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Electrical Resistivity Log PDF
Electrical Resistivity Log PDF
Reservoir Characteristics
By G. E. ARCHIE*
THE usefulness of the electrical resistivity log the resistivity of the mud in the borehole,
in determining reservoir characteristics is the effect of invasion of the mud filtrate
governed largely by: (I) the accuracy with into the formation, the relation of the
which the true resistivity of the formation can
recorded thickness of beds to electrode
be determined; (2) the scope of detailed data
spacing, the heterogeneity of geologic
concerning the relation of resistivity measure-
ments to formation characteristics; (3) the formations, the salinity or conductivity
available information concerning the conduc- of connate water, and, perhaps of greatest
tivity of connate or formation waters; (4) the importance, the lack of data indicating the
extent of geologic knowledge regarding proba- relationship of the resistivity of a formation
ble changes in facies within given horizons, both in situ to its character and fluid content.
vertically and laterally, particularly in relation On the Gulf Coast it is found that the
to the resultant effect on the electrical proper- effects of the size of the borehole and the
ties of the reservoir. Simple examples are given mud resistivity are generally of little
in the following pages to illustrate the use of
importance, except when dealing with
resistivity logs in the solution of some problems
dealing with oil and gas reservoirs. From the high formational resistivities or extremely
available information, it is apparent that much low mud resistivities. Fortunately, little
care must be exercised in applying to more practical significance need be attached to
complicated cases the methods suggested. It the exact values of the higher resistivities
should be remembered that the equations given recorded. Low mud resistivities are not
are not precise and represent only approximate common, but when this condition is
relationships. It is believed, however, that encountered it may be corrected by
under favorable conditions their application replacing the mud column. With' the
falls within useful limits of accuracy.
present advanced knowledge of mud
INTRODUCTION control, invasion of mud filtrate into
The electrical log has been used exten- sands can be minimized, thereby increasing
sively in a qualitative way to correlate the dependability of the electrical log.
formations penetrated by the drill in the The effect of electrode spacing on the
exploitation of oil and gas reservoirs and recorded thickness of a bed is often subject
to provide some indication of reservoir to compensation or can be sufficiently
content. However, its use in a quantitative accounted for to provide an acceptable
way has been limited because of various approximation of the true resistivity of
factors that tend to obscure the significance the formation. As development of a field
of the electrical readings obtained. Some or area progressively enhances the knowl-
of these factors are the borehole size, edge of the lithologic section, the resistivity
values of the electrical log take on greater
Manuscript received at the office of the Institute
Sept. 27; revised Dec. 8, 1941. Issued as T.P. 1422 in significance, ultimately affording accept-
PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, January 1942.
* Shell Oil Co., Houston, Texas. able interpretations. The salinity, and
54
G. K. ARCHIE 55
therefore the conductivity, of the connate per liter. The following simple relation
water associated with the various produc- was found to exist for that range of
ing horizons may be determined with porosities and salinities:
sufficient accuracy by the usual sampling
procedure. R. = FR", [I]
Determination of the significance of where R. = resistivity of the sand when
the resistivity of a producing formation all the pores were filled with brine, R", =
as recorded by the electrical log appears, resistivity of the brine, and F = a "for-
for the present at least, to rest largely mation resistivity factor."
with the application of empirical relation- In Figs. I and 2, F is plotted against
ships established in the laboratory between the permeabilities and porosities, respec-
certain of the physical properties of a tively, of the samples investigated. The
reservoir rock and what may be termed data presented in Fig. I were obtained
a formation factor. It should be stressed from consolidated sandstone cores in
at this point that numerous detailed which the cementing medium consisted
laboratory studies of the physical proper- of various amounts of calcareous as well
ties of the formations in relation to the as siliceous materials. The cores had
electrical measurements in question are essentially the same permeability, parallel
essential to a reliable solution of the to and perpendicular to the bedding of
problems dealing with reservoir content. the layers. All of the cores were from
The purpose of this paper is to present producing zones in the Gulf Coast region.
some of these laboratory data and to Cores from the following fields were used:
suggest their application to quantitative Southeast Premont, Tom Graham, Big
studies of the electrical log. It is not in- Dome-Hardin, Magnet-Withers, and Sheri-
[ended to attempt to discuss individual dan, Texas; also La Pice, and Happy town,
resistivity curves and their application. La. Fig. 2 presents similar data obtained
The disturbing factors (borehole, bed from cores of a widely different sandstone;
thickness, and invasion) are discussed that is, one that had extremely low per-
briefly only to indicate instances when meability values compared with those
they are not likely to affect the usefulness shown in Fig. I for corresponding porosities.
of the observed resistivity. These cores were from the Nacatoch
sand in the Bellevue area, Louisiana.
