Log Types

• A general explanation
0 150

of log types, their uses

and potential problem
areas.
 Cased Hole – Fluid Composition

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Cased Hole – Casing/Cement Inspection

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Cased Hole – Correlation/Evaluation

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 Locating a Tubing Leak
• High resolution temp tool
shows leak by friction
heating (high rate leak)
• PLT w/RST waterflow
logging tool. Intro trace
chemical into the annulus
and read with tool.
• Pony tail (frayed nylon rope)
on a WL cutter tool
(moderate rate leak)
• Run and set a plug going
down the well and pressure
test above plug until leak is
located
• Run downhole camera –
inject liquid into annulus &
watch for entry into tbg.
• Plug tubing at bottom and
fill tbg w/ water. Displace
with gas and locate top of
liquid. If gas N/A, then use
a pump down dart.

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Detection of Temperature Difference in slope of temperature gradient – will
Crossflow or Survey detect flow rates down to 25 BPD if liquid and
Underground temperatures of fluids are different. Figures on
Blow out temperature vs. flow distance help estimate water
flow in the annulus.
Noise Log Best performance of noise logs is with gas flow.
Gas flow to about 10 actual ft3/D (Note – not
standard ft3/day). At very low gas flow rates
(q<400 actual ft3/D), gas flow can be estimated
from millivolts of noise between the 200-Hz and
600-Hz frequencies:
q = 0.35 (N200 – N600). Where q is the actual gas
flow in ft3 and N = noise log cut at that frequency.
Oxygen Open hole or channels behind single string.
Activation Survey Accuracy is sharply reduced for investigating
channels behind two strings (use temp or noise
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 Location of Cement Top

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 Evaluation of Cement Placement and Bond

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 Determination of External Casing Corrosion

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 Flow Behind Pipe

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 Location of Source of Annular Leak

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 Quick View - Openhole Logging
• Principally a formation evaluation service
– Performed before setting casing or liner
– Several tools can be run simultaneously

• Two distinct types of application for openhole CT

deployed logging:
– In highly deviated and horizontal wellbores
• toolstring can no longer be lowered into well by gravity
– Special applications in vertical wellbores

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 Openhole Logging Tools –Quick
View
– Gamma ray
• lithology identification and correlation
– Dual induction
• measures formation resistivity
– Litho density
• measures porosity and identifies lithology
– Compensated neutron
• measures porosity and identifies lithology
• locates gas and fluid contacts
– Borehole seismic
• recovers seismic data

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 Openhole Logging Tools - Quick
View
– Sonic measurement
• measures acoustic velocity for porosity
• identifies lithology
– Stratigraphic
• identifies bed orientation, fracture location, hole direction and
geometry
– Rock sampling
• provides side wall cores
– Fluid sampling
• retrieves fluid samples under reservoir conditions
• estimates permeability

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 SP
• One of the oldest and simplest logs
• Measures voltage between formations and the fluid
in the wellbore. Potential differences arise due to
the difference s between salinity of the formation
and the wellbore fluids.
• SP is used for qualitative permeability, reservoir
quality evaluation, Rw calculations and zone shaliness
estimation.
• Check Rmf value and correct for formation
temperature to determine if SP deflections really are
a valid indicator of permeability.
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Gamma Ray Tool (Basically a Geiger
Counter)
• Uses a scintillation crystal and a photomultiplier tube to
measure naturally occurring and artificially induced gamma-
ray radiation.
• The gamma-ray radiation is a signature of the formations in a
well – very useful in depth control. Used in open hole or pipe
• Also used to spot changes in radiation (NORM scale) and
radioactive tracers.
• GR is sensitive to logging speed and factors/statistics that
govern radioactive decay.
• Used as one measurement of shaliness, correlation tool for
stacked beds and in shales, seal/barrier location, id of organic
rich zones, gross and net reservoir thicknesses.

