WELL LOGGING - INTRODUCTION

a ) Definitions:
1 ) For Vertical Well:
•RT: is the Rotary
Table
• MD: is the
Measured Depth
which is the distance
between the rotary
table to the end of
well.
•KB: is the Kelly Bushing which is the
distance between rotary table & the
mean seal level (MSL)
• MDss: is the Measured depth sub
sea which is the distance between
mean sea
level (MSL) to the end of well
(MDss=MD-KB).
2 ) For Deviated Well
(Directional):
•TVD: True Vertical
Depth which is the
vertical distance from a
point in the well to a point
at the rotary table.
•TVDss: true Vertical
Depth Sub Sea which is
the vertical distance from
a point in the well to the
mean seal level.
•MD: Measured Depth (always>TVD)
• θ : Angle of inclination which is angle of
deviated well with respect to its vertical
origin
• A: Azimuth which is angle of deviated well
with respect to Magnetic North Pole.
Terminology
of a
directionally
drilled well
(slant-hole)
 Short laterals ~ few
hundred ft.

Intermediate laterals
~ few thousand ft.

Long laterals ~
several thousand ft.

Typical build rates for horizontal wells

3 )Whether drilling vertical or horizontal,
making hole depends on:
Dip of beds
Hardness and rock composition
Bit design
Drilling parameters
Faulting
Fracturing
NOTES:
•If the well is vertical, TVD = MD
•The difference between TVD & TVDss is
always = KB
•Most of wells are not 100% vertical (have a
deviation about 1 or 2 degree at
the end of well).
•The best algorism calculation used in
deviation survey is Minimum Curvature
Algorism.
•KB & GL values sometimes have negative
(-ve) values if the survey area location if it
below the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
History of deviated/horizontal drilling
 DRILLING RIGS

Drillship Semisubmersible Jackup Submersible Land Rig

From Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary

Anatomy of a Rotary Drilling Rig

Drill bit:
Boron alloy buttons +/- diamond grit.
Anatomy of a Rotary Drilling Rig
Mud is pumped through the
drill string to the bit; as the
mud rises to the surface it
carries “drill chips” along with
it.
Drill Chips:
1 to 5 millimeter diameter
pieces of rock.
Collected and bagged as the
mud brings the chips to the
surface.
1 sample bag represents 3
meters of drilled rock.
3) Well Logging (borehole logging )
(Wireline logging ):
•It is the practice of making a detailed
record (a well log) of the geologic
formations penetrated by a borehole.
•The log may be based either on visual
inspection of samples brought to the
surface (geological logs) or on physical
measurements made by instruments
lowered into the borehole (geophysical
logs).
•The Well log (The Bore Hole
Image ) 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.
•Thus, A well log is a record
of certain formation data
versus depth.
Traditionally, Logs are
display on girded papers
shown in figure.
• What is meant by (Wireline Logging ) :
The process of logging involves a number of
elements, which are schematically illustrated
in Fig. LO-10. Our primary interest is the
measurement device, or sonde. Currently,10
over fifty different types of these logging tools
exist in order to meet various information needs
and functions. Some of them are passive
measurement devices; others exert some
influence on the formation being traversed. Their
measurements are transmitted to the surface by
means of the wire line.
Fig. LO-10 :
● Nowadays, the log may be taken as films,
images, and in digital format.
 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 hydrocarbon.
 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.
•Well Logging is called also Wireline logging due
to the Wireline cable which carries at its end the
instruments &lower it into the well.
•An interpretation of these measurements is then
made to locate and quantify potential depth zones
containing oil and gas (hydrocarbons).
•Logging tools developed over years to measure
the electrical, acoustic, radioactive,
electromagnetic, and other properties of the rocks
and their contained fluids.
• The most frequently used logs are open hole
logs ( which ) are recorded in the uncased portion
of the wellbore.
 LOGGING UNITS
Logging service companies utilize a
variety of logging units, depending on
the location (onshore or offshore) and
requirements of the logging run. Each
unit will contain the following
components:
logging cable
winch to raise and lower the cable in the
well
self-contained 120-volt AC generator
set of surface control panels
set of downhole tools (sondes and
cartridges)
digital recording system
Work Flow Chart
b ) Log Properties of Interest :

