Oil Shale Formation Evaluation

by Well Logs and Core Measurements

Robert Kleinberg
Schlumberger-Doll Research
Cambridge, Massachuse:s

AMSO:
Alan Burnham, Roger Day
TOTAL:
Pierre Allix
Schlumberger: Malka Machlus, Michael Herron, James Grau
Nikita Seleznev, Gabriela Leu, Peter Hook

Objectives of Oil Shale Well Logging

Volumetrics Density Porosity, Resistivity, Magnetic Resonance

total mineral matter
water
kerogen

Composition Capture Spectroscopy

common inorganic minerals (quartz, calcite, illite . . .)
unusual inorganic minerals (dawsonite, nahcolite . . .)
total organic carbon

Geology - Microimager
fractures
vugs
slumps

Oil Shale Well Log Montage

50 ft

black=albite

Objectives of Oil Shale Well Logging

Volumetrics Density Porosity, Resistivity, Magnetic Resonance

total mineral matter
water (& salinity)
kerogen

Composition Capture Spectroscopy

common inorganic minerals (quartz, calcite, illite . . .)
unusual inorganic minerals (dawsonite, nahcolite . . .)
total organic carbon

Geology - Microimager
fractures
vugs
slumps

Gamma-Gamma Density Log

Measures Sum of Water + Kerogen
Density Porosity

ma b
D =
= w + k
ma f

ma = matrix (grain) density (~ 2.7 g/cc)

D = porosity measured by density tool

b = bulk (measured) density

w = volume fraction water

f = fluid (water+kerogen) density (~1 g/cc)

k = volume fraction kerogen

Kerogen is Invisible to Magnetic Resonance

Magnetic Resonance Signal

Measurement Dead Time

kerogen
200 s

water

Measurement Time

2s

Kerogen Volume from Density & Magnetic Resonance Logs

Density Magnetic Resonance (DMR) Method
Density Porosity

ma b
D =
= w + k
ma f

ma = matrix (grain) density (~ 2.7 g/cc)

D = porosity measured by density tool

b = bulk (measured) density

w = volume fraction water

f = fluid (water+kerogen) density (~1 g/cc)

k = volume fraction kerogen

Magnetic Resonance Porosity

k = D MR

MR = w

Density Porosity & Magnetic Resonance Porosity

0.6
0.6

bad hole masked

Density Porosity

0.5
0.5

Porosity
Porosity

0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3

Kerogen

0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
00
2020
xx00

NMR Porosity
2040
xx20

2060
xx40

100
feet
Depth (ft)

2080
xx60

2100
xx80

2120
x100
100108-03b

Well Log
Kerogen
(gal/ton)
Well Log
Kerogen Volume
Volume (gal/ton)
CoreCore
Fischer
Assay (gal/ton)
Fischer Assay (gal/ton)

Well Log Kerogen Volume vs Core Fischer Assay

80
80

Well Log Kerogen Volume

Core Measured Fischer Assay

60
60

40
40

20
20

00
1900
xx00
xx00

1950

xx50
xx50

2000

x100
x100

Depth (ft)

Depth (ft)

2050

x150
x150

2100

x200
x200
100829-11b

0.4

Total Organic Ma:er

as frac>on of ore weight

TOM = k (D MR)
b

Total Organic Ma:er

0.3

0.2

gallons of oil per ton of ore

FA = [TOM 0.019]199

0.1

Synthe'c Fuels Data Handbook

Cameron Engineers, 1975
Figure 29. Organic Ma:er Content
of Green River Oil Shales-
0

20
60
40

Modied Fischer Assay (gal/ton)

80
80

Core Fischer Assay (gal/ton)

Fischer Assay (gal/ton)

Well Log Fischer Assay Estimate (gal/ton)

Fischer Assay: Well Log vs Core

Well Log Fischer Assay Estimate

Core Measured Fischer Assay

60
60

40
40

20
20

00
1900
xx00

1950
xx50

2000
x100

Depth (ft)

Depth (ft)

2050
x150

2100
x200
100829-12b

Water Salinity from Resistivity & Magnetic Resonance

1 m n
R
=
D SwRt
Archie Law = w
a
( a ~ 1, m ~ n ~ 2 )

MR fraction of pore
Sw =
= space that is
D water filled

R w = 2MRRt @ reservoir temperature T

T + 21.5C

salinity (ppk) = 7.976 R w (T)

10C + 21.5C

[Rw] = ohm-meters
Schlumberger Log Interpretation Chart Gen-6 (2009)

( 1.1192)

Water Salinity Estimate from Geochemical Logging

Assume all NaCl is in Pore Water
g(NaCl) g(dry ore) cm3 (dry ore) cm3 (rock)
g(NaCl)
Salinity =
=
3
3
3
g(dry ore) cm (dry ore) cm (rock) cm (water) g(water)
FSAL = DWNACL RHGA (1 PIGE WKER )

1
PIGE

Green River Formation Salinity Log

100
Low porosity low resistivity spike
Low porosity low resistivity spike

80
60
40
20
100108-01

0
1400 feet
Mud filtrate salinity = 8 ppk

No Communication Between Fresh & Saline Aquifers

100

Green River Formation Salinity Log

Low porosity low resistivity spike

80
60
40
20
100108-01

0
1400 feet
Mud filtrate salinity = 8 ppk

Summary

Important information about oil shale deposits can be obtained from

the same tools used in conventional oil and gas reservoirs. These
include measurements of formation density, magnetic resonance
response, electrical resistivity, and capture spectroscopy.
Kerogen responds as part of the pore space to density porosity tools,
but is invisible to borehole magnetic resonance. Simple processing
gives kerogen volume and an accurate, depth-continuous estimate
of Fischer Assay.
A salinity log results from comparing magnetic resonance to formation
resistivity. Agreement with a capture spectroscopy estimate is fair.

T + 21.5C

salinity (ppk) = 7.976 R w (T)

10C + 21.5C

( 1.1192)

Schlumberger Log Interpretation Chart Gen-6 (2009)

[Rw] = ohm-meters