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 Capacitance Tool
• Measures the fluids capacitance – uses the
wellbore fluid as the fluid between plates of a
capacitor.
– Determine water entry points
– Identify static fluid interfaces
– Assists production logs

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 Resistivity
• Measures resistance difference between
formation and wellbore fluids to various
depths in the formation.
• The shallowest measurements are indicative
of severely invaded zone and the deepest
measurements are most reflective of actual
formation fluids.

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 Resistivity (continued)
• Generally the rock matrix is not conductive, so
the resistance of the fluids in the pore space
are reflective of invasion.
• Used to establish qualitative permeability,
correlate markers, and determine water and
hydrocarbon bearing zones.

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 ML - Microlog
• A special resistivity tool that measures the resistivity
of the mud cake on one curve and the resistivity of
the fluids in the formation, but near the wellbore, on
a different curve.
• Separation between the curves is an indication of
permeability since mud cake builds on permeable
zones.
• Tight zones usually show high resistivity readings.

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 Density Tool
• Measures electron density of the formation. A Co60
or Cs137 source bombards the formation with
gamma-rays. A higher degree of Compton scattering
on return is associated with higher density
formations.
• Used for porosity estimation, density measurement,
lithology determination, indication of gas bearing
zones (effect of free gas on density shows a higher
porosity / lower density reading than when the
formation is wet).

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 Density Tool (continued)
• Readout is displayed as bulk density (g/cc) and
density porosity (%).
• The porosity reported is a derivation based on
departure from an assumed matrix density.
• The pad readouts are very sensitive to hole
roughness. Check hole for roughness as part of log
Q/C. Tool reads high porosity / low density when
pad does not contact the formation. Density
variances also cause log readout problems.

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 Sonic
• A sonic log measures the interval travel time (delta t)
of compression sound waves moving through one
foot of a formation (milliseconds/ft). If matrix
velocity is known, porosity can be calculated since
sound waves travel slower in porous media (travel
slower in less dense materials such as fluids).
• Sonic logs are used for porosity determination,
pressure determination in shale, as a correlation log,
and a gas detector.

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 Neutron Tools
• Source emits neutrons into the formation. Neutrons
interact with hydrogen nuclei resulting in an energy
loss that is converted to neutron porosity. All
hydrogen bearing materials (water, oil, gas) contain
hydrogen, but the formation usually does not.
• Amount of hydrogen affects reading, so gas filled
porosity creates a lower porosity than oil or water
filled porosity.

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 Neutron Tools (continued)
• The porosity is calculated based on an assumed
matrix density. Variances in density and fluid type
alter reading accuracy.
• Used for lithology when compared with other logs
(density, PE and GR). Also a measure of shaliness.
Useful to spot gas (dry vs. wet). Correlation log,
porosity evaluation, qualitative measurement of of
reservoir depletion (gas pressure affects readings).

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 Compensated Neutron
• Radioactive neutron source bombards the
formation with high energy neutrons. The
high energy neutrons are slowed and captured
by atoms of the formation. The low energy
neutrons are reflected back to the tool and
counted. The amount of neutrons returning is
inversely proportional to the porosity of the
formation.

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 Compensated Neutron
– Locate gas-liquid and evaluate
– Locate hydrocarbon bearing zone
– Determine lithology
– Structural analysis

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 Pulsed Neutron Decay
• A neutron source – measures interactions with
the elements in the formation.
– Basis of carbon-oxygen logs
– Monitors fluid contacts
– Can be run through casing

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 PE – Photoelectric Log
• A direct measurement of values present in
formations. Under ideal conditions the PE can
be read off the log and compared to tables to
determine the mineralogy.
• Bad hole conditions, heavy muds, thick mud
cake, barium from drilling fluid additives and
multiple formation types (stacked pays) can
confuse the PE.

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 Caliper (Open Hole)
• Measures the roughness or the rugosity of the
borehole wall.
• One to four arm calipers are available. Multi arm
calipers give an impression of the shape of the
wellbore.
• Used for roughness measurement, gauging
washouts, hole “gauge”, diameters for hole volume
calculations, establishing mud cake thickness
(qualitative permeability), identification of sloughing
formations (washouts).

