ICDP

International Continental Drilling Program

Log Interpretation in
Non-Hydrocarbon Environments
- Methods and Applications -

Dr. Renate Pechnig

Aachen University of Technology

Log data for lithology prediction

Enhanced interpetration for lithology reconstruction is
required if:
information on lithology is available only from cuttings
e.g. KTB main hole
core recovery is very low and cuttings are not available
e.g. ODP hole in oceanic crust (504B)
core recovery is high, but information on petrophysical
characteristics of the drilled rocks are also required
e.g HSDP2, Hawaii

KTB

Examples from the KTB boreholes

Overview KTB boreholes

Motivation for KTB

The KTB main hole has reached a depth of 9101 m.

Drilling strategy was targeted to avoid expensive coring.
The total core available from the main hole is only about
85 m.
In contrast, the KTB pilot hole was completely cored down to
4000 m.

Target

Transfer of log data into lithological information

Strategy

Calibration of log responses in the fully

cored 4 km deep KTB pilot hole
Transfer of knowledge to the more than
9 km deep main hole and
predict lithology from logging data.

Data Compilation and Calibration

Selection of calibration
intervals
Compilation of all
available core, cuttings
and log data

Comparing of core and

log data and
classification of
electrofacies

Electrofacies definition

Serra (1986)
An electrofacies is a set of log responses
which characterizes a rock type and
permits it to be distinguished from the
others

Identification of Electrofacies

1) Manual identification by examining the shape

of the various log curves and by relating log
boundaires to core stratigraphy.
2) Cross-plot techniques to identify and separate
the different rock types by their log responses.

Grouping of electrofacies in the pilot hole

Training and transfer to uncored sections

Learn stage:
Storing the specific
information of each
electrofacies into a
multidimensional data base
by using e.g. neural
networks, discriminance
analysis.
Transfer of the
electrofacies data base to
uncored sections >
level by level lithology
prediction.
Result:
a synthetic lithological
profile, the
EFA LOG

Example KTB Paragneisses pilot hole

EFA-Log versus core profile of a paragneiss section in a calibration section in

the pilot hole. Core recovery in this depth section is almost 100%.

Example KTB Metabasites pilot hole

EFA-Log versus core profile of a metabasites section in the pilot hole.

Core recovery in this depth section is almost 100%.

Example KTB Metabasites main hole

EFA - Log constructed from logs in the main hole compared to the cuttings
profile. Resolution of the log derived profile is much higher!

ODP

Examples from ODP Hole 504B

Drilling Location of Holes 504B and 896A

American Plate
MidAtlanic
Ridge

Cocos
Plate
Costa
Rica
Rift

Pacific
Plate

504B
896A
Nazca Plate

Motivation in ODP Hole 504B

Need for lithology reconstruction in ODP Hole 504B

504B is the deepest hole drilled in oceanic crust

core recovery is extremely low < 20 %
lithostratigraphic information from core is not complete

Simplified log responses of pillows and lavaflows

Cross plots: resistivity versus gamma ray

896A

10

10

0
10

100

electrical resistivity
(m)

10

total gamma ray (API)

total gamma ray (API)

504B

100

electrical resistivity
(m)

massive units
thin flows
pillow basalts

Cross plots: resistivity versus velocity

896A
7

2
10

100

electrical resistivity
(m)

10

VP (km/s)

VP (km/s)

504B
7

100

electrical resistivity
(m)

massive units
thin flows
pillow basalts

Results of cross plot analysis

massive units
high electrical resistivity
high velocity
low gamma ray

slightly altered
slightly fractured

thin flows
intermediate resistivities
intermediate velocity
intermediate gamma ray

intermediate alteration
intermediate fracturing

pillow basalts
low electrical resistivities
low velocity
high gamma ray

highly altered
strongly fractured

y
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o
c

Lithology Reconstruction

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LLD
(m)
1
500

Core
500

300

550

350

600

400

Depth (mbsf)

Depth (mbsf)

EFA-Log

650

massive units
dikes (core only)

450

700

500

750

thin flows
pillow basalt

Core recovery

Core
250

Core recovery

EFA-LOG of Hole 504B

EFA-Log
LLD
(m)
1
500

ICDP

Examples from HSDP2, Hawaii

Location Map
Big Island

HSDP - Drilling Location

Drill Hole

http://www.gps.caltech.edu/faculty/stolper/deep_drilling.html

Depth
Core
(ftbsl) Lithology
0

Core
Recovery [%]

