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SPE 49131

Quantitative Formation Permeability Evaluation from Stoneley Waves

A. Brie, SPE, T. Endo, Schlumberger Wireline & Testing, D.L. Johnson, Schlumberger-Doll Research,
F. Pampuri, EN1-Agip E&P

Copyright 1W8, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc

discussed as it can affect the estimation of mobility through
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 1998 SPE Annual Tetinical Conference and the reduction of the effective porosity. The application of this
Exhibition held in New Orfeans, Louisiana. 27-30 September 1996
methodology to actual data sets is the subject of an
This paper was-salected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of accompanying paper.
!nfonn ation cnnta inad in an abstsact submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to
mrrection by the author(s) The mater! al, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any The Stoneley wave provides a continuous estimation of the
pition of the Society of Petroleum Enginee~, its officers, or members. Papers presented at
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of formation permeability along the well. Core measurements are
Petrolaum Engineers Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
for mmmercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is
not required although they can be used for verification. This
prohibited Permission to raproduca in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 technique will find applications in reservoir engineering
words, illustrations may not be copied The abstract must contain conspicuous
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was Wesented Write Librarian, SPE, PO. optimization of well production through better placement of
Box 83363a Richardson, TX 75083-3836 U S.A.. fax 01-972-952-9435 the perforated intervals.

Abstract Introduction
Reservoir engineers need a continuous measurement of Permeability information is essential for oil and gas
permeability to optimize well completion and produce the production, once reserves have been identified and evaluated,
formation effectively. The borehole Stoneley wave has been to optimize well completion and field development.
shown to be sensitive to fluid mobility, the ratio of Permeability is needed to determine the optimal perforated
permeability and viscosity. The phenomenon is well described interval with respect to the reservoir boundaries and the water
using the Biot theory, and models to account for the effect of table. More generally, permeability is needed for:
the mudcake have been proposed. Existing techniques use completion and production optimization to maximize
either the Stoneley slowness or its attenuation at low production while minimizing water cut,
frequency to estimate the fluid mobility with simplified Biot - production prediction and planning to maximize
models. However, the results of these techniques usually show hydrocarbon recovery,
unexplained differences from core measured permeabilities, or - definition of drainage pattern.
with well test results. The objective of the methodology Although the absolute value of permeability in the
presented in this paper is to improve the reliability of the reservoir is usually considered to be the most important, the
estimation and to take into account important factors that have variations of permeability along the well is equally important.
been neglected.
Permeability, however, is one of the most difficult
The evaluation technique described in this paper uses the measurements to get in an oil well. Direct measurements
Stoneley waveforms over a wide frequency range and inverts either provide only a few points along the well, as is the case
for fluid mobility applying the fill Biot theory. The mudcake with well testing or wireline testers, or provide measurements
is modeled as an elastic membrane. The most important under different conditions in the case of core measurements.
parameters in this evaluation are the mud slowness, mud With indirect measurements, permeability is inferred from a
attenuation, membrane stiffness and pore fluid different property (porosity, nuclear magnetic resonance or
compressibility. Practical techniques are proposed to obtain geochemical logs) using models and assumptions. As the
these parameters with sufficient accuracy from the recorded models are not exact, the uncertainty attached to the results is
data. Storteley waveform inversion provides a direct and high. Another technique, the study of invasion profiles, give
continuous fluid mobility estimate near the wellbore (i.e., in only qualitative information about permeability. The Stoneley
the invaded zone). The intrinsic permeability of the rock can wave is the only technique to provide a continuous, direct
then be derived, provided that the various fluid components, measurement of permeability along the well. However,
their relative permeabilities and their viscosities are known. although the principle of the measurement has been known for
Finally the presence of irreducible water in the rock is also quite some time, obtaining a reliable and accurate

