Petrophysics

Tool summaries

December 17, 2012

1 Caliper (CALI)

Measures: The stando for the tool-caliper.

Used for:

Determining borehole diameter.

Detecting cave in/wash out.

Indicates permeability: Relatively smaller diameter

indicates thicker mud cake, which means the
formation is permeable.

Unit: in

2 Cable tension (TENS)

Measures: The tension in the cable holding the tools.

Used for:

Detecting if the tool is stuck.

Unit: lb

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3 Gamma ray (GR)

Measures: The gamma rays given out during the natural radioactive
decay of the rock.
Used for:

Determining the radioactivity level of the formation,

and thereby likely lithology (in combination with
other tools). Clay, for instance, emits a lot of gamma
radiation.
Determining the shale volume.

Depth control, because it can be run in both open

and cased holes.

Unit: API
Depth of investigation: 6-8 inches.
Corrections: Hole size, mud weight, mud type (KCl, barite), cased hole
formation. Modern logs are usually corrected for these
eects.
Relevant charts: GR1, GR2, GR3.
Usual gamma ray responses to lithology
Lithology API

Sandstone* < 30
Limestone < 20
Dolomite < 30
Shale 80-300
Coal < 20
Salt < 10
Anhydrite < 10
*Some types of sandstones have higher GR responses: mica, feldspar.
** Some heavy minerals also have high GR responses: zircon and apatite.

Calculating shale volume

GRlog GRmin
Vsh = (1)
GRmax GRmin

3.1 Natural gamma-ray - NGT (Natural Gamma Tool)

In addition to what the GR does, the NGT also measures the energy of the incoming
radiation, which enables it to identify the likely element undergoing radioactive decay.
NGT can be used to identify:

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 Mica and Feldspar (high potassium-40).
Heavy minerals, such as zircons and apatite (high thorium).
Fractures (high uranium).

4 Density - RHO8, RHOB, RHOZ, DENS ()

Measures: The formation's ability to scatter (medium energy) and absorb

(low energy) gamma rays. Only the medium energy radiation is
used to determine density. The property that's actually measured
is the electron density.
Used for:

Determining porosity.

Indicating lithology.

Unit: g/cm3
Depth of 6-9 inches.
investigation:
Corrections: Mud cake, washout, large borehole,
Relevant Lith-3, Por-11
charts:

Lithology
Limestone 2.71
Sandstone 2.65
Density of a few lithologies (0 pu)
Dolomite 2.857
Anhydrite 2.98
Salt 2.03
Shale 2.2-2.7
Coal 1.4

Porosity from density

matrix log
) (2)
matrix f luid

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4.1 Photoelectric Factor (PEF)

Measures: The formations ability to completely absorb gamma rays

(low energy).
Used for:

Indicating lithology.

Unit: Pef
Depth of investigation: A few inches.
Corrections: Mud (barite).

Determination of lithology from Pef Typical Pef values:

Lithology Pef
Limestone 5.08
Sandstone 1.81
Dolomite 3.14
Shale 1.8/6
Anhydrite 5.05
Salt 5.65

5 Neutron porosity - TNPH (Thermal Neutron Porosity, ratio method)

Measures: The formation's ability to absorb neutrons; i.e. its

hydrogen content.
Used for:

Determining porosity.

Detecting gas in formation (if neutron line is to the

right of density line).

Unit: Limestone porosity units.

Depth of investigation: 9-12 inches.
Corrections: Lithology, mud, mud cake, temperature, pressure, salinity.
Relevant charts: Por-5, Por-11

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6 Sonic
Measures: The speed of sound in the formation.
Used for:

Porosity, secondary porosity (better than

density-neutron in bad boreholes).
Permeability and fractures from the Stoneley waves.

Rock mechanics.

Identifying gas (compressional velocity decreases

signicantly in gas).

Unit: s/ft
Relevant charts: Por-1

Porosity from travel time Wyllie time average:

tlog tma
= (3)
tf tma

Raymer Hunt / Field Observation:

1 2


1
= + (4)
tc tma tf

7 Resistivity

Measures: The resistivity of the formation.

