APPLIED SUBSURFACE GEOLOGICAL MAPPING Daniel J. Tearpock and Richard E. Bischke q PRENTICE HALL PTR, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458Chap. 4 / Log Correlation Techniques was done in the vertical well example (Fig. 4-32). Instead, for the upthrown restored top, the vertical distance from the fault to the top of the sand in unfaulted Well No. 2 was subtracted from the subsea depth of the fault cut to estimate the upthrown restored top, and likewise, the vertical distance from the fault to the top of the sand in unfaulted Well No. | was added to the subsea depth of the fault cut to estimate the downthrown restored top. This procedure is required because Well No. 3 is a deviated well with an exaggerated log section. In Fig. 4-33b, which is a structural cross section through the three wells, an “*X”” is placed 80 ft vertically above and 20 ft vertically below the fault cut in Well No. 3. These X's show the precise position of the upthrown and downthrown restored tops for the B Sand. It is important to understand that the restored tops are located vertically above and below the location of the fault cut and not along the path of the deviated well. . ‘This understanding is critical when using these restored tops in structure mapping. The 100-ft difference between the downthrown and upthtown restored tops agrees with the 100 ft estimated for the size of the fault. Therefore, we conclude that the depths for the estimated restored tops are reasonable. For cases 2 and 3, in which a fault in a vertical well is correlated with a deviated well of a fault in a deviated well is correlated with another deviated well, the procedure is basically the same as for case No. 1 with one exception. For the deviated well, the true vertical thickness from the markers to the faulted formation must be calculated to accurately estimate the restored tops. The measured (deviated) log thickness cannot be used to estimate the restored tops. UNCONFORMITIES Unconformities are present in all geologic settings, especially on steeply dipping struc- tures such as salt domes. Unconformities can serve as excellent hydrocarbon traps. ‘Therefore, it is important to recognize unconformities in the subsurface. ‘There are a host of interrelated versions of the broad term unconformity. Some are primarily erosional, some depositional, and others combinations of both. The subject of unconformities is extensive and beyond the scope of this book. Our coverage of this topic is limited, but it does present important information on the recognition of uncon- formities during eleciric log correlation, ‘An unconformity appears on an electric log as missing section. Since missing section, as a result of an unconformity, can be mistaken for missing section due to a normal fault, care must be taken during correlation so that an unconformity is not mistaken as a fault. In this section we discuss several general guidelines to follow during correlation to rec- ognize an unconformity (Fig. 4-34). Structural dip often is different above and below an unconformity. Dipmeter data can be used to indicate this change in dip. The dip below an unconformity is usually steeper (Fig. 4-34). 2. Missing section as the result of an unconformity can be mistaken for a fault. If missing is recognized in two or more wells at the same or nearly the same correlative depth, an unconformity should be suspected (Fig. 4-34a) 3. The amount of missing section resulting from an unconformity increases in the up- structure direction. This is iMustrated in Fig. 4-34. The missing section in Wells No.Unconformities Mou Secon —waune.t wonne.s wanna 3 (a) (b) Figure 4-24 (a) Well log correlation can be used to recognize an angular uncon- formity. (b) If an onlap sedimentary sequence Is deposited above an angular uncon- formity, certain log correlation guidelines can be used to recognize the unconformity.Chap. 4 / Log Correlation Techniques 1,2, and 3 increases in the up-structure direction; Well No. 3 has the least amount of section missing and Well No. 1 has the greatest amount missing. 