168 ASQUITH AND ARYGOWSKE Case Study PENNSYLVANIAN ATOKA SANDSTONE, PERMIAN BASIN, U.S.A.: The Problem...” Case Study 1 illustrates the evaluation of a clean, ‘gas-bearing sandstone. Because this is the first case study, the interpretation is largely done for the reader, with only minor calculations required of the reader. Two terms are defined here: * A gas chromatograph is 4 device that simples the gases from the circulating! drilling mud and analyzes them for the presence of methane (CF) and heavier hydrocarbons. The instru- ment alerts the geologist to a show of hydrocar- bons from a formation. + A drilling break is an increase in the rate of pen- tration of the drill bit, which indicates a differ- ence in the rock: For example, penetration rate ‘commonly increases when the bit goes from a shale into porous sandstone. A reverse drilling break, when the rate of penetration slows, may indicate passage of the bit from sandstone into shale, or the drilling of a highly cemented, low- porosity formation. Penetration rate is measured + in minutes/foot rather than feet/minute, so the larger the number the slower the penetration rate. For example, a penetration rate of 20 min/ft is slower penetration than 10 min/ft.. Background ‘Your company has just finished drilling a 1 wildcat well in the Permian Basin of Texas. The pri mary target was Morrowan sandstones. They are not developed sufficiently for cominercial production and you face these alternatives; declare the well dry and abandoned (D&A), or find another zone, one that would produce hydrocarbons ai an exceptional profit. ‘Samples of bit cuttings indicated that at 14,600 ft the Atoka Sandstone (Figure 10.1) is predominantly loose, subrounded, coarse to very coarse, quartzose sandstone with minor amounts of arkosic sandstone that is tan, medium grained to coarse grained, poorly sorted, and friable: This information leads to the infer- ence that the Atoka Sandstone might be permeable, because the rock is coarse grained and accordingly, pore spaces should be large. Poor cementation and ‘good permeability are indicated, because the sand- stone is friable. «+ + fluid in the hol Other information about the Atoka Sandstone— information that you consider to be favorable—is the ‘emission of a few gas bubbles from sample cuttings and gas recorded on the mud logger’s gas chromato- graph. During drilling of the bottom 4 ft of the sand- stone, total gas background on the chromatograph increased from 10 units to 40 units of gas with a trace ‘of C) and C; hydrocarbons, a significant change. The neutron-density log (Figure 10.2) shows evidence that supports your conclusions. Even though you are optimistic about the potential of good production from the Atoka Sandstone— because of the nature of the sample cuttings and the ‘gas shows—you are concerned about a reverse drilling break that occurred as the sandstone was penetrated. Strata that directly overlie and underlie the Atoka ‘Sandstone were penetrated at 8 to 10 min/ft. However, the penetration rate through most of the sandstone was 15.5 min/ft; it slowed to 20 min/ft through the bottom ~ 10 ft. The slower drilling times may mean that the sandstone is not as porous and permeable as sample- examination suggested, ‘Now, inspect the logs, calculate the important quan- titative ‘attributes of the sandstone, ‘assess the log- derived information, and decide whether the Atoka Sandstone should produce oil and gas in sufficiently profitable quantities. . Well site information and other pertinent information: + Total depth (TD) = 15,962 ft + bottom hole temperature (BHT): 197°F + bit diameter ='8.5 in "freshwater mud” + mud filtrate’ resistivity (Rj): 1.34 ohra-m at 87°F + mean annual surface temperature =:75°F (esti- mated by the well site geologist) ‘+ temperature of the formation (Tj) = 187°F, esti- mated from formation temperature chart (Chap- ter) aoe + resistivity of formation water (Ry) = 0.065 ohm- m at Ty from local information (water produced nearby, water recovered during drill-stem tests, or a formation-water catalogtie) + resistivity of mud filtrate (Ry) = 0.65 ohm-m at Ty from the log header, corrected to formation temperature by the Arps equation (see Chapter 1) + Archie parameters: a= 0.81, m in Equations 10.1 and 10.2 2, for useHelpfol equations Neutron-density porosity’in a gas zone. Values for neutron porosity and density porosity are read from the neutron-density log and evaluated jointly: Binet tray = Ett 10.18 (Equation 4.8) R, Minimum, to determine tiie formation resistivity, R,. This technique approximates R; in thin resistive zones; itis an altemate (approximate) approach to the use of a variety of correction charts.