Railsback's Petroleum Geoscience and Subsurface Geology

Characteristics of wireline well logs used in the petroleum industry

Passive measurements Active measurements
Log responses independent Log responses affected
of formation fluids by formation fluids
Porosity logs
Electrical logs (“E-logs”)
Name of log Caliper Gamma ray Spontaneous Resistivity Photoelectric Acoustic (“Sonic”) Density Neutron Porosity Nuclear Magnetic

Depth
Potential (SP) (“Gamma-Gamma”) Resonance (NMR)
One electrode in borehole intro- Source emits gamma Source emits neutrons that Tool generates magnetic
Measures voltage be- rays; detector detects Transmitter emits pulse Source emits gamma rays
Action of Presses pads Scintillation counter duces current; current is measured collide with larger atomic field that polarizes H
tween electrode pressed gamma rays resulting of sound and receiver and detector detects
logging against sides detects gamma at second (or second and third) nuclei with little energy loss atoms of fluids;
to borehole wall and from ejection of electrons at some spacing detects scattered returning
tool of borehole rays electrode(s). (and see gamma rays but lose energy in collisions detector measures
electrode at land surface. “Induction tool . .”, below) from formation atoms. pulse. decreasing resonance
with H atoms, which are of
roughly same mass as after field is released.
Natural emission of γ Permeability neutrons themselves.
(because of charge in mobile Electrical resistivity of entirety of Weighted average of Interval transit time Density of electrons Relaxation times (T2)
Characteristic Width of rays by K (and U and

measured borehole Th) in the <12 inches
of rock adjacent the
formation water, giving nega-
borehole.
Distinction between
Where greater than
width of drill bit, an shale (radioactive with
illitic K and adsorbed
indicator of caving
(typically by shale) U and Th) vs.
“clean” (clay-free and
Depth
fluids of permeable rocks - formation (mineral and fluid, atomic numbers (slowness) of and thus density of of H atoms in fluids
e.g. Cl– moves out of saline including adsorbed water of atoms in formation compressional waves formation Concentration of
and solutes) (mineral and fluids) (or shear waves) (mineral and fluids) hydrogen Determination of size
tive SP in permeable rocks). of pores and of
mobility of fluids
Determination of nature of and/or Determination of lithology Determination of porosity, Determination of porosity, Determination of porosity, (in smaller pores,
proportions of formation fluids because fluids in pores because (except in shale)
Recognition of of reservoir rocks because waves pass greater proportion of
permeable strata, (saline water has small R; (because calcite, dolomite, faster through minerals decrease bulk density hydrogen is in H2O or fluid returns quickly
petroleum has large R). of formation.
including potentially and quartz give have than through liquids or hydrocarbons in pores. to original spin
exploitable reservoirs. different values of Pe) gases. because of proximity

or dissolution/
thus non-radioactive)
washout by salt.
lithologies.
Also allows recognition
Where less than
width of drill bit, an of granitic arkoses
(because of Kspar).
indicator of mud cake
Applications
(an accumulation of Source rx commonly give
solids from drilling large GR response because
fluid) in a permeable of redox segregation of U
from seawater during dep'n.
zone where mud
invaded formation. Because of high reso-
lution vertically, useful
in making well-to-well
(Swelling clays can also
give hole diameter less correlations.
than size of bit) Spectral gamma ray logs
(NGS or SGR) distinguish
between K, Th, and U.
Useful in determining
hole volume for Because GR can be run in
Recognition of grain-
size trends (and thus
depositional environ-
ments) in sandstones.
Can be used to calcu-
late resistivity of
formation water.
Response is like that of GR
in porous sands and sand-
stones and in shales,
but not in limestones
or cemented sandstones
(where cement rather than
Depth
Greater spacing of electrodes allows
to pore walls).
greater penetration into formation. Shale appears porous
Thus shorter spacing (typically solid because of OH– in All logs to left present,
In monomineralic rocks, Determination of travel
curve) evaluates invaded zone; determination of porosity times through strati- (and H 2O in or adsorbed for any one depth, one
longer spacing or laterolog (typically number, which is an
(because values of Pe for graphic units (useful for on) clay minerals.
dashed curve) better approximate average or bulk
limestones, dolostones, conversion of seismic
uninvaded (natural/true) zone. and sandstones differ time data to distances) measurement. The
Because mudcake interferes with response, logs are
even with varying effect NMR log instead
Induction tool (typically dashed commonly “compensated”, as in FDC and CNL logs. presents, for any one
of fluids in pores.
curve) uses coils instead of elec- Lithologic identification depth, a distribution
Depth trodes and sets up field to deter- (sensitivity to lithology Logs are commonly presented in porosity units, with of values of T2.
mine conductivity and thus
makes it the least assumption of a limestone (or sandstone) “matrix”. Positions of peaks for
resistivity; gives deep penetration accurate porosity log
to approximate Rt. larger pores can be
but useful to identify
The lesser abundance of H related to fluid type.
Microlog and proximity log use lithology).
The low density of gas in gas than oil or H2O gives The NMR log is the most
short-spacing tools to characterize yields excessively great less apparent porosity modern of the logs shown
invaded zone and Rxo.
apparent porosity in in gas-filled zones, opposite and the log that is most
Modern tools allow measurement of gas-bearing zones. the trend in density porosity. independent of lithology.
Depth

cased holes, it is useful in clay controls permeability).