389
2 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D.L, JOHNSON, F. PAMPURl
measurement of permeability from Stoneley waves has proved
difficult.
At low frequency the Stoneley mode becomes the tube
wave and propagates as a piston-like compression of the
borehole fluid in the borehole. When the borehole crosses
permeable zones or permeable fractures, some fluid movement
occurs between the borehole and the formation. This results in
some energy loss, hence attenuation, and a slowing down of
the wave, hence increased Stoneley wave slowness (Fig. 1).
Fractures and permeable zones have different characteristics
and affect the Stoneley wave in different ways. In particular,
in the case of permeable fractures the strong, localized
impedance contrasts also cause reflections of the Stoneley
wave that appear as chevron patterns on a Variable Density
Log, VDL, display. Specific techniques are used to evaluate
permeable fractures with the Stoneley wave (Ref. i 5, 16 and
17). The objective of the present work is to evaluate the
permeability of nonfractured reservoirs, i.e., essentially
distributed permeability from the pore space.
In effect, the parameter measured by the Stoneley wave is
not exactly the formation permeability, but rather the fluid
mobility (i.e., the ratio of permeability to fluid viscosity, ti?l).
The permeability is evaluated in millidarcy units and the
viscosi~ in centipoise, so that the mobility is usually given in
mD/cp. As the viscosity of water is about 1 cp, mobility and
permeability take the same value in water-bearing reservoirs.
Effect:
Attenuated
Refleoted
Anenuated and
Slowed Down
Figure 1: Effect of permeability and fractures on Stoneley waves
Therehave been many attempts at evaluating permeability
from the Stoneley wave. Rosenbaum proposed measuring
permeability with the Stoneley wave as early as 1974 (Ref. 3)
In 1984 Williams et, al. showed conclusive correlations
between permeability and Stoneley attenuation in field logs
(Ref. 4). Following this idea many log interpreters tried to
develop empirical correlations between the Stoneley wave
energy and permeability. But calibration with other
information was needed in all cases, and the reported
successes were unfortunately followed by disappointing
results. Theoretical models based on the Biot poro-elastic
390
SPE 49131
theory were developed by Schmitt et al. (Ref. 5) and Chang et
al. (Ref. 6). Comparisons with laboratory experiments made
by Winkler et al. (Ref. 7) provided a validation of these
models. Based on these models a simplified algorithm was
developed that estimates permeability from the difference
behveen the Stoneley slowness measured at a given frequency
and the slowness calculated using a purely elastic,
nonpermeable formation model. This method, called the S-S,
technique, is currently proposed commercially (Ref. 17). It
produces useful indications in hard rocks but is often
unsuccessful in soft rocks. Tang et al. in 1984, proposed a
simplification of the Biot-Rosenbaum model and developed an
inversion technique for the Stoneley wave amplitude (Ref. 9).
Later they studied the effect of the presence of the tool in the
borehole (Ref. 10). Cassell et al. in 1994 proposed a simple
technique to extract a permeability indicator from the variation
of the Stoneley attenuation with frequency (Ref. 11).
These are only a few examples of the numerous attempts
made at using the Stoneley wave to measure permeability.
From these experiences it is clear that the problem is complex
and that no empirical or simplified approach can provide the
desired level of reliability and accuracy required by the
reservoir engineer. Also early methods did not account for the
presence of mudcake around the borehole in permeable
formations. The mudcake reduces the communication between
the borehole and the formation, and must be accounted for. To
be successful a model must be an accurate representation of all
phenomena involved, and the solution should make use of all
available data (i.e., both slowness and attenuation within the
available frequency range). The model proposed by Liu et al.
(Ref. 8) implements the full Biot poro-elastic theory and
includes the effect of the mudcake in the form of an elastic
membrane. This model is implemented in a computer
program, called PORELAS, that calculates the propagation
characteristics of the Stoneley wave as a function of
frequency. A multi-frequency inversion technique, that uses
this model and does not require external measurements for
calibration was developed by Kimball (Ref. 12). The object of
the present paper is to describe an interpretation methodology,
based on this inversion technique, to determine with sufficient
accuracy and reliability the pore fluid mobility from Stoneley
waveforms in elastic rocks.
Stoneley Permeability Evaluation
Fundamentals of the PORE LAS model
The model we use to characterize the borehole
configuration consists of an elastic and flexible mudcake
layer, of inner radius a and outer radius b, situated between the
borehole mud, which is treated as an acoustic fluid, and the
formation rock. The rock bulk properties are characterized
using the Biot theory (Ref. 1, 2). An oscillatory pressure wave
in the borehole causes fluid to flow in and out through the
porous medium, thus contributing to attenuation and
dispersion of the Stoneley wave. In the language of the Biot
theory, this effect is described by the coupling of the Stoneley
SPE 49i31 QUANTITATIVE FORMATION PERMEABILITY EVALUATION FROM STONELEY WAVES 3

wave to the acoustic slow wave. The mudcake flexibility is or

introduced by adding a membrane stiffness on the borehole
wall to allow the membrane-like mudcake to flex in and out of k,(a) = w(o)+ iy(a) , (2)
the pore space (Fig. 2). This mechanism reduces, but does not
where y is the attenuation factor for the Stoneley wave.
eliminate, the effects of formation permeability on the
Stoneley wave. The theory is described in some detail by Liu
The list of the parameters for the forward model is given in
and Johnson (Ref. 8). We give a brief outline here.
the following table:

Parameters ~lnit

~orehoieParameters Hole Diameter in

Mud Slowness pslft
Mud Attenuation dBl).
Mud Density @cc
ormation Parameters Comp. Slowness pslfi
Elastic
membrane Shear Slowness pslfi
Formation Density #cc

