PE 306 Well Logging

Dr. Haider H. Dahm

Department of Petroleum Engineering
College of Engineering
Misan University
h.dahm@uomisan.edu.iq
 Lecture #1
Introduction To Well-Logging
 Well logs – an interesting tool

The Geophysicist:
• Are the tops where you predicted?
• Are the potential zones porous as you have assumed from seismic data?
• What does a synthetic seismic section show?
The Geologist:
• What depths are the formation tops?
• Is the environment suitable for hydrocarbon (HC) accumulation?
• Is there evidence of HC in this well?
• What type of HC?
• Are HC present in commercial quantities?
• How good a well is it?
• What are the reserves?
The Drilling Engineer: The Production Engineer:
• What is the hole volume for cementing? – Where should the well be
• Are there any key seats? completed?
• Where can you get a good packer seat for – What kind of production
testing?
rate can be expected?
The Reservoir Engineer: – Will there be any water
• How thick is the pay zone? production?
• How homogeneous is the section? – How should the well be
• What is the volume of HC per m3 completed?
• Will the well pay out? How long will it take? – Is the potential pay zone
• Are HC present in commercial quantities? hydraulically isolated?
• How good a well is it? – Will the well require any
• What are the reserves? stimulation?
– What kind of stimulation
would be best?
Introduction

• What is a well log / well logging?

• Why do we need to learn well logging?
• How do we measure well logs?
• What type of well logs are there?
• What are the uses of well logs?
• How do we read a well log?
What is well logging?

• Well Logging is the practice of making a detailed record (log)

of the geologic formations penetrated by a borehole.

• The log may be based on

• visual inspection of samples brought to the surface
(geological logs; core logs)
• or physical measurements made by instruments lowered
into the hole (geophysical logs).
Well logging

May have different names:

• Borehole geophysics
• Petrophysics
• Formation evaluation
What is a log?

• A “log” can refer to:

• The tool that makes the measurement.

• The paper (or digital) representation of
those measurements.
•A single measurement (a “curve” or a
“trace”).
The first well log
155m

12
13
6.9 gypsifere
5.2
7.7
M. grisa stratifiee
160m

9.5
5.3 Cristaux degypse
2.1 M. brune gypse
4.8 Greg marneux
5.8 M. rouge. gypse
M. grise
165m

6.4
5.9
4.3
M. rouge av. gypse
4.3
5.4
170m

7.8
8.6 M. verte schisteuse
3.3

9.5
175m

19.6
15.9
14.5
9.9
M.12.4
brun rouge
10.5

The first electric well log, Pechelbronn, France, September 5, 1927

 Why do we need to learn well logging?

• Well logging helps us to evaluate

the formation.
• Reservoir characterization
• Production strategy
• Reservoir estimates

Well logging is an integral part in “measuring” the reservoir.

Formation evaluation: Scale
Basic Log Types

• Open Wireline Log

Class Focus

• Wireline Cased Hole Logging

• Logging While Drilling (LWD)

Data aquisition: wireline logs
Tool-surface
communication is
Logging unit with on-board computer.
via a 7-conductor
Sensors (transmitters and receivers) and electrical cable.
electronics are mounted in the logging
tool (sonde). Usually several tools are
joined together in a “tool string” and the
measurements made simultaneously to Power and
operating
save costs. instructions are
sent to the tool.
The well is usually logged while pulling
the tool string up the hole, for better
Data and tool
depth control. status are sent
from the tool. Tool 1
The logging cable carries the tool load sensor.
and provides a communication link.
Apart from recording the measurements Logs are run at 900 Tool 2
from the sonde the most important to 6,000 feet per sensors.
function of the surface unit is depth hour, depending on
control. the measurement.
 Design questions

• Logging Speed?
• Tool length?
• Number of logging runs?
• Wellbore fluid type and level?
• Hole condition?
Measurement Recording
Surface Signal
Conditioner Recording Processor
Device
CPU

