Production logging tools

1 - Reference, date, place

Tool Summary : Main Measurements

The selection of the tool depends on the purpose of the PLT

Each tool has its role

1. Depth Matching
1. Gamma Ray (could help to locate radioactive scales)
2. CCL

2. Flowrate computation , Completion integrity (scales)

1. Caliper
2. Centralisers

3. Single phase profiles (i.e. injector)

1. Temperature (PVT, Liquid indicator)
2. Pressure (PVT & Res. Pressure)
3. Spinner Flowmeter (fluid velocity)

4. For a Multi-phase production

1. Density measurement
2. Fluid mixture hold up tool

2 - Reference, date, place

Typical PL Tool string

Sondex
MPLT

3 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Standard tools
Gamma- Ray
▪ Usually, the depth matching is done thanks to the GR log
▪ Needs to load the open hole GR
▪ Could give good indications of water source if scales are radioactives
▪ With gravel pack, Frac-Pack, the natural radioactivity is not more visible.

CCL
▪ CCL could help in depth matching if particular completion elements can be identified
▪ Perforations may sometimes

Caliper
▪ Caliper diameter is measured thanks to 2 perpendicular arms
▪ Diameter is mandatory to compute flow rate
▪ Even with an accurate completion sketch, caliper data has to be examined
▪ Scales could be observed thanks to the caliper

Centralisers
▪ To keep the tool in the middle of the wellbore is important to get a representative data (downhole
recirculation)

4 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools - Flowmeter

In line Flowmeters
▪ small spinner
▪ good for high flowrates
▪ Mainly used as backup spinner

Full bore Flowmeters

▪ maximum spinner blade size
▪ best for wide range of flowrates
▪ For injection wells could be
replaced by turbine

Petal Basket
▪ stationary measurement
▪ good for low flowrates
▪ May affect flow regime

In line Fullbore Petal Basket

5 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Flowmeter types

Turbine
Spinner

Fullbore Spinner Fullbore Spinner Continuous In-line Spinner Diverter

3-arm 6-arm Spinner Flowmeter

6 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Temperature tools
SCHLUMBERGER - RTD
Temperature is one of the most useful “auxiliary”
measurements made in production logging.
SPECIFICATION RANGE
Temperature is very important as it is a good liquid indicator
in gas wells Temperature (max) 150 C
Pressure (max) 15000 psi
The temperature can be more sensitive to small flows than
the flowmeters Range Ambient – 150 deg c
Length 12.5”
Combined with pressure it helps compute the PVT
Accuracy 1 deg C
parameters.
Resolution 0.006 deg C
The response time is very important more than the resolution
itself (especially for quantitative temperature analysis)

In addition, it will detect very small fluid entries:

SONDEX - PRT
▪The derivative of temperature wrt depth (dT/dZ) can
be used to clarify fluid entries in complex SPECIFICATION RANGE
environments.
Temperature (max) 177 C
▪Gas entries, for example, are characterized by a
sharp reduction in temperature. Pressure (max) 15000 psi
Range 10-177 deg C
It is the only tool in the string that “sees” behind casing, Length 12.5”
hence it can be used to detect channeling.
Response time < 0.5 second
Accuracy 0.5 deg C
Resolution 0.003 deg C

7 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools - Density

Density is used to determine liquid source entry

Three technology are available on the market :

▪ Gradiomanometer
▪ Tool measure the difference in pressure between two points
▪ Nuclear fluid density tool
▪ Gamma ray absorption
▪ Tuning fork density (New technology not yet tried)
▪ Frequency measure

Derivative of pressure data gives another density log

8 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools - Gradiomanometer

Silicon oil
r so
P2 - P1

Differential
(tool specific)
Pressure
Transducer- PB - PA
Diaphragm

(friction, deviation)

Density

In gas wells, frictions are very important as dependant of fluid velocity

Despite friction gradient is supposed to be corrected, by experience, frictions are not

well corrected (uncertain parameter : roughness)

Deviation will also affect the accuracy of measurement

9 - Reference, date, place
 SCHLUMBERGER - Gradiomanometer Issues
INFORMATION :
O-114 is main gas producer
(1.8 MMscfd)
Only 15 bbls/d of water at surface +
25 bbls/d of condensate can not
match such density increase
Well deviation is ~28 deg
Gradio response shows increase in
density
No liquid entry indication by
temperature and water hold up
WATER SOURCE OR NOT? sensors
Major density increase gives
misinterpretation of water source
Friction, deviation and jetting effect
shows water source as if from this
reservoir.

f = friction factor (Re, roughness)

V = speed of fluid
dP frV 2 S S = surface contact with fluid
Friction → = 
dZ 8 A A = area opened to flow
ρ = density

Gradiomanometer is very sensitive to frictions, deviation and jetting

effect
Need to be confirmed by other sensors
10 - Reference, date, place
 PLT Tool – Nuclear Density tool
The main advantage of the nuclear density tool is that the reading is not affected by wellbore
friction, deviations

Give a true fluid mixture density value

Based on TEPI experience, success ratio very good

Main disadvantage is the presence of nuclear source

Direct density measurement

g-ray
Count rate measured at the detector is a function of the
electron density in the fluid around the tool

Some RA Density tools measure the density in a cavity,

within the diameter of the density tool itself, and
consequently the density measurement is measured
according to the tool position in the wellbore.