~Porosity VN

Elastic ‘Pore Flutd Modulus GPa

mudcake

L
Pore Fluid Density g/cc

Pore Fluid Mobility mD/cp

Membrane impedance Grain Modulus GPa
Iudcake Parameters Density ~cc
Pressuredrop
Zrnc = Bulk Modulus GPa
Fluid velocity
Shear Modulus GPa

Thickness in,
Figure 2: Elastic mambrane mudcake model
Membrane Stiffness GPticm

To characterize the Stoneley wave properties, we search

for the axially symmetric normal modes that vary as e’(k’= ““’)in
a fluid-filled cylindrical borehole surrounded by porous rock.
Here, z indicates position along the borehole axis and k: is the
axial wavenumber, a complex-valued function of frequency.
The solution to the problem is written as a linear combination
of eight different solutions to the bulk equations of motion,
each of which varies axially and temporally as e’{k::-‘? These
solutions are: a regular solution to the wave equation in the
borehole fluid, a cylindrically outgoing and a cylindrically
incoming compressional wave in the mudcake, a cylindrically
outgoing and a cylindrically incoming shear wave in the
mudcake, cylindrically outgoing shear, fast compressional,
and slow compressional waves in the porous medium. The
relative amplitudes of these constituent solutions are
determined by the requirement that the complete solution
satisfies the requisite boundary conditions, of which there are
eight in number. These boundary conditions yield eight linear
and homogeneous equations in the eight unknown amplitudes.
Therefore, a nontrivial solution can exist if and only if the
determinant of the matrix of coefficients vanishes. For each
frequency co, the correct complex-valued axial wave vector,
k,(~), is determined by numerically searching for the zero of
that determinant. We relate the phase slowness S(O) and the
specific attenuation I/Q(@) to the complex-valued wave
number:
Table 1: Complete parameter list
Among these input parameters, many are obtained from
logs or conventional interpretation. Others relate to the mud
properties, pore fluid properties, rock matrix modulus and
mudcake membrane stiffness. One parameter, the fluid
mobility, is the one we wish to evaluate.
Note that all the formation parameters are determinable
from logging measurements. Specifically nuclear logs provide
the porosity @and the formation density and allow deducing
the density of the rock solid grains, p,. Similarly, the measured
compressional and shear slownesses allow deducing the values
of the frame modulii, K~ and G, from the Gassmann equation,
the low-frequency limit of the Biot theory. In the present
paper, we focus on the effects of the permeability, ~, ( 1 Darcy
= lpm2) and on the membrane stiffness, W~~. Fluid mobility
slows down the Stoneley slowness. To illustrate this effect we
plotted mobility as a function of the Stoneley added slowness,
S- S,, for different mud slownesses in Figure 3. We observe
the dependence of S-S, with mobility. We can also note that
the slowness added through a change in mobility from 1
mD/cp to 1000 mD/cp is only 12 ps/fi. This is a small change
and a cause of the difficulty in evaluating mobility from
Stoneley.

k=(o) = @ S(0)(l+*) . (1)

391
4 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D.L. JOHNSON, F. PAMPURl SPE49131

Mobility (mD/cp) to increased dispersion and increased attenuation. We notice

10000 that the effect is larger on slowness at low frequency, wrhere as
it is larger on attenuation at high frequencies, From this
observation we can expect that there will be an optimum
frequency for simultaneously using slowness and attenuation.
loon
Phase alowness (ws/ft) Loas I wavelength (dB)
230, —, 2.0

100 t {
1.5

10 Attenuation 1000 mO
----------
220 1.0

i
0.1 1 10 100 . 0.5
Mobility-added alowneaa, s-se (!*)
Membrane stiffness 5 GPticm
t 1
Mud attenuation 0.5 dBA
Figure 3: Effect of fluid mobility on S - S., influence of mud ,
210 , , 0.0
slowness 1 2 3 5
4

Frequency (kHz)
The presence of mudcake reduces this effect. as shown in
Figure 4. The mudcake is characterized by its membrane
impedance, Wm. expressed in Gpa/cm, and which We will
assume constant over a lithologic zone. The effect of a finite- Figure 5: Stoneley dispersion for different fluid nobilities
thickness mudcake is to shift the apparent value of the mud
slowness. Accordingly, to reduce the number of parameters to According to Table 1 there is a large number of input
be determined, we fix the mudcake thickness to a small value parameters for the forward problem, but not all of them are
and rely on the mud slowness determination to adjust for this equally relevant. The situation is clarified by following low-
effect. We do, however, take the membrane stiffness to have a frequency analytic solution to the full problem:
finite value, which we assume is constant in the logging region
of interest. Pfi) 2
k:(o) =02 SC*
+ (3)
Mobility
10000
(mD/cp)
[
[Wmc+wp];
1
‘
where S. is a real-valued constant that is the Stoneley wave
Membrane Impedance
slowness in the absence of permeability effects. It depends
50 10 5
upon the elastic properties of the mud, mudcake and shear
1000 modulus G and is nearly equal to the mud slowness in all
cases of interest. In this low-frequency limit, permeability
effects are contained within the factor Wp:
100

where H.(’) are Hankel functions and CIj is the diffisivity of

10
Atmw :203 veift the slow wave:

K K*
CD=+. (5)
1
0.1 1 10 100 ~e
Mobility-added slowness, S-Se (Ya/ft)
{f’ is an effective pore-fluid modulus, as described by
Figure 4: Effect of the mudcake membrane stiffness the Biot theory.