4, The stratigraphic section below an unconformity is truncated in a younger sequence in down-structure wells than in up-structure wells. The sequence gets older in the up-structure direction. The sedimentary sequence just below the unconformity (Fig. 4-34a) in Well No. 3 (the G interval) is younger than the K interval in Well No. 1. To recognize the sequence trend, you must correlate up the well logs. 5. If the depositional environment results in an onlap sedimentary sequence (Fig. 4- 34b) rather than the sequence shown in Fig. 4-34a, the missing section in logs cor- related in the up-structure position increases above and below the unconformity. The sedimentary sequence just above the unconformity is younger in the up-struc- ture direction. 6. Unconformities must be mapped. Since an unconformity can serve as an excellent hydrocarbon trap, a map on the unconformity is vital. In order to identify the in- tersection of the unconformity and sedimentary sequence below, an unconformity map must be integrated with a structure map. The mapping techniques required are discussed in Chapter 8, Figure 4-35 illustrates the use of a dipmeter to aid in the identification of an angular unconformity. The figure also shows a dipmeter response to beds affected by a salt dome Figure 435 Dipmeter data can be used to recognize an unconformity in the sub- surface. (Published by permission of Tenneco Oil Company.)(hued «og 1o o2euuay Jo uoisiuted ha peysiiqnd “2861 suieH pue yoodse04 014) ‘iuteeq-uonieooupAu ul UoleoUe Bo! 2n20/3 ay eanOhd ‘3700 VaulH aNVOTuUNH ONTUNG. —fas-¥ any §-¥ HLIM “WHOD aTEFBs0d ‘OzH GNY GNYS"doud 90721 F sy 60 zege-) cove go "O0td LON ferive-) 298 vo == t 99) (Bese) oore 9 f = =ahvn Low avn vive ONT — 3. $: (0z0-) eave + 5 ora 6 ieeze-) core 2 (eere-) 20ze 1© SAND MEMBERS A AND & 6/82-11/88 ae 208 BO LW GA MEMBERS 130 NMCF NOT PERFORATED 410 Mew = Seer oe Taz (445) @ SAND MEMBER & Mt4= 8/77 8-80 138 MBO some MEMBERS 126 MMCF Not PERFORATED 449 MBW Figure 4-37 Annotation of a detailed 5" log. (Modified trom Tearpock and Harris 1987. Published by permission of Tenneco Oil Company) 92Annotation and Documentation 93, with an overhang. The dipmeter reaches a maximum dip of 62 deg at about —6500 ft; thereafter, the dip slightly flattens to 40 deg at TD. This change in dip is in response to the proximity to the salt face. Such dipmeter responses can be used in evaluating a salt dome for possible overhang. ANNOTATION AND DOCUMENTATION The importance of good, accurate documentation cannot be overemphasized. The gen- eration of good quality maps depends upon a volume of accurate data. These data include: fault cuts, formation tops and bases, net sand, net pay, and so on. In this section, we illustrate a recommended method of annotating 1- and 5-inch electric logs and docu- menting the log data. In Fig. 4-2 we illustrated the importance of marking logs with recognizable symbols and the use of color. These markings are a form of annotation. They identify your cor- relations. The logs in Fig. 4-2 are of intervals that do not contain any hydrocarbon-bearing sands. There are some additional data that should be annotated on a 1- or 5-in. log with recognized pay. Figure 4-36 illustrates the additional data that should be annotated in the pay section on a L-in. log. The annotation includes the name of each sand, perforation. intervals, well status, cumulative production from each interval produced and a note on why each interval went off production, and the measured and subsea depth for the top of each important productive interval. Any intervals that appear productive on the log but have not been produced should be noted, such as Sand 2 and 6A in Fig, 4-36. Finally, any recognized faults must be indicated on the log, such as Fault F at a depth of 8350 ft which faults out the 4 Sand. The annotation of a detailed 5-in. log is crucial. The annotation of a5-in. log is shown in Fig. 4-37. The information annotated includes: sand name, measured and subsea depth of the sand tops, perforation intervals and corresponding production, well status, net pay counts, limit of pay (full to base of interval or water contact), and basic core data (at least the porosity and permeability data). Notice that the net pay on the 5-in. log in Fig. 437 is assigned per 10-ft intervals on the left side of the log. This annotation is used to support the net pay count and later in preparation of net pay isopach maps. Finally, the documentation of well data means recording it in some format that can be easily used. There are various types of data sheets available for documenting mapping. parameters. These data sheets should be used at all times to document the log correlation data,