11 - Reference, date, place

 PLT tools - Pseudo-density

dp/dZ calculated from p vs Z

Needs:
- correction for pipe friction
- correction for deviation

12 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Density tools in TEPI
SONDEX - FDR SCHLUMBERGER - Gradiomanometer
Object of measurement : Object of measurement :
Radioactive Emission Pressure Differences

SPECIFICATION RANGE SPECIFICATION RANGE

Temperature (max) 350 F Temperature (max) 350 F
Pressure (max) 15000 psi Pressure (max) 15000 psi
Diameter 1 11/16 in Deviation (max) 70 degree
Length 585 mm Diameter 1 11/16 in
Range 0-1.25 g/cc Length 51.9 in
Accuracy +/- 0.03 g/cc Range 0-1.5 g/cc
Resolution 0.01 g/cc Accuracy +/- 0.03 g/cc

Not affected by well bore deviation Advantages More stable than pressure gauge derivative
Not affected by friction
Advantages Big error in fluid density estimation
Give instantaneous fluid density
Center tool –flow regime problem
Close 100% success ratio
Drawbacks Affected by wellbore deviation
Use nuclear source (Am-241)
Affected by wellbore friction
Drawbacks Center tool – problem with flow regime
Sensitive to ‘jetting effect’
Fluid circulation – design problem
Quite ‘frequently’ failure – silicon oil problem

13 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools - Density

The density measurement give an instant picture of the fluids in the well
▪ As quicklook, do not interpret systematicaly density increase as a water
source (especially for gradio-manometer tool)

To confirm the validity of data, uses the derivative of pressure as a second

density profile

The slowest pass is best, as there are less effects on the curve.

Look for changes which will indicate entries of different fluids.

The sump may give confusing readings due to completion fluid

14 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Fluid Hold up tools

The purpose of this tool is to determine the mixture hold up and

determine the relative proportions of the phases present

Two main way to measure it

▪ Single sensor in the “middle” of the wellbore
▪ Capacitance/Impedance tools
▪ Imaging tools that allow you to have a complete view of the borehole with several
probes : Multi array tool
▪ Two main manufacturers are
▪ Sondex :
▪ Multi Capacitance (CAT)
▪ Multi Resistivity (RAT)
▪ Schlumberger : 4 probes
▪ Multi Resistivity (flowview)
▪ Optical probes (GHOST)

15 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools - Capacitance
This tool use the difference between the
dielectric constant of water (78) and that of oil
or gas (4).

A simple way to find the dielectric constant of

a fluid is to use the fluid as the dielectric
between the plates of a capacitor

The capacitance may be found by classical

methods such as including it in an RC network
and finding the resonant frequency

Hence the tool measures frequency… counts

/sec

This tool needs a calibration

▪ Before job (in air and water)
▪ During job (in water and hydrocarbon from shut-in pass)

So not possible with memory PLT and never done with E-line jobs (no witnessing)

16 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools – Capacitance Limitations
0

This class of tools works

Satisfactory well as long as
Yw hydrocarbon are the
continuous phase

0.5
Yw = 0.4
The tool goes into
“conductive” mode when
the water becomes the
dominant phase

1
6000 cps 3000

This tool needs calibration (surface check, and downhole in-situ calibration)

In practice they become unreliable if the water cut is above 30% - 40%

Filming and wetting effect could affect the interpretation

17 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Multi probe tools

The purpose of this tool is to determine the mixture hold up and

determine the relative proportions of the phases present thanks
to several probes

Imaging tools that allow you to have a complete view of the

borehole with several probes : Multi array tool
▪ Two main manufacturers used in TEPI
▪ Sondex :
▪ Multi Capacitance (CAT) : trial done on PCK
▪ Multi Resistivity (RAT)

▪ Schlumberger : 4 probes
▪ Multi Resistivity (flowview)
▪ Optical probes (GHOST)

18 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – Flowview (DEFT) - Probe principle

Used to differentiate water and

hydrocarbon

4 probes located on the caliper arms

▪ Relative bearing recorded
▪ Several position are possible

Based on resistivity measurement

▪ Need a saline water
▪ Distinct fluids (no emulsions)

Flow not affected by presence of the tool

(down pass)
▪ It is not unusual to discard up passes

Only differentiates between water and

hydrocarbons
▪ Cannot differentiate between condensate
and gas
▪ Better gas bubble estimation in water column
▪ Possibility to obtain wellbore image