The effect on slowness and attenuation as a function of PORELAS is the implementation of the model we
frequency is shown in Figure 5. Increased permeabili~ leads described in a forward calculation of the complex phase

392
SPE 49131 QUANTITATIVE FORMATION PERMEABILITY EVALUATION FROM STONELEY WAVES 5

slowness at all frequencies. It therefore provides the dispersion which minimizes the total error (Fig. 5). This process uses the
curves for the Stoneley slowness and attenuation in a borehole complex phase slowness (i.e., both slowness and attenuation),
drilled in a permeable formation. Following the over a wide frequency band for optimum results. The other 12
simplifications we made on the mudcake characterization, the parameters are input to the process. The computation outputs
list of parameters is now reduced to 13, as shown in Table 2. the fluid mobility with its associated error, and the signal to
noise ratio (SNR), of the input waveforms.
Parameter Unit Source
Stoneley Waveforma
Hole diameter in. Log Lqs
. ~tcomp
. Atsh.ar i
Compressional slowness ps/ft Log hn.kv A
. HoI*Diam.tw
Shear slowness ps/ft Log . Porosity

Formation bulk density g.lcc Log Fix* Parameters

- MW 3t
. Mti Att*nuatbn
Porosity Viv ELAN” - Md b“sn”
- Pom fluidtidulus 1 I
Formation grain modulus GPa PetroSonic* - Po- FluidoUISitY Fluid Mobility
1
- Mwbmw Sttis’
Pore fluid density g/cc PetroSonic - Graintnod”l”s
Fluid Mobility (mD/cp)
Log pore fluid modulus GPa PetroSonic S/N Ratio, Error

Log membrane stiffness GPafcm Estimated

Figure 6: Single-parameter Stoneley mobility inversion
Mud slowness pslft Pre-evaluation
Mud attenuation dBlk Pre-evaluation
The error on the mobi lity originates from two different
Mud density glee Log header sources. The first one is the error made on the estimation of
Log mobility mD Inversion the 12 other model input parameters. This error increases
monotonically with frequency. The other source of error is the
presence of random noise in the waveform. This error varies
Table 2: PORELAS 13 input parameters
as the inverse of the signal amplitude (or SNR) and therefore
goes through a minimum at the peak of the signal amplitude
Effective fluid estimation viscosity offluid mktures
spectrum. The total error is the sum of the two and also goes
To this point we have described the formation as if it were
through a minimum near the peak signal amplitude.
saturated with a single-phase pore fluid of density pfibulk
modulus Kj and viscosity q. Inasmuch as the goal here is to TOTAL ERROR .$ NALYSIS
deduce producibility factors for hydrocarbon-saturated
formations, it is not immediately clear how to modify the SNR = 25 dB
formalism to take account of partial saturation, We have taken Flat Frequency Spectrum Range 1500-4500 Hz
Number of Receivers 8, Array Length 3,5 ft
the following approach:

The Biot theory depends on viscosity effects only through

the ratio KJq, the fluid mobility. If one makes the standard
assumptions of two-phase relative flows, it is possible to show
that the relevant mobility is I I
Parameters [Init -valu{ x Sens Errol Y.Errol
(6) Mud Slowness pslfi E T 14.86 0.378 56,00?4
Mud Attenuation dBl). 0.9 0.5 0.198 022 18,90?4
where q, is the viscosity of the i-th phase and m is the log Pore Fluid Modulus GPa 0.23 03 0.078 0,203 16,20V0
relative permeability for that phase. Shear Slowness pslfi 162 3 3.075 0114 51 Ovo
log Membrane Stiffness GPalcm 0.5 0.3 0,052 0.062 1,50%
Mud Density gicc 1,3 0,02 1.625 0,05 1.Oovo
Multi-frequency mobility inversion
Hole Diameter in. 85 025 0.738 0,043 o 70%
Obtaining fluid mobility from Stoneley complex phase
Porosity VN 02 0,02 0,142 0,028 0.30~o
slowness is an inverse problem. The method is described by
Kimball (Ref. 12). First the dispersion curves of the Stoneley Formation Density g/cc 2,5 002 1.314 0,021 0,2070

wave are obtained from the PORELAS model. Then wide- Comp. Slowness pslft 90 2 0.293 0013 0.1070
band Stoneley waveforms are backpropagated in the frequency Grain Modulus GPa 48 5 0.029 0,006 0.00%
domain with these dispersion curves. A least mean square Pore Fluid Density glee I 002 0,005 0 O,oovo
error, LMSE, estimator is used to find the value of the —
parameter to be determined, in this case the fluid mobility,
Table 3: PORELAS error analysis