- ~ “Y0.19 (Equation 5.3) where LS is shallow resistivity, read by the laterolog 8, wo R, SSP =—K X log) R, Log inteettin Case Sides 169 Static SP: ‘The value ofthe SP ina clean (“shale-free”) formation is the Static SP. 10.20 (Equation 8.6) On the Work Table (Table 10.1), points were select- Notice that the log values recorded at each depth actu- ally may-be peak or trough vaiués from, as much as 1, ft -above or below the listed depths. This'is a reasonable approach, for two reasons: (1) the logs-have different vertical resolutions, and (2) because a suite of logs gen- ._ erally, requires more than‘one logging ““run’”out of the borehole,-some logs differ slightly in depth-registry of beds. This approach also allows the interpreter to pro- vide data for the most optimistic interpretation that can bbe made, in the’comtext of the given dita values. 7} + t170 aSQumT avo KeYGOWsHE Table 10.1, (ese Stuy: ko Sandstone, min Bsn, USA: Wak bl The work bl shows voles of thew dot—ecrcted a Fics 1.1 od 10.2—ard same aon fr see depts. Yo salves opting sampn: aur redo he spaces he soe" vs the ind, od recut unites. The oes mayer, bh se ee. As) wok out the pln, eth clus, ens ht you ude the mechs che camptes ant fhe pos. The sy “v/s almefrkme deal fac, Parameters 5 ‘Ann, Mean Surf. Temp: 75°F = Rw (measured): (not given) ‘Total Depth: 15,962 ft Rw @ fm. temp.: 0.065 ohm-m @ °F Botiom Hole Temp: 1975F Rif (measured): 1.34 ohm-m @ 87°F | + Formation Depth: 14,600 ft Rmf @ fm. temp.: 0.65 ohm'm’@°F ~ | * Formation Temperature: 187°F GRelean: 15 API ie GRshale: 65 API . a: 081 im: 2 a2 + Rawdata_< _ Depth ILD ILM LL DPHI NPHI feet ohim-m ohm-m. ohm-m | viv decimal | v/v decimat 14,604 130 260 510 0.180 0.068, 14,607 160 240 1100 0.214 0.064 14,609 190 210 1300 0.185 0.070 14,613 300 410 1500 0.260 0.085]. 14,618 160 250 520 0.245 0.100 14,622 110 100 190 0.215 O15) Rt from tornado chart Depth Rt Ri min feet ILM | LisaLp | RVILD ohm-m hme, 14,604 2.00 392 0.46 59.8 31 14,607 14,609 14,613, 137) 5.00 092 2668 150 14,618. 14,622 091 LB 1.00 1100 19 Calculations 5 Depth] PhiNDgas ‘Swa Sxo BYW ROS MOS MHI feet__| vivdecimal_| viv decimal |_v/v decimal vv decimal |_ viv decinial 14,604 0.136 0.242 0.262 | 0.033 0.738 (0.020 0.924 14,607 p : 14,609 R 14,613 0.193 0.081 o.1o8 [0.016 (0.892 (0.027 0.750 14,618 14,622 172 ona 0339 [ 0.024 0.661 0.198 0416og hteretaion Case Sts 171 Figure 10.1. Onion ‘ade 8 wih sptneos ptt 21) ag nd gay eg, Aka a Stone, fin ai US A. Tso, dh at flow in tis td th othe cs ties, dptoed ‘nwt canal ler 50 snd fat” Te format, For tte Aran Pele si, ested fa eo hs , fk 1, gery ying clon “os (goa ode); eth ck, ston dep of the ‘og eating; Tec 2, which stows he i esse nn, sh sess, od Tock 3, ich os stows in resent, sch os psy Cormony sin sf edin =|-~Fiwe 102; is 2d 3 oe conned fra sited, nis ge he ks sh est oer four eae wks, wh psa Asics mae che dry Aeteen nds 2 0n3. fen when is ‘peel cant dpys a, carne pci ene te oe bie eck the i of te depth fvtomert noma: tks “rds 23." Tot dg = 15 962 4 In isi, od ine tars bot hl eve (BHM = 197F (nau cod enpets-= Shown in isp eh isin ti dame =a . bref ne every 7 modu ‘ype of fad inl = esc: mad . Fn every 10 nd hey ne eer {got messed empty = 1.34 hm 87% 7 st. qc mend npc = 334 obre at 87°F Ajatmecsied enperoye= 1,67 chav ot 87°F ‘tet folowing ates of he losin th iter fm 1450 ft 14,625 1) Resi as in rcs 2 ard 3 show igh sis, . 2 Gana rycut in he Aka Sars ine nak 1, ed ne) ess than that in hls above nb, a 3) The SP cue (hak 1, sali in) shows video hyrcabansgessn, esp in th upper at of ho ze (i wot sotofon were "OC, te hoe fe SP ve wou be stg snt oe shape off gar cv te ue wee halon woe saan, wer TOD, grey ave wo mic he shop of te SP ane shown)172 -ASUTH AND IRYGOWSKL Figure 10.2. anton netan dest lq wi gor yo ond ap bg, Abke Sansone, Feman Bos, S.A. neon nd desy pts wee eae in anionepsty ets == = * tthe owing atts sin he stitial om 1460080 14,625 a 1) fat shown byt cap carve (AD in ak 1; thelr ssa hn the det ob i (in). +2) Songs ets shown a mos 2 ci 3. The sy rst cave (FA shows mah ihe presi tan th eoporsy > eae (PH, od tt gs stow igh pry, . ~