HALLIBURTON

DEFINITION OF THE SP

The S
P is a
pote natu
ntial r
pote r elati a l o c c u r
ntial ve to ring
mud. meas a sur
The p ured face
crea o t e in th
ted b ntial e bor
elect y che s me e h o l
ric c m i c a s u r e
urren ally i ed ar
t flow nduc e
. ed
 SP MEASUREMENT

An electrode is placed on
The potential difference
the bridle or is incorporated
The other
between terminal
the of
downhole
into the tool string. This the
galvanometer
electrode is
and connected
the
electrode is connected to
to a surface
surface reference,
fish is caused
one terminal of a recording
which
by is
the either
galvanometer. a
spontaneous“fish”
(usually
potentialplaced in the
located mud
near
pit)the
or downhole
a stake driven into
electrode.
the ground.
 SP MEASUREMENT

The SP log does not actually

It is this
display thedeflection from
total potential
Instead,
the shalewe
difference measure
baseline
between that
the SPis
deflections
important
surface with
for
reference respect
SP and the to
analysis.
the value
downhole of the curve
electrode, whichin the
adjacent
may shales
be on the where
order of we
have set
several a “shale baseline”.
volts.
SHALE BASE
LINE SHALE
ESH EM
SSP′

Rmf Rw
SP AMP
EJ SAND
EMC

INVADED
SP ORIGIN ZONE
SHALE
SHALE
 SP P0TENTIALS

ESH = Electrokinetic Potential

ELECTROKINETIC
acrossSTREAMING
the shale
POTENTIALS
EMC = Electrokinetic Potential
across the mudcake
EM = Membrane Potential
ELECTROCHEMICAL
EJ POTENTIALS
= Liquid Junction Potential
 ELECTROKINETIC
EFFECT
The electrokinetic contribution to the
measured
In depleted SP increases
reservoirs, negativelywith
in boreholes with
increasing differential pressure
heavy muds, or in underpressured zones,
measured between the bore hole
the electrokinetic effect can become fluid
and the pore fluid. In most cases
extremely large and lead to abnormally
lowE SH + EMC
calculated =0.of RW for a normal
values
SP deflection (Rmf > RW)
SHALE BASE
LINE SHALE
SSP
EM

Rmf Rw
SP AMP
EJ SAND

INVADED
SP ORIGIN ZONE
SHALE
 M I CAL
O CH E
ECTR L
EL EN TIA
POT
E + E J
E = M
C
 MEMBRANE POTENTIAL

Themembrane
The shale on a potential
molecular
lattice level
acts asisan
is
ionconstructed
created
filterwhen a in
passing a lattice
shale
positive
is ions
arrangement
introduced
and blocking with a two
between
negativenegative
ions.
fluids
charge
of on the
different lattice
salinity, frame. a
typically
Negative ionssalt
concentrated are solution
repelled
while positive
(formation ions
water) area diluted
and
attracted
salt solutionand allowed
(fresh mud
through.
filtrate).
 + -
VOLTAGE
DIFFERENCE

DILUTED
SOLUTION
CONCENTRATED
-
++++++++
SOLUTION
Na-
-
C2 - C1 + Na ions
- Cl ions
Na-
-
Mud Formation
Filtrate SHALE Water
MEMBRANE POTENTIAL(EMF)
LIQUID JUNCTION POTENTIAL

A concentrated salt solution

Chlorine ions quickly migrate
This
Thepotential
(formation develops
water)
net effect is in
is that across
direct
more
to the less concentrated
the boundary
contact
positive with
Sodiumbetween
ions aremud
a diluted salt
present
solution while the Sodium ions
filtrate
in the and
solution formation
(fresh
formation mud
water water
filtrate).
and morein
that tend
negative to migrate
Chlorine ions much
are to
aAnpermeable
equilibrium zone.
will begin
slower
present remain
in the in the
mud strongly
filtrate. This
develop through ion transfer.
concentrated
situation creates solution.
a potential
difference across the liquid
junction.
 - +
VOLTAGE
DIFFERENCE