*Mark of Schlumberger

393
6 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D.L. JOHNSON, F. PAMPURI SPE 49131

In the example given in Table 3 the Iogjo of the minimum Receiver

total rms error is 0.662 (about a factor of 5), using both the I I I 11111 I I I I
Stoneley slowness and attenuation (complex phase slowness) 8
as inputs. The contributions in log 10are 0.43 for the noise error
and 0.505 for the parameter error. 7

Studying the breakdown of the contributions of the various 6

parameters to the total error, we observe that the most 5
important contributors are the mud slowness with 56?6 of the
4
total, mud attenuation with 18.9% and pore fluid
compressibility with 16.2?4. Note that this error analysis was 3
made assuming that the standard deviation on the mud
slowness determination was 3 ~slft, which is a rather safe
estimate. It is certainly possible to improve the determination
accuracy of the top three contributors to the total error, in
1 v 1 1 I , t 1 t I r

o 4000 8000 12000 18000 20000

particular for the determination of the mud slowness.
Reducing the standard deviation on mud slowness to 1 vs/ft Time (,us)
would be sufficient to reduce the parameter error by half.
There is therefore a strong motivation to take special care in Figure 7: Stoneley waveforms in low-porosity sands
the determination of the critical parameters. Although the
uncertainty in the mobility determination is still sizable, the
relative variations along the well were found dependable and Energy
are valuable for reservoir engineering applications. (dB)
100 , I ,!, ! ,!,

interpretation methodology

Stoneley waveforms acquisition

The requirements for Stoneley permeability evaluation is
to acquire high-fidelity monopole waveforms at low frequency
and over a sufficiently wide frequency range. The DSI*,
Dipole Shear Sonic Imager tool, in acquisition mode #3 is
especially designed to provide high-fidelity, low-frequency
Stoneley waves (Ref. 18). In this mode the monopole 0 I 1 , 1 1
transmitter is driven by a low-frequency pulse that delivers 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000

energy between 400 and 4000 Hz. Eight waveforms are
acquired across the 3.5fi receiver array. In addition, the DSI
slotted sleeve and receiver array are very transparent
acoustically and have practically no effect on Stoneley
propagation. The tool effect can therefore be neglected. Figure
7 shows a set of monopole Stoneley waveforms recorded with
the DSI tool in low-porosity sands.
The frequency content of these waveforms (Fig, 8) shows
that the energy of the Stoneley waveforms peaks at about 500
Hz and gradually decreases at higher frequencies, providing
signal up to about 4000 Hz.
In the frequency band between 1 and 2 kHz, in average
formations, the Stoneley wavelength is 2 to 4 ft. The depth of
investigation of the Stoneley wave is a fraction of this value;
hence the measurement of mobility is made mostly in the
invaded zone. This has implications in interpretation of the
results.
Frequency (Hz)
Figure 8: Stoneley energy spectrum
Interpretation procedure
The evaluation starts with the computation of the apparent
mud slowness and attenuation. For this the two-parameter
inversion scheme is used, assuming permeability is nil or a
small value. The mud properties parameters are determined
from a plot of these apparent values versus depth or from
crossplots. A dispersion analysis can also be used to determine
the mud slowness.
In the case of gas sands, the apparent fluid modulus should
be calculated.
Then the Stoneley mobility can be calculated. The program
requires a few processing parameters in addition to the
formation parameters: processing mode, frequency band and
time window length,

394
SPE 49131 QUANTITATIVE FORMATION PERMEABILITY EVALUATION FROM STONELEY WAVES 7

Apparent Atmud (P*)

Determination of critical formation parameters
The sensitivity analysis shows that 90% of the total 300
parameter error on the fluid mobility evaluation is caused by
the following three critical parameters:
Ele’atic M~del
mud slowness 280
mud attenuation
pore fluid modulus.
To evaluate fluid mobility with good accuracy, we must
260
therefore determine these parameters as precisely as possible.
Other parameters that have a minor influence on the total
uncertainty are the elastic modulus of the rock matrix (grain
modulus), and the mudcake membrane stiffness. 240
We now propose specific techniques aimed at improving
the determination of these critical parameters.
220
Mud slowness and attenuation
The least mean square error estimator that we used for
evaluate fluid mobility also has the capability to optimize two
200
model parameters. To determine these mud parameters, we o 10 20 30
assume that the formation has no permeability (Fig. 9). The Porosity (p.u.)
inversion results in apparent values of mud slowness and mud
attenuation which are larger than the true ones when the
formation is permeable. Thus, finding the minimum of these Figure 10: Mud slowness determination from porosity Xplot
curves in low-porosity zones provides a good indication of the
mud properties. Apparent Attmud (dB~)

