IPA15-SG-022
PROCEEDINGS, INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION
Thirty-Ninth Annual Convention & Exhibition, May 2015
A NEW TECHNIQUE OF THIN BED RESERVOIR EVALUATION USING
IMAGE LOG DATA
Dwiky Perdana Susanto*
Gilang Ariestya**
Haris Kurniawan Hidayat**
ABSTRACT
Thin bed reservoirs are commonly found in a deltaic
depositional environment, such as an alluvial
channel, distributary channel, delta front, and
shingled turbidite. The formation evaluation and
hydrocarbon identification of these thin beds with
log data is challenging, as the thickness of the
reservoir is less than the vertical resolution of
standard logging tools. Sand-shale lamination
depresses further resistivity measurements.
A new technique has been developed to analyze,
evaluate, and interpret thin bed reservoirs using
image data combined with standard openhole log
data. Thin bed boundary and lithology classification
were performed using image data and calibrated by
comparison with core photos. From bed boundary
and lithology classification, squared synthetic logs
were generated from the statistical analysis of
standard log data. Afterwards, a formation
evaluation was performed using squared synthetic
logs with core analysis data for calibration.
The results of this new technique yield a better match
with core analysis data compared with standard
methods. This method not only leads to more
accurate computation of shale volume, porosity, and
saturation, but is also able to identify new pay zones
not identified by standard interpretation methods.
This paper shows the application of this new
technique in thin bed evaluation in an offshore field
in the Mahakam area, East Kalimantan. This
technique provides an alternative for thin bed
reservoir evaluation that could help to reduce costs
for advanced formation evaluation and increase
confidence levels in evaluating reservoir properties
and potential hydrocarbon zones.
INTRODUCTION
According to Serra and Andreani (1991), a thin bed
is defined as a rock layer with a thickness under 10
______________________________________________________________________________
* Universitas Gadjah Mada
** TOTAL E&P INDONESIE
cm (Figure 1). This layer is usually a sand-shale
lamination layer and often found in deepwater
depositional environments. This layer can also be
found in deltaic depositional environments, such as
in alluvial channels, distributary channels, delta
fronts, and shingled turbidites.
In common formation evaluation, the accuracy of
standard logging tools is limited by the tool’s vertical
resolution, which is higher than the thickness of the
thin layer. This can cause prospective thin layers to
be undetected in the standard recorded logs.
Apart from the resolution problem, the existence of a
thin layer can cause resistivity measurements to be
depressed, leading to inaccurate measurement of
formation resistivity: the log value will not be a
reflection of true formation resistivity due to
suppression.
The image log is one of the most common logging
tools used in detecting and showing the existence of
thin bed layers today. This log is derived from micro-
resistivity measurement in the well bore with very
high sampling rates (up to 0.1 inch) and the vertical
resolution of an image logging tool can reach up to 3
cm. This log, however, is limited to only showing
image log values and not showing standard triple-
combo log values. Because of this unique condition
and the support of technology and software today, it
is expected that a new method could be developed to
identify thin bed layer that could show it in the form
of triple-combo log data.
This paper will show the application of an alternative
method that could be used to perform formation
evaluation in a well with multiple thin bed layers.
This method is called “Keris Log Interpretation” or
“KLITE” and uses the combination of image log,
core photo, and standard log data with statistical
approaches applied to the well.
The purpose of this method is to elucidate the
existence of thin bed reservoirs, to arrive at more
accurate reservoir property estimation, and to
identify new prospective zones.
To help to reach the target, assumptions are made,
such as no dipping layer exists in the well, one log
value for one ideal lithology, and a single
hydrocarbon type (in this case gas).
This paper will describe an example of the KLITE
method application in a well in the Peciko Field, in
the Mahakam Area, East Kalimantan.
FIELD DESCRIPTION
The Peciko Field is a gas field consisting of multiple
stacked reservoirs in a Miocene deltaic sequence,
with the main reservoir type being distributary mouth
bars and the dimension of each bar can reach 1–3 m
thick (Samson et al., 2005).
METHODOLOGY
KLITE is a method of high resolution petrophysical
