids have been flused out)

Virgin ‘zone is farthest from the wellbore and has not “been invaded by
drilling fluids. Clients will want to use virgin zone measurements
 Resistivity Logs
 Use to measure the resistivity of the formation, and thus the possibility
of hc shows.

 A sonde sends an electrical signal through the formation and relays it

back to a receiver at the surface (induced electricity). The surface
detector will measure the formation’s resistance to the current.

 A rock which contains an oil and/or gas saturation will have a higher
resistivity than the same rock completely saturated with formation
water.
 Induction Logs

 Use to measure the conductivity of the formation, and thus the possibility
of hc shows.

 A rock which contains an oil and/or gas saturation will have a lower
conductivity than the same rock completely saturated with formation water.

 Induction logs use an electric coil in the sonde to generate an alternating

current loop in the formation by induction.

 Induction tools t give best results when mud resistivity is high with respect
to formation resistivity, i.e., fresh mud or non-conductive fluid. In oil-base
mud, which is non conductive, induction logging is the only option
available.
Putting It Together
We will assume that
this well was drilled with
an oil-based mud