Stoneley Waveforma 5
Lqs
-Akm
- h-u
Elastic Model
4

3
“xiii=&
Anenuation
Apparent Mud At and
Attenuation n C)m
2
S/N Ratio, Error

Figure 9: Apparent mud properties calculation, two-parameter

inversion 1

—’”. - -
The example shown in Figure 14 uses data from a well in
the Adriatic Sea in Italy. We can observe that the Atmud and the 0
0 10 20 30
Att~.d change little with depth, making it easy to pick
dependable values for the mud parameters. Porosity (p.u.)

A more systematic manner of finding the mud parameter
values is to crossplot the apparent mud properties versus
porosity (Fig. 10). As permeability tends to push the points
toward higher values, the optimum values are the lowest.
Extrapolating the lower part of the trend to the zero porosity
axis yields a value at 236 ps/R for Atm.d in the example shown
(oil-base mud).
A similar crossplot for mud attenuation in Figure 11 yields
a mud attenuation value of 0.9 dB. In general the apparent
mud attenuation varies less that the slowness, and it is easier
to determine the mud attenuation than the mud slowness.
Figure 11: Mud attenuation determination from porosity Xplot
Another method is to analyze the monopole waveforms at
high-frequency: the Stoneley mode above 10 kHz and the
Pseudo-Ray leigh mode (normal mode #l) above 20 kHz.
Since the slowness of these modes tends to the mud slowness
in hard rocks (Fig, 12). Using model dispersion curves, the
mud slowness can be adjusted at a particular depth. When the
computed dispersion curves match the measured data, an
accurate value of the mud slowness is obtained, This
procedure can be repeated at different positions in the well to
determine how the mud slowness varies with depth along the
well, Once the mud slowness is determined, a two-parameter

395
8 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D.L. JOHNSON, F. PAMPURl SPE 49131

inversion of the PORELAS model for mud attenuation and

permeability provides the mud attenuation.
230
Unconsolidated
Ill Sediments
r
220 /
3.0
210

—— —— —— —. _. 1
‘m bt~d— ——— — VpNs
,...#————— ‘“ ‘“’:,
Slowness 1s0
// /,,/ “
@etft)
180 . 2.5
Pseudo-Rayleigh / /
\
170

-, /
2.0
= &ear/g’Tp> : *.~.
— —— —— —
130; ‘ — ,;
20 30 40 50 S81t ●
Frequency (kHz)

1.5 u ~
Figure 12: High-frequency monopole modes dispersion for mud 50 100 150
slowness determination At (~sm)
Pore fluid compressibility o 0.4”
“ ~
0.8 1
Shale Volume
The pore fluid compressibilityin the invaded zone is the
third most important input to the PORELAS model. In cases Figure 13: VP, crossplot in a gas bearing sand
where the pore fluid is a liquid, the effect of the pore fluid
compressibility is small and a computation of the average fluid
The example described in this paper uses data from a gas-
modulus yields sufficient accuracy. A pore fluid properties
bearing reservoir. A crossplot of Vi% shows clearly the
calculator can be used to estimate the elastic properties of the
characteristic gas trend in the data (Fig. 13). In such a case
water and oil components at borehole conditions.
using the apparent fluid modulus as described previously is
needed to ensure the accuracy of the input parameters. The
In the case of gas-bearing reservoirs, the determination of
results of this computation are shown in Figure 15 in the left
the pore fluid compressibility is important because gas is
track. In this example the apparent fluid modulus is about 3
orders of magnitude more compressible than liquids. The
GPa in water-bearing zones and in shaly sections and goes
presence of gas in the pore space therefore can have large
down to 1.7 GPa in gas-bearing zones.
effect on the effective pore fluid modulus. In this case the
recommended procedure is to evaluate the apparent pore fluid
Rock matrix elastic modulus
modulus, Kr,, from the compressional and shear
If the Iithology is not complex, using a zoned value for the
measurements, using the modulus decomposition technique
grain modulus is adequate. However where the Iithology is
described by Brie et al. (Ref. 14).
mixed (e.g., sequences of sands and carbonates) the variations
K, of the matrix modulus can be large enough to affect the mud
‘fa = 0. (7) properties determination and the mobility results. In this case
Aa.Kg–l+@’ an effective grain modulus, calculated from the volumetric
mineral analysis of the rock, should be used,
with