Lithology of HSDP2
Depth
(mbsl)
0

1000

Final depth: 3110 mbsf

500
2000

3000
1000

4000

5000

1500

Core recovery: 95%

Legend
Aa
Pahoehoe

6000
2000
7000

8000
2500

9000

10000

L
O
G
G
I
N
G

3000

I
N
T
E
R
V
A
L

Transitional
Massive
Pillow
Hyaloclastite

Logging Program
HSDP 2
Logging Sections

Bitsize

412 ft/
126 m

Sonic

6007 ft/
1831 m

Magnetometer

Resistivity
Spectrum

BHTV

DTS

GR
TEMP
Caliper
Inclination

1981 ft/
604 m

8930 ft/
2723 m
USGS
Uni Hawaii

performed by
GFZ
Uni GtPotsdam
tingen

1st Run:
July 1999
2nd Run:
December 1999

Motivation for log analysis

Objective:
Reveal the internal structure of Mauna Kea and constrain
the understanding of volcano hydrogeology.
Understanding of volcano hydrogeology requires
information on porosity and permeability
Only few petrophysical measurements were made on cores
Log data provides the only continuous information for
porosity prediction
Porosity prediction form logs needs a prior understanding
of in-situ petrophysics and rock characteristics

Lithology reconstruction in the subaerial stage

In
fo
rm
at
io
n
C
or
e

Calibration
Core Lithology
Depth Resistivity medium Total Gamma Ray
(API)
(mbsl)
(Ohmm), log
1

10

100 5

10

Result

15

F
r
a
c
s

V
e
s
i
c
l
e
s

Lava Flow
Succession

Core
Lithology

A
l
t
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

Core
Recovery
(%)
700

U119c

U119

705

705
U120a
U120b

710

U120

U120c
U120e

715
720

815
725

825

710

U120d
U120f
U121a
U121b

U121

820

700

U119d

Discrimance
Analysis

U123
U124

??

715
720

U124a
U124b

725

U125a

730

U125

U125b

730

U126a

735

735
U126
U126b

740

740

U127a

U127b

745

745

U127c

830

835

750

750
U127

U127d

755

U127e

755

760

U127f

760

U128a

765

840

U128

770

765
770

U129

775

845

U130

780

775
780

U131

785

785

850
790

U132

795

855

790
795

U133

800

800

Log variability in the submarine stage

Depth
[ftbsl]

Resistivity(a)
deep
[Ohmm]

Total (a)
Gamma Ray
[API]

Total Field(b)
[nT]

Depth
[mbsl]

3600

LU 2

3800
4000
4200

Rocks described from

core as hyaloclastites
show significant
differences with depth

4400

Low resistivity high GR

4600

LU 3

4800
5000

Low resistivity low GR,

strong magnetic anomalies

5200
5400
5600

LU 4

5800
6000

(a) Borehole data, measured by GFZ-Potsdam, Operation Support Group (July 1999)
(b) Borehole data, measured by University of Goettingen, Institute of Geophysics (July 1999)

Log Unit Boundary

Changes in Total Field

= Magnetic Anomaly

High resistivity high GR

Log lithology and internal structure of Mauna Kea

Depth
[mbsl]

Resistivity
Total
deep Gamma Ray
[Ohmm]
[API]
1

Aa-, Pahoehoe Lava

widely brecciated partly low potassium
Aa-, Pahoehoe Lava
predominantly massive
Hyaloclastite, polymict/monolithologic
high matrix content, weak consolidation
Hyaloclastite, polymict/monolithologic,
high matrix content, strong consolidation
Hyaloclastite, monolithologic
few matrix content, weak consolidation

15

600

LU1

meteoric
alteration

subaerial flows

1000

LU2

volcanoclastic apron
low consolidation

Massive units weakly fractured,

Pillow units, massive to strongly fractured

10,000 4

1500

LU3
landslide - debris flow?

LU4
2000

LU5
LU6
LU7

2500

volcanoclastic apron
high consolidation

LU8
LU9

transition from pillow core

complex to volcanoclastic
apron