analysis by combining image log and standard
openhole log data. High-resolution, micro-resistivity
imaging logs from image data are able to identify
thin reservoirs undetectable by conventional
standard resolution logs. The low resistivity of the
micro-resistivity log indicates shale, medium
resistivity indicates shaly sand, while high resistivity
indicates a sand or carbonate layer.
Lithology classification was performed based on
micro-resistivity imaging log data with certain cut-
offs, taking into account the density and neutron data
to differentiate sand from carbonate. The lithology
was classified into seven categories: shale, silty
shale, sandy shale, shaly sand, silty sand, sand, and
carbonate. A core photo was used to calibrate the cut-
off (Figure 2). A lithology index was then created to
facilitate classification with index #1 for shale, #2
silty shale, #3 sandy shale, #4 silty sand, #5 shaly
sand, #6 sand, and #7 carbonate (Figure 3).
Subsequently high-resolution squared synthetic logs
of gamma ray (GR), resistivity, neutron, and density
logs were generated based on this lithology index.
The value of each conventional log for each lithology
index is defined based on statistics (frequency data)
of the standard resolution data for each lithology
index.
To validate the generated high-resolution squared
synthetic logs, de-convolution was performed for
each high-resolution synthetic log to be compared
with a standard resolution log (Figure 4). An iterative
process by fine tuning the cut-off and log value of
each lithology index was needed to make the de-
convoluted synthetic log match with the standard
resolution log. Once those logs matched each other,
the high-resolution squared synthetic log was
considered as reliable.
Afterwards, a petrophysical analysis was performed
with simultaneous solutions using the high-
resolution squared synthetic log to identify and
evaluate the thin bed reservoirs.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
KLITE derives high-resolution squared synthetic
logs with a high sampling rate (0.1 inch). The
reliability of the synthetic log was checked by
comparing the de-convoluted synthetic log with the
standard resolution log. The high-resolution squared
synthetic logs showed the existence of thin bed
layers.
The KLITE method derives a more accurate
formation evaluation result of thin bed layers
compared with the standard resolution log formation
evaluation. Figure 5 shows a comparison of the
standard Log evaluation, the KLITE method, and
results from core analyses: shale volume, porosity,
and water saturation. The petrophysical properties of
the thin beds determined by the core analysis are
more in line with the KLITE method than with the
standard log interpretation, although only a sparse
number of core analysis data points were available.
Finally the KLITE method potentially pinpoints pay
zones not identified by standard resolution log
interpretation (Figure 6). The ability to show these
“overlooked” pay zones could provide a better
chance to see the economic value and development
of a field.
CONCLUSIONS
The applications of KLITE method are:
1. KLITE gives reliable log response results to
detect and show the existence of thin bed
layers.
2. KLITE gives accurate reservoir property
estimation of thin bed reservoirs in line with
core measurements.
3. KLITE can show and identify “overlooked”
pay zones not detectable by standard log
formation evaluation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would also like to express their sincere
gratitude to Total E&P Indonesie, INPEX, and
MIGAS for permitting publication of the paper.
REFERENCES
Samson, P., Dewi-Rochette, T. & Lescoeur, M.
2005, Peciko geological modeling: optimizing fluid
distribution and model resolution of a giant gas field
in a shale-dominated deltaic environment. Asia
Pacific Oil & Gas Conference, SPE paper 93253.
Serra, O., and M. Andreani, 1991, Schlumberger
Thin Beds, A Guide to Interpretation of Thinly
Layered Reservoir. Schlumberger.
 Figure 1 - Bed classification and tools used for analysis (modified after Serra and Andreani, 1991).

 
 Figure 2 - Lithology classification process and QC.

 
Figure 3 - Lithological index log. The green color refers to the shale group and the yellow color refers to the
sand and carbonate groups.

 
Figure 4 - Comparison of KLITE log response and standard openhole log response. The bright color in the
image log refers to sand and carbonate lithology, while the dark color refers to shale lithology.

 
Figure 5 - Comparison of core analysis results with KLITE and standard log formation evaluation result. The KLITE result is more in line with the core analysis
results.

 
 Figure 6 - Identification of new pay zones using the KLITE method.