Kb.Kdn +K: – 2.K8.Kdn Mudcake membrane stl~ness

Aa =
i;”(K-KJn)
An additional advantage of this technique is that the
apparent fluid modulus is obtained at sonic frequencies and in
the invaded zone, therefore in conditions similar to the ones
used for the Stoneley evaluation.
(8) In the data sets we processed, a value of 0.5 GPa/cm (in
“ the computation we used log 10(0.5)=5.5) for the membrane
stiffness provides values of fluid mobility that match core
data. Other than comparing mobility results with core data, no
(9) interpretation technique exists at this time that provides the
value of the membrane stiffness. It will be an objective of
future field tests to develop correlations with other parameters
such as mud characteristics, mudcake thickness or differential
pressure between the well and the formation to provide more
accuracy in the determination of the membrane stiffiess.

ResuIts

396
SPE49131 QUANTITATIVE FORMATION PERMEABILITY EVALUATION FROM STONELEY WAVES 9

The fluid mobility results are shown on the right track of S = Stoneley slowness
Figure 15 with the error bar for the noise. The SNR is shown S. . calculated elastic Stoneley slowness
on the left and averages 25 dB. This is a rather low value; for y = attenuation
optimal results the SNR should be 30 dB or more. To evaluate ~0 = formation Permeability
the formation permeability the fluid mobility should be K = relative permeability of phase i
multiplied by the effective pore fluid viscosity. The gas q = pore fluid viscosity
volume seen by the sonic tool was evaluated from the p. = mud density
compressional and shear slownesses (Ref. 14) and is shown on K. = mud bulk modulus
the right hand side of track one. .It can be used to calculate the Kg = grain bluk modulus
effective pore fluid viscosity, if the relative permeability G = formation shear modulus
curves in the reservoiris known. In effect, the gas volume is b = borehole radius
rather small because it is measured in the invaded zone and the a = inner mudcake radius

original gas was flushed by the mud filtrate. As a 0 = angular frequency (2 n O

consequence, the effective pore fluid viscosity is not far from k, = Biot slow wave wavenumber
the one of water and comparisons between fluid mobility and CD = slow wave diffusivity
formation permeability from other sources show good WP = acoustic fluid mobility impedance
agreement. A detailed evaluation of the mobility results W., = acoustic mudcake impedance
obtained from this technique is the subject of a companion e = exponent in fluid mixture equation
paper presented by Pampuri et al. at the same conference (Ref.
13).
Subscripts
c = compressional
Conclusion s = shear
We have described a methodology that provides St = Stoneley
quantitative determination of the pore fluid mobility from g = rock grain (clean solids and dry clay minerals)
Stoneley waves. Unlike previous techniques this methodology e = elastic (non-permeable)
does not require calibration with external information. fa = apparent pore fluid
The technique consists of the least mean square error
inversion of the full Biot poro-elastic model over a wide
frequency band. The effect of the mudcake is modeled as an Acknowledgments
elastic membrane. We thank ENI-Agip E&P for motivating and actively
Three input parameters are responsible for most of the contributing to the development of this methodology and for
parameter error on the results: mud slowness, mud attenuation providing the well data. We also thank C. Kimball and H.L.
and pore fluid modulus. An interpretation procedure is Liu for their contributions and useful discussions and T.
proposed to optimize the determination of these parameters. Fukushima for developing the interpretation program.
The noise error is the other major source of error in the
results. Good-quality waveforms with an SNR in excess of 30
dB provide optimum results. References
Estimating the effective pore fluid viscosity from 1. M. A. Biot, (1956a), “Theory of propagation of elastic waves in
saturations and relative permeability curves allows a fluid-saturated porous solid, 1. Low-frequency range”’, J.
computation of the intrinsic permeability from fluid mobility. Acoust. Sot. Am. 28, 168-178.
The model implemented is suitable for distributed 2. M. A. Biot, ( 1956b), “Theory of propagation of elastic waves in
permeability in elastic type rocks. In fractured reservoirs, a fluid-saturated porous solid, 11. High-frequency range”, J.
other techniques are more appropriate. Acoust. Sot. Am. 28.179-191.
Porosities of at least 10% are necessary to achieve 3. J.H. Rosenbaum. (1974), “Synthetic micro-seismograms:
logging in porous formation”, Geophysics, 39, 14-32.
acceptable error levels in the mobility computation.
4. D.M. Williams. J. Zemanek, F.A. Angona, C.L, Denis, and R.
Stoneley permeability is the only continuous, direct
Caldwell, ( 1984), “The long spaced acoustic logging tool’”,
measurement of permeability. With improved accuracy and Paper T. presented at the 25th Annual Logging Symposium,
reliability, it should prove to be a useful tool for formation New Orleans, LA, Jun. 1984.
evaluation and reservoir engineering applications. 5. D.P. Schmitt. M. Bouchon and G. Bonnet, (1988), “Full-
waveform synthetic acoustic logs in radially semi-infinite
saturated porous media’”, Geophysics, 53,807-823.
Nomenclature 6. SK. Chang. H.L. Liu, and D.L. Johnson. (1988), ‘“Low-
frequency tube wave in permeable rocks”, Geophysics 53, 519-
At = sound slowness, pslft, (At = 304.8 I V)
527.
Vfl, = shear to compressional velocity ratio
7. K.W. Winkler, H.-L. Liu, and D.L. Johnson, (1989),
p = density, g/cm3 ““Permeability and borehole Stoneley waves: Comparison
K = bulk modulus, GPa between experiment and theory”’, Geophysics 54,66-75.
G = shear modulus, GPa 8. H.-L. Liu and D. L. Johnson, ( 1997), “Effects of an elastic
0 = porosity fraction membrane on tube waves in permeable formations’”, J. Acoust.

