IDENTIFICATION OF SALT FROM RESISTIVITY

AND RADIOACTIVITY LOGGING METHODS

Identification of salt or salt zones in a drilling well requires use of many different types of
information. Even then sometimes positive identification is difficult or impossible. The
following types of information aid identification:
1. Condition of the mud and mud resistivity.
2. Drilling rate.
3. Response of resistivity logging methods and auxiliaries; e.g., Induction-
Electrical Survey, Electrical Survey, Microlog, Laterolog and Microl.aterolog.
4. Response of radioactivity logging methods; e.g., Gamma Ray and Gamma Ray-
Neutron.
5. Cuttings or sidewall cores.
This discussion will concern itself with identification of salt from a study of Resistivity,
Radioactivity, and Auxiliary logs.

Properties of Salt
Rock salt is a poor conductor of electrical current. It has a high apparent resistivity. Since pure
salt is non-porous, it should contain no uncombined or interstitial water. Salt found in and
around salt domes is fairly uniform, therefore, the apparent resistivity is a high and relatively
uniform value.
The natural radioactivity of salt is low. It exhibits a very low gamma ray level, usually below
1 micro-gram of Ra Equiv. per ton. Since the Hydrogen ion concentration is low, the neutron
count level is high.
The following table summarizes the physical and electrical properties of salt: Electrical
Resistivity High
Porosity Low
Travel Time ( t ) 67 to 70 usec/ft
Natural Gamma Ray
Radioactivity Low
Neutron Radioactivity High
Salt is very soluable in water. When dissolved in water, it forms a highly ionized solution. A
solution of very salty water or salty mud would have a very low resistivity; i.c., it would be a
good conductor of electrical current.
This information should be considered when explaining the responses of various resistivity
logging methods where wells have been drilled into salt.