RESISTIVITY OF SANDS WHEN PORES ARE
From Figs. I and 2 it appears that the
ENTIRELY FILLED WITH BRINE
formation resistivity factor F is a function
A study of the resistivity of formations of the type and character of the formation,
when all the pores are filled with water and varies, among other properties, with
is of basic importance in the detection of the porosity and permeability of the reser-
oil or gas by the use of an electrical log. voir rock; many points depart from the
Unless this value is known, the added average line shown, which represents a
resistivity due to oil or gas in a formation reasonable relationship. Therefore, indi-
cannot be determined. vidual determinations from any particular
The resistivities of a large number of core sample may deviate considerably
brine-saturated cores from various sand from the average. This is particularly
formations were determined in the labora- true for the indicated relationship to
tory; the porosity of the samples ranged permeability. Further, although the varia-
from 10 to 40 per cent. The salinity of the tion of F with porosity for the two groups
electrolyte filling the pores ranged from of data taken from sands of widely different
20,000 to 100,000 milligrams of NaCI character is quite consistent, the effect
56 ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY LOG AND RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS
I.. 50 ,
.g
u
....
IS
'"
-+-
.:;;
t; 10
.;;;
-
"
~
x
x
x ~
x'
~
x x~
\ 'K
~
5 5
~
E
L-
o
LL.
I
I 5 10 50 100 500 1000 5000 0.10 0.30 1.00
PermeOibility, milliolarcys Porosity
FIG. I.-RELATION OF POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY TO FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR FOR CON-
SOLIDATED SANDSTONE CORES OF THE GULF COAST.
500
'\0
.
o •
0
0
0
0
0
0
. ..
.
0
0
0
-
oJ' ... 0
0
~
\ I
f\,
I
0.1 0.5 1.0 5 10 50 100 0.10 0.30 1.00
Permeability. millidClrcys Porosity
FIG. 2.-RELATION OF POROSlTY AND PERMEABILITY TO FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR, NACATOCH
SAND, BELLEVUE, LA.
Permeabilities below o. I millidarcynot recorded.
~ O.301--------"oo.;~~-----_l
value of m anywhere between 1.3 and 2. L
S= ~F;w [61
laboratory experiments, the relationship
expressed by Eq. 4 should apply equally
well underground.
Since in the laboratory extremely short
BASIC RESISTIVITY VALUES TO BE OBTAINEE
intervals of time were allowed for the
IN ESTIMATING FLUID CONTENT OF A SANE
establishment of the equilibrium conditions
compared with underground reservoirs, The foregoing discussion indicates that
there is a possibility that the manner in the basic values to be obtained are: (I) tht
I References are at the end of the paper. resistivity of the sand in question under·
58 ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY LOG AND RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS
ground (R), and (2) the resistivity of the Consider a borehole penetrating a
same sand when its pores are entirely large homogeneous layer, in which case
filled with connate water (R.). the electrode spacing is small in comparison
The first value can be obtained from the with the thickness of the layer. If the
electrical log when all factors can be resistivity of the mud in the hole is the
properly weighed. The latter may also be same as the resistivity of the layer, there
obtained from the log when a log is avail- will be, of course, no correction for the
able on the same horizon where it is entirely effect of the borehole. If the resistivity
water-bearing. Of course, this is true only of the mud differs from the resistivity of
when the sand conditions, particularly por- the layer, there will be a correction.
osity, are the same as at the point in ques- Table 1 shows approximately how the
tion and when the salinity of the connate presence of the borehole changes the
or formation water throughout the horizon observed resistivity for various conditions.