397
10 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D.L. JOHNSON, F. PAMPURl
Sot. Am. 101,3322-3329.
9. X.M. Tang, C.H. Cheng, and M.N. Toksoz, (1991), ““Dynamic
permeability and borehole Stoneley waves: A simplified Biot-
Rosenbaum model’”,J. Acoust. Sot. Am,, 90, 1632-1646.
10. X.M. Tang, C.H. Cheng, (1993), “Effects of a logging tool on
the Stoneley waves in elastic and porous boreholes”, The Log
Analyst, 34, No.5, 46-56.
11. B. Cassell, M. Badri, J. Faulhaber, (1994), ‘“Permeability
prediction based on anelastic attenuation using dipole shear and
low frequency monopole sources in a carbonate reservoir in
Saudi Arabia’”, Paper presented at the GEO-94 Middle East
Geosciences Exhibition&Conference in Bahrain, Apr.25-27,
1994.
12. C.V. Kimball, T. Endo, ( 1998), “Quantitative Stoneley Mobility
Inversion”, Extended Abstract presented at the SEC Annual
Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, Sep. 15, 1998.
13. F. Pampuri, M. Rovellini, A. Brie, T. Fukushima, (1998),
“Effective Evaluation of Fluid Mobility from Stoneley Wave
Using Full Biot Model Inversion: Two Case Histories””, Paper
SPE 49132 presented at the SPE Annual Conference & Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Sep. 1990.
Exhibition, in New Orleans., LA, Sep. 1998.
14. A. Brie, F. Pampuri, A.F. Marsala, 0. Meazza, (1995), “Shear
398
SPE49131
Sonic Interpretation in Gas Bearing Sands”, Paper SPE 30595
presented at the SPE Annual Conference & Exhibition, in
Houston., TX, 23-25 Oct. 1995.
15. B. E., Homby, D. L., Johnson, K.H. Winkler, and R. A., Plumb,
(1989), ‘“Fracture evaluation using reflected Stoneley-wave
arrivals’” Geophysics, 54, 1274-1288.
16. A., Brie, K. Hsu, and C., EckersIey, (1988), ‘-Using the Stoneley
Normalized Differential Energies for Fractured Reservoir
Evaluation”, paper XX presented at the 29th Annual Logging
Symposium of the SPWLA in San Antonio, TX, Jun. 1988.
17. T. Endo, H. [to, A. Brie, M. Badri, M. El Sheikh, (1997),
““Fracture and Permeability Evaluation in a Fault Zone from
Sonic Waveform Data’”, Paper R presented at the 38th Annual
Logging Symposium, Houston, TX, Jun. 15-18, 1997.
18. Harrison, A.R. et al.: “Acquisition and analysis of sonic
waveforms from a borehole monopole and dipole source for the
determination of compressional and shear speeds and their
relation to rock mechanical properties and surface seismic data”
paper SPE 20557 presented at the 65th SPE Annual Technical
SPE 49131 QUANTITATIVE FORMATION PERMEABILITY EVALUATION FROM STONELEY WAVES 11

Slownesses (ys/ft) ~a
440
HD Oe
‘timud
6 --9--16 50- -----0 o— ~---3

GR Pb
1:200 20 SNR (dB) 50
0---------150 1.95 — .2.95 ~ –——————4

Figure 14: Apparent mud slowness and attenuation plot

399
12 A. BRIE, T. ENDO, D,L. JOHNSON, F. PAMPURl SPE49131

Pore fLuid Porosity Slownesses (ps/ft)

modulus Fluid mobility
50 0 40
apparent 440 Noise error
Gas content
(GPa) ~ 1:200 SNR (dB) m D/cp
o . 0 10 ~ 20–--————70 1 10000

x425

X450

Figure 15: Stoneley mobility evaluation results

400