Archie, Hingle, and Pickett:

Determining fluid saturation for fun and

profit

Dan Krygowski

Denver Colorado USA

Where Dan hopes to go today

Answer the question, So, why do we care

about fluid saturation, anyway?
A review of Archies equation.
A look at some graphical solutions to Archies
equation (Hingle and Pickett plots) which
quickly provide saturation answers, and also
predict some Archie parameters that wed
otherwise have to estimate.
A few closing remarks (and a run for the
door).
Hawking

Formation fluid saturation

Formation fluid saturation is an important

quantity:
It is necessary to determine the volume of fluids
(water and hydrocarbons) present;
It may give us some indication as to what will be
produced.

But
We often have to estimate several parameters that are
needed to make the saturation calculation.

A reminder of history

1927

Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger run the first log in

Pechelbron field in France. Electric coring is born.

1942

Gus Archie presents a paper at the AIME meeting in

Dallas quantifying the relationship between fluid
saturation and formation resistivity.

So it took 15 years to go from a qualitative

response to a quantitative, but empirical,
relationship.
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Archies equation

Defining the terms:

tortuosity factor
water saturation

formation water resistivity

a Rw
Sw =
m
Rt

formation resistivity

saturation exponent
cementation exponent

porosity

Archies equation

Defining thesources:
Traditional
terms:
tortuosity
corefactor
water saturation

formation
samples,
water
SPresistivity
logs

a Rw
Sw =
m
Rt

formation
electric
resistivity
logs,
induction logs, laterologs

saturation
core
exponent
cementation
coreexponent

sonic,
porosity
density, neutron,
nuclear magnetic resonance,
resistivity logs

Another history lesson: pC

No, not preCambrian, preComputer:
When big, burly guys (usually engineers) stood
over you while you looked at the log data, and
said, Hey, do I run pipe or call for cement?
Youre costing me money here
So, we needed techniques to get quantitative
answers quickly.
If they helped in other ways, so much the
better

A pattern recognition approach.

So its not just equations

two examples for illustration:

1.

Last Chance High Country #1

A constructed well to illustrate the techniques.

2.

Bill Barrett Last Dance 43C-3-792

Mamm Creek, Piceance Basin, Colorado
(a small section of the Mesaverde)
A well to bring us back to reality.

Last Chance High Country #1

Barrett Last Dance 43C-3-792

Mamm Creek, Piceance Basin, Colorado

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Enter Tom Hingle

[1959, SEG 29th

Annual Meeting]

A graphical solution to Archies equation so

that plotting resistivity against porosity will
produce arrangements of the data (which are
recognizable as patterns):
y

R
t
Y-axis

=
1

m Sw n
=

a R
w

m*x +b (b=0)
1

A family of lines from

which information can be
discerned.

X-axis

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Hingle plot

Conductivity

Resistivity, Rt

The y-axis on this plot is

constructed using m=2.0

The y-axis is built from

1
1 m but scaled in
Water-bearing line

R resistivity or
t
conductivity so the
points can be plotted The water-bearing line is placed by
directly on the graph. the location of the data points.
The y-axis becomes
(very) non-linear.
Lines of decreasing
The x-axis is scaled so that
water saturation
porosity increases from
Zero porosity
left to right. Porosity,
(= RHOmatrix
or DTmatrix)
bulk density, or sonic
(data)
traveltime can be
plotted.

porosity

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So, with the Hingle plot

One can determine water saturation directly

from the plot, without
knowing Rw, or
having to calculate porosity.

In addition, the plot will predict matrix values

of sonic or density, so porosity can be more
confidently calculated.
But, one has to assume values for a, m, n,
And special paper must be used, which
depends on the assumed value of m.
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Hingle Plot; m = 2.0

Looking at our
ideal data

1.0

Sw = 1.0

1.5
0.50

2.0
2.5
3
Rt
5
0.25

10
15
20

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.2

2.0

50
100
500
2000

Bulk Density
Baker Atlas, 1985

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Hingle plot

0.25
Sw = 1

Vshale

(1/Rt)^(1/m)

Looking at
real data

0
2.8

2.65

Bulk Density

2.2

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Enter Dick Pickett

[1966, SPE (JPT)

1973, SPWLA]

A graphical solution to Archies equation so

that plotting resistivity against porosity (both
on logarithmic scales) will produce linear
arrangements of the data:
y=

log( ) =

m*x

+b

log(Rt ) n log(Sw ) + log(a Rw )

(graph paper format)

Y-intercept
Y-axis

X-axis

A family of lines from

which information can
be discerned.
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Pickett plot

Both scales are

logarithmic.
To save calculations
DT-DTma or
RHOma-RHOB could
be used on the yaxis instead of
porosity.

The intercept of the waterbearing line at Phi = 1 is a*Rw.

Water-bearing line.
Slope = -1/cementation exponent

Porosity

(data)
The water-bearing line is
placed by the location of
the data points.
No special graph
paper is needed.

The plot can be

done in Excel.

Lines of decreasing
water saturation

Resistivity

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So, with the Pickett plot

One can determine water saturation directly

from the plot, without
knowing Rw, or
knowing m.

In addition, the plot will predict Rw and m.

But, one has to assume matrix values if sonic
or density is used for porosity.
And the plot can be done on readily available
graph paper, or more easily in MS Excel.

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Looking at our ideal data

Pickett Plot

PhiD

Sw = 1

0.5

0.25

0.1

0.01
0.01

0.1

10

100

1000

Rt

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Looking at our real data

Pickett plot
0

1
0.75

0.5

0.25

Vshale

Density Porosity

Sw = 1

0.1

0.01
0.1

1 Deep Resistivity 10

100

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So, what happens now?

Well, we have two graphical methods to quickly
determine water saturation, and other
parameters:

Hingle: Porosity matrix values

Pickett: Rw, and cementation exponent, m

Q: Can we use them in concert?

A: Well, sort of

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Pickett and Hingle in concert

m

Bassiouni (1974, SPE) shows

a method to use both to
resolve several
parameters,
BUT it is painful to do by
hand.
AND, while interactive
Pickett plots are common
in many software
packages, few packages
have Hingle plots, and
only one has linked
interactive Pickett and
Hingle plots.
SO its possible, but
tedious.

ma

Iterate until convergence m

ma

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In conclusion

Pickett and Hingle plots are two slightly

different graphical solutions of Archies
saturation equation.
While fluid saturation is needed for the
calculation of volumetrics, it is less useful in
predicting production.

And, are other quantities, like Bulk Volume Water, more

helpful there?

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In conclusion

Pickett and Hingle plots also predict some

other Archie or porosity parameters.
Each can give a quick and useful view of the
data, even when you have a computer to do
the grunt calculation work for you.
In the information age, pattern recognition is
alive and well, and it may provide some
insights to the subsurface that numbers
wont.

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