DILUTED
SOLUTION
- CONCENTRATED

++++++++
- SOLUTION
-
C2 - Cl C1 + Na ions
- Cl
- Cl ions
Mud -
Filtrate Formation Water
LIQUID JUNCTION
POTENTIAL (EMF)
R =THE
Gas Constant
ELECTROCHEMICAL
THE ELECTROCHEMICAL
POTENTIALS
T = Absolute Temperature
F = Faraday’s Constant
− RT C1
E =
C1 =MConcentration ln
of NaCl in the formation
F C2
water
C2 = Concentration of NaCl in the Mud
E = −
Filtrate RT  u − v  C 1
J  ln 
u =
F  u + v 
Mobility of the Chlorine ions
C 2

v = Mobility of the Sodium ions

Shale

++++
Shale
Baseline
EM

current- -----

+++++++
Ej
- Porous
- RW permeable
SP Amp Rmf --
- Formation
-
-
current-
-----
++++
SP
Shale
CURRENTS
Invaded Zone
Borehole
 USES OF THE SP CURVE

Determine values of formation

water resistivity
Define bed boundaries
Identify permeable zones
Qualitative indication of shale
content
Well to well correlations
 SP RESPONSE
C1
( SP LOG RESPONSE ) α ln
C2
C1 = Salinity of the formation water
C2 = Salinity of the mud filtrate
C1 Rmf
α
C2 Rw
Rmf
( SP LOG RESPONSE ) α ln
Rw
LIMITATIONS ON RW
W ESTIMATES

The most accurate Rw estimates will be for

sandstone formations that are totally
clean, contain only water, and are very
thick. In general as real conditions prevail
over the ideal case, the SP value will be
too low. For a normal SP ( one that deflects
to the left of the shale baseline) this will
cause the estimated RW to be too high .
 SP
INFLECTION A
B
POINT C
D

BED
BOUNDARY
BED FROM THE
BOUNDARY
SP
SP

BED
BOUNDARY
FROM THE
SP
 SSP AND PSP

If it
1. were possible to
THICK
prevent
When
For SP
SPcurrents
theconditions,
real is reducedfrom
the
2.
by CLEAN
flowing
the and measure
presence
SSP is defined asof
the the
shale,
SP
potential
the SSP
response is in the mud
reduced
adjacent
3. ONLY WATER BEARING to
to we
a
zones
wouldare:record value
pseudo-static
that the static
4.
SPPERMEABLE
termedor SSP
the PSP.
 Mud

Shale
SSP

EC
Sand

Mud
STATIC cake
Shale
SP (SSP)
Insulating
Plug Invaded Zone
 VOLUME
OF SHALE

PSP SSP − PSP

Vsh = 1 − =
SSP SSP
 -20
Res
Problem: B PSP Curves

Shale baseline
Determine the volume
VOLUME
of shale in zone B OF
76
SHALE FROM
Solution:
SSP − PSPTHE SP
Vsh =
SSP
− 100 + 76
Vsh =
− 100
Vsh = .24 = 24 %
A SSP

SSP,PSP measured 100

from shale baseline
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE
AMPLITUDE AND SHAPE OF THE
SP (CLEAN FORMATIONS)

♦BED THICKNESS
♦Rmf/Rw CONTRAST
♦PERMEABILITY
♦HOLE DIAMETER
♦BED RESISTIVITY ♣
 SHALE
BASELINE

Case 1. Rmf >> RW

The amplitude of the
SP curve will be large
and negative

Rmf / Rw
Normal SP Contrast
Case 2. Rmf > RW
The amplitude of SHALE
the SP curve will BASELINE
be negative but
the amplitude will
not be as large as
the previous case

Rmf / Rw
Contrast
 SHALE
BASELINE
Case 3. Rmf= RW
There will be no SP
deflection as Em and Ej
are both zero

Rmf / Rw
Contrast
 SHALE
BASELINE

Case 4. Rmf < RW

The amplitude of the SP
curve will be positive
Reversed SP

Rmf / Rw
Contrast
Case 5. Rmf<< RW
The amplitude of the
SP curve will be large SHALE
and positive BASELINE

Rmf / Rw
Contrast
PROBLEMS THAT CAN
EFFECT THE SP
→Oil emulsion in the mud
→Magnetism
→Line leak, or loose
connections
→Fish not in static conditions
→Stray ground currents
→Insufficient invasion or
fracturing producing a “ saw
tooth curve ”
→Bi-metallism
→Telluric currents(Northern
lights effect) ♣