Depth
Measurement

Reproduction
Mud

Mud
Cake
Undisturbed Formation End Product
Filtrate Log / Tape
Invasion
Tool measurement volumes

Because of the physics and tool design, tools can measure vastly different
volumes. This must be taken into account in the interpretation phase
 Centralized Decentralized Stand-Offs
Some tools are run Some tools are run Some tools are run
centralized in the decentered, pushed, with “ stand - offs ” to
borehole in order to against the borehole wall. position them at a
measure properly. fixed distance from
These include laterolog In some cases this is the wall.
and sonic devices. done with an bow springs
The induction family
or caliper arm.
Special centralizers are are usually run in this
put on the tool. manner.
Tool assembly
What type of well logs are there?

• Borehole geophysics is the science of recording and analyzing

measurements of physical properties made in wells or test holes.
Probes that measure different properties are lowered into the
borehole to collect continuous or point data that is graphically
displayed as a geophysical log.
Types of well logs

• Electrical
• Resistivity log
• Spontaneous Potential log
• Nuclear
• Gamma Ray log
• Density log
• Neutron log
• Acoustic
• Sonic log

Other categories:
Temperature log
Caliper log
Dipmeter log
Image log
What questions can be answered?
• Are hydrocarbons present?
• Is it oil or gas?
• How much, where is it?
• What’s the lithology?
• One reservoir or multiple?
• Producibility (water cut, flow rates)
• Quantification of reservoir parameters (saturation, porosity)
• residual hydrocarbons
• …….
 Well log analysis

• The majority of well

log information is
qualitative.
• A single well log
does measurement
does not give a
definitive answer.
 Uses of well logging
• Determination of reservoir parameters:
• Lithology, porosity, permeability, fluid saturation
• Determination of formation fluids
• Recognize depositional systems or other geological
features
• Correlation to geologic maps or seismics
• Detection of overpressure zones
• Detection and estimation of hydrocarbon zones
• Oil in place
• Reservoir management
• reassessment
Depositional
Environments
Structure determination
Overpressure detection
 How to read a well log
Reading a log is a skill well worth
developing. Many misinterpretations
• A well consists of can be traced back to a
misunderstanding of what the log data
• Well log header
represented, especially these days
• Comments when much of this data is loaded
• Main pass (recorded data) directly to workstation projects.
• Tracks
• Scales
• Speed markers
• Footer (Calibrations, Tool string assembly)
A well log
Scales identify
the curves and
their values (if
you have a secret
decoder ring)

Depth lines appear

every two feet (in
this display).

Curves are
distinguished by
line color, width,
and style
Depth
Track 1 Track Track 2 Track 3
Grids & scales
 Mnemonics
Common Log Type: Schlumberger: Baker Atlas: Halliburton:
Porosity
Density
Compensated RHOB DEN RHOB
Lithodensity RHOB, RHOM, RHOZ ZDEN RHOB
Neutron
Compensated NPHI, TNPH, NPOR CNC, CN NLP,NPHI
Sonic / Acoustic
Compensated DT DT DT
Long-Spaced DT DT (None)
Dipole (Pwave) DTCO DT DTC
Spectral Gamma Ray SGR GRS GRS
URAN, THOR, POTA U, TH, K GRU, GRTH, GRK
Resistivity
Induction
Dual RILD RILD ILD
Phasor Dual RTPH RIPD HDRS
Array AF90, AT90 M4CX, M2CX HRD
Laterolog
Dual LLD RD LLD
Azimuthal LLD RLD (None)
Focused SFL FL DFL
Microresistivity
Micro-Spherical RXO, RXO8 (None) MSFL
Microlaterolog RMLL RMLL (None)
Microlog BMIN, BMNO RLML, RNML LAT, NOR
Electromagnetic
Propagation EATT, TPL (None) (None)
Pulsed Neutron
Thermal Decay SIGM SGMA SGFM