The two primary parameters determined

from well log measurements are:
 Porosity, fluid composition and relative

saturation
• Log interpretations are determined by
one of three general types of logs:
 Electrical

 Nuclear

 Acoustic or sonic logs

 Formation Properties
Radioactivity
Porosity
Grain density
Pore Size
Stratigraphy
Bedding, Dip
Sonic Velocity
Seismic Velocity
 Fluid Properties
Salinity (Resistivity)
Density
Saturation
Pressure
Temperature
Viscosity
Mobility
Bubble Point
 Borehole Properties
Depth
Caliper
Spontaneous Potential
Temperature
Cable Tension
Deviation, Azimuth
c) Basic Components of Logs:
The measured well log consists of:
1)LOG HEADER:
includes all information about the well
logged and information necessary to
describe the environment the measurement
has been informed in (e.g. drilling mud
parameters). Tool sketches and remarks
informing about specific events during thee
logging operation complete the header.
2) MAIN LOG:
main display of measurement performed.
3) LOG TRAILEER:
includes tool /computation parameter table
and calibration records.
d) Wireline cables :
Wireline cables consist mainly
of two layers:
• Outer Wire rope: to provide
strength to cable to carry the
instruments.
• Inner Wire: to provide electric
power to downhole equipments
& for data telemetry.
e ) Wireline Unit: :
•It is the cabin that contains the surface
hardware needed to make Wireline logging
measurements.
•The logging unit contains at the minimum
the surface instrumentation, a winch, a
depth recording system and a data
recorder.
• The surface instrumentation controls the
logging tool, processes the data received
and records the results digitally and on hard
copy.
•The winch lowers and raises the cable in
the well. A depth wheel drives the depth
recording system.
•The data recorder includes a digital
recorder and a printer.
1-Onshore:
The logging company sends Truck Logging
Unit which contains the computers, winch
and recorders.
2-Offshore:
The logging unit is stored as small house on
the rig.
38
Tool strings
used in
wireline
logging
operations
f) Logging Tools:

•They are electronic devices that records

data over depth.
•The tool is attached to the end of
wireline cable & lowered to the borehole.
• There are many types of tools such
BHC tool, GR tool, Density tool and many
others
Usually, these tools are integrated as
measurement sensors in one tool called
Sonde.
•Cartridge: The section of a wireline
logging tool that contains the telemetry,
the electronics and power supplies
for the measurement, as distinct from
the sonde that contains the
measurement sensors.
Logging Tools
Logging Tools
g) HISTORY :
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 and 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 1936 the curves were
SN,LN AND LAT
The dip meter log were developed in 1930
The Gamma Ray and Neutron Log were
begin in 1941
h ) The Caliper Tool:

•It is a 3 armed device that measures the

internal diameter (I.D.) of casing or open
borehole completions.
•This information is crucial to all types of
production logging.
•The caliper probe provides a “first look”
at borehole conditions in preparation for
additional logging.
•The log is used to measure borehole
diameter , locate fracture zones, assess
borehole quality and stability, and for
calculation of bore volume for pile
construction.
• Increasing in diameter of borehole
indicates about Wash out Process (ex:
Shale).
Decreasing in diameter of borehole
indicates about Invasion process (ex:
Porous Sand).
 Formation of
mudcake along
the walls of
permeable
layers due to
mud filtration &
Washout along
the walls of
shale due to
mud circulation.
Caliper
Tool &
Caliper
Log
i ) The Drilling Fluids ( Mud ):
1 ) Uses
1)lubricate the bit and drill
assembly,
Mud 2)circulate & Remove Cuttings ( the
broken rock fragments produced
is
during drilling)
used
3)cool and clean bit
to 4)prevent lost circulation
5) maintain & control pressure in
the hole to prevent blow out.
6)maintain wellbore stability
ROTARY DRILL BIT, WORN

From Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary

2 ) Types of Drilling Fluids
Water-based muds
 Most common and least costly

 Bentonite, dispersants, and NaOH

added
Oil-based mud; lots of +’s and –’s (see
handout)
Air drilling (see handout) <1000 psi,
500-800 cfm
-Dry air
-Misting
-Foam
 Common
normal
subsurface
pressure
gradient

Over-
pressured

ppg = pounds per gallon

pcf = pounds per cubic ft
j ) Bore Hole Environment :
Where a hole is drilled into a formation,
the rock plus the fluids in it are altered in
the vicinity of the borehole

56
The formations encountered in the bore
hole during drilling are invaded to some
extent by drilling fluids ("mud")
The mud invades the formation to at least
some degree.
 Thus , in order to make useful

physical measurements of the insitu

rock properties the measurement's
must be made well into the rock (if
possible) or mud infiltration must be
accounted for. 59
K ) Well logs- the necessity :
These measurements are necessary because
geological sampling during drilling (cutting
sampling) leaves a very imprecise record of the
formations encountered.
Entire formation samples can be brought to the
surface by mechanical coring, but this is both
slow and expensive.
The results of coring, of course, are unequivocal.
Logging is precise, but equivocal, in that it needs
interpretation to bring a log to the level of
geological or petrophysical experience.
However, logs fill the gap between ‘cuttings’ and
cores, with experience, calibration and
computers, they can almost replace cores, as they
certainly contain enough information.
L ) Importance & Uses :
Logs Help Define
physical rock characteristics
 Lithology / mineralogy,

 porosity,

 pore geometry, and

 permeability.

Logging data are used to:

 identify productive zones,

 determine depth and thickness of zones,

 distinguish between oil, gas, or water in a

reservoir, and
61
 to estimate hydrocarbon reserves
Well logs- Why we run logs ?
Objectives of wire line logging
1-Lithology identification
2-Determination of reservoir characteristics (e.g.
porosity, saturation, permeability).
3-Discrimination between source and non source
rocks
4-Identification the fluid type in the pore space of
reservoir rock ( gas, oil, water)
5-Identification of productive zones.
6-Determination the depth and thickness of productive
zones.
7-Locating reservoir fluid contacts.
8-Well to well correlation for determining the lateral
extension of subsurface geologic cross sections.
9-Determination formation dip and hole angle and size.
Principal uses of open hole wireline logs
 LOG INTERPRETATION OBJECTIVES

The objective of log interpretation depends very much

on the user. Quantitative analysis of well logs
provides the analyst with values for a variety of
primary parameters, such as:
porosity
water saturation, fluid type (oil/gas/water)
lithology
permeability
From these, many corollary parameters can be
derived by integration (and other means) to arrive at
values for:
• hydrocarbons-in-place
• reserves (the recoverable fraction of
hydrocarbons in-place)
• mapping reservoir parameters
In quantitative log analysis, the objective is to
define :
• the type of reservoir (lithology)
• its storage capacity (porosity)
• its hydrocarbon type and content (saturation)
its producibility (permeability)
But not all users of wireline logs have quantitative
analysis as their objective. Many of them are
more concerned with the geological and
geophysical aspects. These users are interested
in interpretation for:
• well-to-well correlation
• facies analysis
• regional structural and sedimentary history
Applications
depth to lithological boundaries
lithology identification
 minerals grade/quality
 inter-borehole correlation
 structure mapping
 dip determination
 rock strength
in-situ stress orientation
 fracture frequency
 porosity
 fluid salinity
 Logging applications for petroleum engineering
•Rock typing
•Identification of geological environment
•Reservoir fluid contact location
•Fracture detection
•Estimate of hydrocarbon in place
•Estimate of recoverable hydrocarbon
•Determination of water salinity
•Reservoir pressure determination
•Porosity/pore size distribution determination
•Water flood feasibility
•Reservoir quality mapping
•Interzone fluid communication probability
•Reservoir fluid movement monitoring
Questions answered by well logs,:
1 ) The Geophysicist:
As a Geophysicist what do you look for?
i. '' Are the tops where you predicted?
ii. '' Are the potential zones porous as you have
assumed from seismic data?
iii.'' What does a synthetic seismic section show?
2 ) The Geologist:
The Geologist may ask:
i. '' What depths are the formation tops?
ii. '' Is the environment suitable for accumulation
of Hydrocarbons?
iii.'' Is there evidence of Hydrocarbon in this well?
iv.'' What type of Hydrocarbon?
v. '' Are Hydrocarbons present in commercial
quantities?
vi.'' How good a well is ti?
vii.'' What are the reserves?
viii.'' Could the formation be commercial in an
offset well?
3 ) The Drilling Engineer:
i. " What is the hole volume for cementing?
ii. " Are there any Key-Seats or severe Dog-legs
in the well?
iii." Where can you get a good packer seat for
testing?
iv." Where is the best place to set a Whipstock?
4 ) The Reservoir Engineer:
The Reservoir Engineer needs to know:
i. " How thick is the pay zone?
ii. " How Homogeneous is the section?
iii." What is the volume of Hydrocarbon per cubic
metre?
iv." Will the well pay-out?
v. " How long will it take?
5 ) The Production Engineer:
The Production Engineer is more concerned with:
i. " Where should the well be completed (in what
zone(s))?
ii. " What kind of production rate can be
expected?
iii." Will there be any water production?
iv." How should the well be completed?
v. " Is the potential pay zone hydraulically
isolated?
M ) Depth Of Investigation Of Logging
Tools
N ) Types of boreholes & Well logs :
1 ) Types of boreholes :

