Assoc. Prof.

Issham Ismail CEng CMarEng

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Johor Bahru
FORMATION EVALUATION ?
 Formation Evaluation There is no
oil and gas
• Should we evaluate the here after
we drilled !
formation?

At least study
the cuttings!
How to get
the cuttings?
 DEFINITION OF FE
Formation Evaluation (FE) is the process of
interpreting a combination of measurements
taken inside a wellbore to detect and quantify
oil and gas reserves in the rock adjacent to the
well. FE data can be gathered with wireline
logging instruments or logging-while-drilling
tools. Data are organized and interpreted by
depth and represented on a graph called a log.
 TWO KEY QUESTIONS IN FE
(1) What are the lower limits for porosity,
permeability and upper limits for water
saturation that permit profitable production
from a particular formation or pay zone; in
a particular geographic area; in a particular
economic climate?

(2) Do any of the formations in the well under

consideration exceed these lower limits?
 Formation Evaluation (FE)
• Data Requirements
– Rock/formation properties (i.e., thickness, lithology, porosity,
permeability, pressure, etc.)
– Fluid properties (i.e., hydrocarbon and water, saturation, etc.)
– Flow potential
• Data While Drilling
– Drilling operations log (progress, mud, cuttings, etc.)
– Cores
– MWD or LWD
• After Drilling
– Open-hole well logs (before casing!)
– Cased-hole Logs
– Reservoir fluid samples
– Flow potential (drill stem test)
– Wireline formation test
 FE Methods
 Drilling operation logs (mud
logging) – cuttings, mud, drilling
data, etc.
 Coring
 Productivity tests (WFT/RFT, DST)
 Wireline logging
What Is Petroleum Engineering?

Petroleum
Engineering, by
definition, is finding
crude oil and natural
gas in the ground
and devising a way
to bring it out of the
ground in a safe and
cost effective.
An oilwell
Casing on rack
OILWELL TUBING
PACKER
Horizontal well
Measurement while drilling
Can a dead elephant
form crude oil?
Onshore seismic operation
Offshore seismic operation
Cushing Field
Blowout
(1914)

The
outcome of
a successful
cable-tool
well.
1901 Spindletop Field
discovery #1 Lucas

Blowout @ 1,020’ :
~100,000 BOPD
Striking an oil zone
Modern drilling using top drive
Onshore oilwells
 Fixed Platform Components

Offshore oilwells
Wellhead deck (L) and riser (R)
Gravity Base Structures (GBS)
FE - Sample/Lithologic Log – Source:Cuttings
 FE - Logging While Drilling (LWD)/
Wireline Logging

Wet Sand

Possible Hydrocarbon
FE - Coring
FE - Coring
FE - Coring
Coring Bits vs Drilling Bits
Drilling Bit vs Coring Bits
FE - Coring
Cores
Sidewall Coring
Rotary Sidewall Coring
FE - WELL LOGGING: Wireline
FE – REPEAT FORMATION TESTER ( RFT )

RIH TESTING
RFT/WFT/MDT
RFT – PRESSURE DATA
FE - DRILL STEM TESTING ( DST )
 Conductor

Cement
Casing

Cement
Liner Hanger

Liner
Cement
RFT- Formation Fluids Test Sampling
NO OIL !!!
Plug &
Abandon
Run-in Casing
Casing with protector
Lifting casing
Cementing & Casing accessories
Centralizer Casing accessories

Scratcher
Cementing & Casing accessories
THE END
Run-in Casing