cementing casing. workovers of old wells. horizontal and vertical resistivity. More porous Less porous Pore sizes
Smaller Larger
“Slower” “Faster” ~1.7 Density ~3.0
Less Greater ohms-m /m Less
2
Greater 0 Pe (barns/electron) ~6 Greater 0.3 ms T2 2-3 sec
Smaller Larger Less API Units Greater – mV + Δt - µsec/ft Less 30% Neutron porosity (lmstn matrix) –10%
Water-based mud: Oil-based mud:
Extremely Separation with dashed
generalized Bit size Shale Shale Impermeable Shale Deep Shale Shale Shale Shale CNL to left: shale
Gas-filled
patterns Permeable Shallow sandstone Separation with dashed
rock with Petroleum-filled rock Porous HC effect CNL to right: gas
in very Permeable Not shale
penetration Porous Oil-filled sandstone
common and saline
Saline-water-filled rock Shallow sandstone rock Small separation in sandstone
straight- water Water-filled sandstone due to use of limestone “matrix”
Tight sndstn Tight sandstone Tight sandstone
Depth

forward Imperme- Impermeable; Deep

By convention, dashed line
rocks Not shale Impermeable not shale penetration
able Tight lmstn Tight limestone Tight limestone is neutron porosity, and
solid line is density
Coarse vertical and thus Responses in permeable zones depend on 0% porosity.
Where the borehole has Affected by hole diameter, The weighting in the Acoustic logs underestimate
nature of mud: most water-based muds
spiral ribbing (as if drilled so caliper log is critical to stratigraphic resolution. Not have low resistivity; oil-based muds have weighted average above vuggy or fracture porosity as
by a screw) because of interpretation. Mud com- very quantitative because of emphasizes the element waves pass through surrounding rock. When density is reported Quantitative Clay-bound Capillary Gas Free Oil
position can also affect shift(s) of “shale baseline”. resistivity like that of petroleum. in terms of porosity vs. a determination water water water
precession of drillbit, with greatest atomic num-
Limitations rotation of tool leads to response. Magnitude of response de- ber. For example, calcite
Hydrocarbons increase travel time and limestone matrix, tight of porosity
or other Distance of penetration of mud filtrate (of thus cause overestimation of porosity sandstone shows some from the CNL
excessive estimate pends on contrast between invasion) varies with permeability and with and quartz have the same Some notes about presentation:
concerns Kaolinitic shales give low more saline formation water unless a correction is made. porosity and tight dolo- log involves a • The order of this table from left to right mimics
of borehole diameter. mud type. average atomic number
GR response. Micaceous and less saline mud; thus (10), but Ca (20) in calcite Because the shape of the hole stone reports negative correction for the order of presentation on most logs.
• For most logs, the response to shale is a shift
Depth

sandstones give high GR response is reversed where compared to Si (14) in influences passage of sound, Borehole- porosity, because of their lithology that is toward the central depth column of the
response, as do some formation water is freshwater. Strata that are thin relative to spacing of quartz results in much Compensated (BHC) logs are useful. densities. Against a sand- unique for presentation.
evaporites. U is mobile in Not usable in non-conductive electrodes can give counter-intuitive greater Pe in calcite stone matrix, both tight each logging • For logs to the left of the depth column, the
diagenesis and can be en- drilling muds, such as diesel- responses. than in quartz. In shales, Δt is greater near the limestone and dolostone company and response to more permeable rocks is a shift
borehole than farther away. have negative porosity. specific tool. to the left.
riched in dolostones. based mud.

Abbreviations CAL GR, NGS, SGR SP SN, RXO, LLS, SFL, SFLU, LL3, PE, Pe, PEF LSS, BHC, DSI GNT, SNP, NMR, MRIL, CMR
FDC, DPHI, LDT
LL7, ILM, ILD, DIL, LLD, DLL CNL, NPHI
1927 (the first wireline log in a 1957 1938
First use 1938 1931 petroleum well) (first commercial 1970s 1957 (first compensated (first commercial log in 1945; First developed in 1958;
first compensated in 1966) only useful later
induction logging 1956) in 1962)

This document was improved by the comments of Andy Thomas and

Sources: Bjørlykke (2010), Assaad (2008), Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary (2000s), Crain's Petrophysical Handbook (2000s), Glover's Petrophysique (2000s), Simon Clinch of Chevron Energy Technoloy Company, but they are in LBR PetroleumLogsCharacteristics06.odg 5/2011 rev. 9/2011
Asquith and Krygowski (2004), Baker-Hughes Atlas of Log Responses (2002), Selley (1998), Schlumberger Log Interpretation Principles/Applications (1987), and Wikipedia. no way responsible for any of its failings.