is the same. The third curve, or long normal, of the
In a water-drive reservoir, or any Gulf Coast is considered because this
reservoir where the connate water is in arrangement of electrodes gives very
direct contact with the bottom or edge nearly a symmetrical picture on passing
water, there should be no appreciable a resistive layer and has sufficient pene-
difference in the salinities through the tration in most instances to be little
horizon, at least within the limits set forth affected by invasion when the filtrate
for the operation of Eqs. 1 and 4; that is, properties of the mud are suitable.
when the salinity of the connate water
is over 20,000 mg. NaCl per liter and the TABLE I.-E.ffect of Borehole on Infinitely
connate water is over 0.15. In depletion- Large Homogeneous Formation
type reservoirs, or when connate water Observed Resisttvity on ffiectric Log
In an 8-in. In a Is-in.
is not in direct contact with bottom or Borehole Borehole
True
edge water, special means may have to Resistivity
Resisti vity of
Mud in Hole ~~~tf:iilol;
be devised to ascertain the salinity of the of Formation, (at Bottom-hole (at Bottom-hole
Meter-ohms Temperature) of Temperature) of
connate water. 0·5 1.5 0·5 1.5
Meter- Meter- Meter- Meter-
When it is not possible to obtain R. ohms ohms ohms ohms
in the manner described above, the value --- --- ---
0.5 0·5 0·5 0·5 0·5
can be approximated from Eq. 3, () and m I I I I I
5 6 5 5 5
having been determined by core analyses 10 I. II II II
CALCULATION OF CONNATE WATER, POROS- The values in Table I have been cal-
lTY AND SALINITY OF FORMATION WATER culated assuming a point potential "pick-
FROM THE ELECTRICAL LOG up" electrode 3 ft. away from a point
The resistivity scale used by the electrical source of current, other electrodes assumed
logging companies is calculated assuming to be at infinity, and it has been found
the electrodes to be points in a homo- that the table checks reasonably well
geneous bed. 5 Therefore, the values re- with field observations. Checks were
corded must be corrected for the presence made by: (I) measuring the resistivity of
of the borehole, thickness of the layers shale and other cores whose fluid content
in relation to the electrode spacing, and does not change during the coring operation
any other condition different from the and extraction from the well; (2) measuring
ideal assumptions used in calculating the the resistivity of porous cores from water-
scale. bearing formations after these cores were
G. E. ARCHIE 59
resaturated with the original formation tivities. I(is assumed that large shale bodies
water. Adjustment due to temperature are present above and below the beds, at
difference, of course, is necessary before the same time neglecting the presence of
the laboratory measurement is compared the borehole and again assuming point
with the field measurement. electrodes.
The interval is thick enough so that there volume. The accepted value assigned for
should be no appreciable effect due to the connate-water content of the East
electrode spacing. The formation is more or Texas reservoir is 17 per cent.
less a clean friable sandstone, so Eq. 5 can An electrical log of a sand in the East
White Point field, Texas, is shown in Fig. 5.
Resistivity. The observed resistivity at 4075 ft. is
meter-ohms
Self-pofenf/al 0 5 10 approximately 5 meter-ohms. The value of
--':""--:;}---.+--r---,4040 F for this sand by laboratory determination
---I 25 J+-t
mv. is 6. The sand is loosely consolidated, hav-
ing 32 per cent porosity average. The
- - - j - - - - j r - - - 4 l i : - t " - - 4060 resistivity of the formation water by direct
measurement is 0.063 meter-ohms at the
bottom-hole temperature of 138°F. There-
fore, R. = 6 X 0.063 or 0.38 meter-ohms.
-*=------+-"Zlrt---14080 This checks well with the value obtained
Normal curve- --> I
by the electrical log between the depths of
4100 and 4120 ft., which is 0.40 (see
amplified third curve). Therefore, invasion
probably is not seriously affecting the
third curve. From Tables I and 2 it appears
that the borehole and electrode spacing do
not seriously aff~ct the observed resistivity
FIG. 5.-ELECTRICAL LOG OF A SAND IN EAST at 4075 ft. The connate water is approxi-
WHITE. POINT FIELD, TEXAS.
0'38 or 0.27.
Diameter of hole, 7% in.; mud resistivity,
1.7 at 80°F.; bottom-hole temperature, 138°F. mately ~--,
5.0