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 Multi-sensor caliper (cased hole)
• Multi-arm feeler – gauges the shape and
smoothness of the casing id.
– Corrosion and pit detection
– Pipe collapse and deformation
– Pipe wear

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 Collar Locator
• A simple magnetic field that measures a disturbance
of thicker (or thinner) metal mass moving through
the field.
– Typical use is collar location
– Can see profiles
– Locates packers and hangers
– Locates tubing crossovers
– Can see some corrosion problems
– Can see some perforations

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 Cement Bond Tool
• Transmitter-receiver tool measures the signal
received back from a segment. Helps assess
cement presence and bond to the formation
and the pipe.

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 Temperature Tool
• A recording of the wellbore temperature.
– Identify fluid entry or exit
– Gas channeling
– Tubular leaks
– Hydraulic frac height
– Cement top
– Fluid levels
– Differential temperature curve

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 "cellar effect - temperature normally cools from surface
0
temperature to about 100 ft below surface, then temperature
1000 begins to increase with increasing depth. Watch for

2000
3000 This response is about 2.1oF per 100
ft
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
50 100 150 200 250 300
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Temperature log – Saaman Well – Trinidad.
Leak at packer using annular injection after
base line at same rate.

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 Gradiomanometer
• Measures the differential pressure of a 24”
column of fluid – calculates the fluid density.
– Determine gas or liquid entry points
– Identify static fluid interfaces
– Determine exact depth of fluid density change
– Assist production logs

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 Flow meter
• Measures fluids moving past the tool. Moving
fluids turn the spinner
– To determine fluid entry or exit points
– Evaluate perforations
– Evaluate cross-flow occurrence
– Helps evaluate completion design

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 Tension Measurement Device
• A component of the tool string that records the
tension during logging in various parts of the
wellbore. Helps spot increased drag and break free
points (tool jumps) that may signal poor logging tool
records.
• Used for quality control on logs, as an indicator of
depleted zones (fluid loss sticking), dog-legs, location
of sticking (above or below tool when compared with
a surface record).

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 Logging Behind Casing
• Key Elements:
– Understand the condition of the casing
– Understand the connection of casing to the
formation – cement bond.
– Inclination, diameter, geometry

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 Channel Detection Behind Pipe
• Channel logging, with borax solution injection, is
accomplished by pumping the solution down the tubing into
the liner, allowing the mix to infiltrate the perforations and
any channels in the casing formation annuli.
• The initial pass, before borate injection, is made with a thru-
tubing Pulsed Neutron logging (or memory neutron) base pass
(no Borax), followed by subsequent passes at 20bbls, 40bbls,
and 60bbls as the borax solution is pumped away.
• The borax affects neutron capture, leaving a characteristic
signature. Overlays of the Sigma/CNL counts reveal the zones
of borax penetration, and identify the channels taking fluid.

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 Alaska CTD well with good cement isolation over a shale zone

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Comparison of a memory CNL and PNL method. A
channel is apparent in the pre and post squeeze

Post-Squeeze

Pre-Squeeze
Perforations
Perforations
TVD Depth MCNL Borax Near Cts MCNL Borax Near Cts RST Borax Form. Sigma
8950 FEET 8850
DEPTH 0 9200 0 8500 35 CU 0

logging tracks.
FEET
Gamma Ray MCNL Seawater Near Counts MCNL Seawater Near Counts RST Seawater Form. Sigma
0 GAPI 100 0 10000 0 10000 35 CU 0

9500

In some cases, the borax logging technique is

sufficiently robust to complement or replace 9600

temperature logging when looking for behind the pipe

channels. (SPE 25383 for Borax logging)
The technique has not been used widely outside
9700

Alaska, due to the problems in making the “Borax

Brew” and keeping it hot to avoid precipitation of the 9800

Borax at colder temperatures (<100degf).

The Borax needs to be mixed at a near critical 9900

saturation in order to give the best result. Typically

this is 7lb/bbl Borax Pent hydrate and 7lb/bbl NaCl.
10000

10100

10200

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Source- Alaska PE manual