According to Casing operation

- Cased holes
- Open holes
According to conductivity of the borehole
- Conductive (water base drilling mud)
- Non-conductive boreholes (oil base mud, air
drilled or cased holes)
Cased holes Open holes
2 ) Types of well logs :

Wireline logs
(Electrical, Radioactive, Acoustic,
mechanical, Thermal and Magnetic logs)

Formation Testers
(Repeated Formation Tester, Drill Stem
Tests)
Some Logging Companies
Schlumberger
Gearhart
Dresser Atlas
Welex
Haliburton
Others
O ) The Logging Plan (Program):
• Prior to drilling a well, a logging program is
chosen with a suite of tools to be run that is
suitable for the target formation Petrophysical
property, the engineering characteristics of the
hole (mud type, hole diameter, etc.), and the
problems to be resolved by the tool
measurements.
P ) The Logging Operation:
• When the hole approaches total depth ( TD) , the
recommended logging tool is prepared, calibrated and
lowered down the hole. At the TD , only TD &
BHT(Bottom Hole Temperature) are recorded.
• When the tool reaches TD is raised through 100 or
200 feet recording the “repeat section”.
• The tool is lowered back to the bottom for main run
recording and to compare with repeat section for a
quality assurance of repeatability.
• The logging speed is slower while recording
between (1800 and 3600 f/hr) according to the
physical type of measurements.
• Both hard-copy and digital files can be supplied to
the company representative or can be send by a
satellite and analyzed immediately by a
Petrophysicist in a company office.
Q ) READING A LOG :

Reading a log with ease requires familiarity with some

of the standard log formats.
The formats for traditional logs and most field logs are
shown in Fig. 2.6 and can be seen to contain three
tracks. A narrow column containing the depth is found
between track 1 and tracks 2 and 3. The latter are
contiguous. The top illustration shows the normal
linear presentation, with the grid lines in all three
tracks having linear scales each with ten divisions. The
middle figure shows the logarithmic presentation for
tracks 2 and 3.
•Four decades are drawn to accommodate the
electrical measurements, which can have large
dynamic ranges. Note that the scale begins and
ends on a multiple of two rather than unity.
• The bottom illustration is a hybrid scale with a
logarithmic grid on track 2 and a linear one in
track 3. Electrical measurements that may spill
over from track 2 into track 3 will still be
logarithmic even though the indicated scale is
linear.
R ) Log Interpretation :
• Interpretation is defined as the action of
explaining the meaning of something.
• Log Interpretation is the explanation of logs ρb,
GR , Resistivity, etc. in terms of well and reservoir
parameters, zones,
porosity, oil saturation,
etc.
• Log interpretation
can provide answers to
Questions on: