Landmark 1D Pore Pressure Estimation Workflow

1D Pore Pressure Estimation

Workflow

Applications Needed

Presgraf and OpenWorks (Optional)

Objectives

The 1D Pore Pressure Estimation Workflow introduces you to the

Presgraf application and shows you how to calculate pore pressure
gradients.

Overview — 1D Pore Pressure Estimation

The 1D Pore Pressure Estimation workflow demonstrates two ways to

analyze the pore pressure of a single well:

• Use flat files in either *.LAS or a plain ASCII format.

• Use data from Landmark’s OpenWells application.

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Logging into Presgraf

To launch Landmark’s Presgraf application, click Start > Programs >

Landmark Presgraf > Presgraf to open a chart containing no data.

About the Presgraf User Interface

• Because Presgraf operates in a single window, the menu options at the

top change when you switch User Interfaces (UI). For that reason,
please identify user interfaces by contents rather than header
descriptions.
• Help displays in red text.

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Reading Logs from a Local Directory

To open a *.LAS or ASCII file:

1. On the menu bar at the top of the window, click File and then
select Open... from the drop-down list.

Selecting Files

You may also click the logs button and use the wizard to complete the workflow
for calculating EMW.

2. Select the Asc, Las, Bmp bullet.

3. Choose the PG–1Log Curves.LAS file.

4. Click the OK button to make the contents of the *.LAS or ASCII

file appear.

5. Select Metric for the Units.

6. Type 45 in the field between Water Depth and meters.

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7. Type 30 in the field between Air Gap and meters.

Column ID

The Column ID field displays the import logs.

8. The imported logs display in the bottom right window with the
Depth column automatically mapped. Select each log by clicking
in the corresponding field and number of the curve inputs.

OR

Highlight a column in the bottom right corner of the window and

click the appropriate Curve Input field.

Data Preview

The Data Preview changes depending on the columns selected.

9. After selecting all of the logs, click the Save button to save the
logs to a binary (*.BIL) file and close the window.

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10. After you import the logs, they display in a second interface for
calculating pore pressure.

By default, the GR log appears on the left track, with the Acoustic
(DT) on the right track. You can then overlay other logs one at a
time by selecting Analyze Log and then choosing the available log
that you wish to view:
• You can view the caliper log as an overlay on a GR or SP log.

• Click the PlotAll Data button to see the entire length.

• Use the Back button to return to the page length view.

• Use the PgDn and PgUp buttons to scroll the log.

Calculating Pore Pressure

You have three options available for calculating pore pressure:
• Interpret after selecting only shale points.
• Sample every lithology.
• Pick a point (which is a mean of every 170 feet).
For an under–compaction model, we typically confine interpretations
to shale intervals only. For that reason, use the first option:

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1. On the menu bar at the top of the window, click Analyze Log,
select Pick and Save then choose Pick Just Shales to open the
Presgraf Picks window.

2. Select the options shown below and click OK.

• Auto Picks allows you to pick shale points by pre–

determined or preferred criteria. The default of “12 Picks/
Page” displays picks at intervals of approximately 30 feet.
• Use CEC Limits to Pick Shales refers to the Cation
Exchange Capacity, the ratio of Kaolinite and Illitie to
Montmorillonite. In essence, this relation represents the ratio
of non-swelling to swelling clays in shales, a proxy of
compaction. The default CEC range runs from .4 to 2.2 meq.
Selecting this option eliminates picks from the Resistivity and
Acoustic picks that do not overlay shale areas meeting the
specified CEC criteria. These values may change if you know
the local measured values. If you do not know the measured
values, just use the default Presgraf values.

• Select the Add QC Overlay option to sample all available

logs and add the results to the *.BIL file.

ASCII File Creation

ASCII Files get created with the *.BIL file and saved in the selected folder with
extensions *.rsh, *.dt and *.rho.

You may graphically adjust the shale base line to the left or right to
see Presgraf automatically pick and move the points, but for this
step of the workflow, just use the default shale base position.

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3. Save and add the pick data points to the file by clicking the Save
Picks and Page Down button. Please proceed no further until
you have clicked that Save Picks and Page Down button.

4. Once the page moves to the next interval, save the points
continuously until you reach the end of the log. You should then
see the Travel Time Picks versus Depth Picks displayed with a
normal compaction trend line.

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Selecting Points of Interest

Upon reaching this step, you cannot go back to reselect other points of interest.

Porosity and Density Display

Only the Porosity and Density displays do not permit you to calculate pore
pressure.

5. Click Analyze DT and then select Step 1: Set Parameters to open

the Models screen.

Wizards
You may also follow the workflow steps by clicking the logs file and following
the steps given by the wizard.

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6. Accept the default interface settings (check them against the

preceding graphic) and click the OK button.

Default Settings
If the default settings do not match the preceding screen shot, use the drop-down
menus to select the displayed options.

7. On the menu bar at the top of the window, click Analyze DT,
select Advanced Options then choose Step 2: Adjust Trend
Lines to open the Adjust window.

8. Use the arrows to the right of Vcl (shale volume%) = 0.40 and
adjust the trend to 0.33 for the data in the shallow section (the
change affects matrix times velocity). Then, set the Vcl back to
0.40 by clicking the left arrow.

Changing Vcl trends

Instead of using the arrow buttons, you may also click and hold down the left
mouse button on the Vcl text and move the mouse left or right to change the
current trend.

Normal Compaction Trend

Besides the Uplift Basic Adjust option, you may use the Advanced User Option
functions to adjust C and phi0. You will not adjust these elements in this
workflow, however.

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9. Click the Cancel button to close the Adjust dialog.

OR
Click the OK button to save your selection.

10. Repeat the seventh step until you feel satisfied with the changes,
then click the OK button.

Metering Values
By altering the values, you change the attributes of the polynomial to suit the data
in the shallower sections of the log, which should represent normal compaction.
For that reason, we call it the “Normal Compaction Trend.”

Warning
Before proceeding to Calculate Eq Mud Weight, click Analyze DT and then
View as Mud Weight to examine the mud weights. Remember that you cannot
go back and make changes to the Normal Compaction Trend once you begin to
calculate the EMW pore pressure.

11. To calculate the EMW pore pressure, click Analyze DT on the top
menu and choose Step 3: Calculate Eq Mud Weight (pore
pressure) from the list of options.

12. Next, you must calculate the Fracture Gradient, a function of Pore
Pressure as well as the Overburden Pressure Gradient (Presgraf
already calculated the Overburden for you based on the

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Overburden Model you chose earlier in this workflow). Click

Analyze Psi on the top menu and then choose Add Overburden
Reference Line to display the Overburden Usage Gradient.

13. On the top menu, click Analyze Psi on the top menu, then choose
Calculate Fracture Gradient to display the Fracture
Measurement Gradient (as well as the Pore Pressure, Fracture
Pressure and Overburden Pressure gradients).

14. Display the gradients in terms of absolute pressure with depth by

unchecking the PSIG icon or selecting Analyze Psi and then View
Pressure as, which displays the gradients in psig.

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15. On the top menu, click Format, then choose Symbols or Legend.

16. Change the pore pressure curve symbol type from Triangle to
Circle, as shown below for the Pg-1logcurves.PP (pg) curve.

The updated pressure plot should resemble the example below:

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17. As long as Presgraf displays the pressure gradient curves in psig,

both the Overpressure and All Overpressure buttons

remain enabled. Click one to display the overpressure curve.

To calculate the overpressure value for the depth of interest,

Presgraf subtracts from the current observed formation pore
pressure the total of the hydrostatic pressure to the mudline plus
the normal formation pore pressure.

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Importing Logs from an OpenWorks Database

1. To import logs from OpenWorks, click File on the menu bar at the
top of the window, select OpenWorks and choose Import Data to
open the OpenWorks Import window.

2. Select the Source Project, Well Lists and Well as shown above.

3. Pick each log by clicking in the field and number corresponding to

the curve inputs.

Column Numbers
You can assign different column numbers by entering them in the field manually.

4. Select OpenWorks Pos Log for the Depth Mode (TVD).

5. Select Meters for the Depth Units.

6. Type 45 in the field between the Wtr Depth and m, and 30 in the
field between Air Gap and m as shown above.

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7. Name the file and use the Browse button to save the file in your
“working” folder.

8. Click a mark into the Create Ascii File with selected curves box.

ASCII Files
Presgraf saves ASCII Files created with the *.BIL file in the Presgraf installation
folder by name OpenWorksCurves.las.

9. Click the Create BIL button. A red line message in the Presgraf
interface indicates the progress of the binary file data conversion.
Presgraf displays a confirmation message after creating the *.BIL
file, then shows the logs in a second interface when it has them
ready for pore pressure analysis.

• Click the PlotAll Data button to see the entire length.

• Use the Back button to return to the page length view.

• Use the PgDn and PgUp buttons to scroll the log.

• A red message indicates when you can interpret the log.

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10. Verify that GR appears in the left track and Acoustic (DT) in the
right track (they should display that way by default).

Overlaying Logs
Overlay the logs one at a time, or add an available Caliper log as an overlay of GR
or SP.

11. Use the Analyze Log menu tool to switch the interpretation
between logs for the calculation of pore pressure.

Acoustic/Acoustic Shear/Resistivity/Density
Use the Acoustic/Acoustic Shear/Resistivity/Density function to interpret the
logs, but keep this order of priority.

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