Used for:

Computing saturation (Sw ).

Depth correlation.

Unit: Ohmm
Depth of investigation: 90 inches (array induction).
Corrections: Invasion depth, adjacent shoulder beds, formation eects.
Relevant charts: Gen-6, Shoulder bed correction, Rt-2, Rt-3, SP-1, SP-2.

Water saturation from resistivity The Archie equation can be used to calculate the water
saturation for a formation:
aRw
Swn = (5)
m Rt

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In water zones (Sw = 1) the equation is simplied to
a
Rt = F Rw = Rw (6)
m

The meaning of the symbols are as follows:

Sw Water saturation.
Porosity.
m Cementation exponent (low pore isolation = m < 2, high pore isolation =
m > 2).
n Saturation exponent (if the formation is whetted by oil it will reduce the connectivity
and give n > 2).
a Tortuosity factor/lithology factor (approximately 1).
Rw Formation water resistivity.
Rt Formation resistivity.
In the invaded zone, the equivalents of Rt , Rw and Sw are, respectively, Rxo , Rmf
and Sxo . The equation here is as follows:
aRmf
n
Sxo = (7)
m Rxo

Rxo (resistivity in the invaded zone) can be obtained from micro resistivity (MSFL
- Micro Spherically Focused Resistivity); and deep laterolog (LLD) can be used as
an approximation to Rt .

Ratio method for determining saturation The ratio method for determining saturation
uses the values from the invaded zone in an area with Sw = 100%:
Rw Rxo
Rt = (8)
Rmf

Conductivity Induction tools are often used to measure resistivity. These measure con-
ductivity which can be converted to resistivity using the following equation:
1
R= (9)
C

Groningen effect

The Groningen eect is caused by highly resistive overlying beds forces the current back
into the mud collumn rather than returning to the surface.
The Groningen eect may be recognized using the LLG-plot; it can, however, not be
corrected.
Modern Array laterologs (HRLA) are not aected by the Groningen eect.

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8 Spontaneous potential (SP)

Measures: The dierence in electric potential (voltage) between an

electrode in the borehole and an electrode on the surface.
Used for:

Determining permeability (permeable formations

have an uneven distribution of ions due to membrane
eects between the layers). In permeable formations
the SP line will deviate from the shale base line.
Dierentiating potentially porous and permeable
reservoir rocks from impermeable clays.
Dening bed boundaries.

Give an indication of shaliness.

Determine Rw in both salt and fresh mud's.

Unit: mV
Corrections: Borehole, bed thickness, Rt /Rmf ratio, invasion diameter.
Relevant charts: SP-1, SP-2, Rcorr-9, SP-4

Determining Rw from SP Rw may be calculated from the following equation combined

with several charts:
Rmf eq
SSP = k log
Rweq
where k is a constant dependent on the temperature; the eq in Req stands for equivalents;
and SSP is the Static Standard Potential, the deection in SP from the shale baseline.
The charts used to determine Rw from this is SP 1 and SP 2 (and sometimes Rcorr-9
to get Rmf to correct temperature).
The work ow for determining Sw is as follows:
1. Read o SSP from log at maximum deection in a clean, water wet zone.
2. Get Rmf at the measured temp. from the log header along with BHT (Bottom
Hole Temperature) and correct for formation temperature using the salinity chart.
3. Convert Rmf to Rmf eq at BHT using chart SP-2.
4. Compute Rweq from SSP, Rmf eq and BHT using chart SP-1.
5. Convert Rweq to Rw using chart SP-2.

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9 Wireline formation testing (WFT)

10 Magnetic resonance

Measures: Relaxation time of hydrogen atoms in the formation after

magnetizing them into the z -plane, then ipping them into
the xy -plane.
Used for:

Determining permeability from the free id / bound

uid ratio.
Determining porsity.

Unit: mD for permeability.

Depth of investigation: Less than 10 cm.