19 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools – DEFT Limitations
DEFT sensibility depends on main phase
▪ Water continuous phase
▪ Current is emitted from the probe tip and returns to the tool
body
▪ A small droplet of HC will break the circuit and will be
recorded
▪ Gas continuous phase
▪ A droplet of water touching the probe tip will not provide an
electrical circuit.
▪ Instead, the water droplet must connect the electrical probe
to the earth wire. Thus a larger droplet is needed for gas or
oil detection than in a water-continuous phase

The fluid response is affected by the fluid

velocity especially in gas column
▪ ➔ DEFT is not recommanded for high flowrate

The signal from the FloView probe lies between two baselines,
the continuous water-phase response and the continuous
hydrocarbon-phase response.

To capture small transient bubble readings a dynamic threshold

is adjusted close to the continuous phase and then compared
with the probe waveform.

The number of times the waveform crosses the threshold is

counted and divided by 2 to deliver a probe bubblecount

20 - Reference, date, place

 PLT Tools – Hold up tools in TEPI
SONDEX - CWH SCHLUMBERGER – DEFT/FLOW VIEW
Object of measurement : Object of measurement :
Fluid dielectric constant Fluid Resistivity

SPECIFICATION RANGE SPECIFICATION RANGE

Temperature (max) 177 C Temperature (max) -25 – 150 C
Pressure (max) 15000 psi Pressure (max) 15000 psi
Diameter 1 11/16 in Length 1.75 m
Length 666 mm Weight 11 kg
Accuracy 1.0% Accuracy 5%
bubble >2 mm
Resolution 0.1%
Dev < 30 deg

▪Good for vertical well

Advantages
▪Dedicated to “3 phase” identification ▪ Multi point sensors (4 probes)
Advantages ▪ Dedicated to water detection (in gas
and oil well)
▪ Center tool – problem with flow regime
▪ Limited in BSW (40%) ▪ Limitation in fluid velocity
Drawbacks
Drawbacks ▪ Measured in single point ▪ Limitation in water salinity (2000 ppm)
▪ Need down hole in-situ calibration
▪ Wetting Effect

21 - Reference, date, place

 Sondex – Capacitance Array Tool (CAT)
Same technology as capacitance

12 capacitances positioned on centralizing arms

▪ All sensors are located on the periphery

Same limitation as capacitance

Trials done in TEPI concluded in overestimation of

water

SONDEX - CAT
12 Probes

22 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools – GHOST - Probe principle
Used to differentiate gas and liquid

4 optical probes positioned on centralizing arms

▪ Relative bearing recorded
▪ 0.1 mm diameter sensing area

No wetting effects

No maximum phase velocity limitation

Reflection of light to photodiode is

high in gas and low in liquid.

23 - Reference, date, place

 Water Flow Log
Based on Oxygen activation of the water with a neutron emitter
▪ Gamma rays are transported by water and are detected by Near and Far detectors)

Detect water movement

▪ Either inside or outside tubing
▪ Whatever the salinity

Two runs to detect

▪ Emitter up : detect water circulation downward
▪ Emitter down : detect water production
▪ Used during stationary

Allow to evaluate a water velocity

▪ Rates are difficult to estimate due to unknown diameter of the channeling

Succesfully recorded in TEPI (SNB-201, TN-AA21)

24 - Reference, date, place

 Backup

25 - Reference, date, place

 Three-Phase Holdup Measurements

GHOST measures
gas holdup

FloView measures Combining FloView

water holdup & GHOST provides
oil holdup

26 - Reference, date, place

PLT Tools - Flowmeter

X-Y CALIPER FLOVIEW or

CENTRALIZER GHOST PROBES
RELATIVE
BEARING

ELECTRONICS

SPINNER PFCS -
ROLLER or SKID Schlumberger

27 - Reference, date, place

 More Spinners

28 - Reference, date, place

 More Spinners

29 - Reference, date, place

 Temperature: Flowing Well

Temperature

In this standard well the

flowing gradient is shown in
green.
4
Fluid enters the well
3 through the perforations
and continues up the
2 Geothermal Gradient well.
1
perforated zone
The hotter fluid increases
the temperature away
from the geothermal
gradient.

30 - Reference, date, place

 Temperature: Gas Flow

Gas expands as it enters

the wellbore.
The expansion is
adiabatic
This creates a cooling and
hence a lower
temperature.

31 - Reference, date, place

 Temperature: Channeling

Spinner

geothermal

Water flow Temperature

behind casing

32 - Reference, date, place

 Schlumberger FSI Tool

FloScan Imager Tool

5 Micro-spinners

6 GHOST gas holdup sensors

6 FLOVIEW (DEFT) water holdup sensors

33 - Reference, date, place

 FSI - Tool Configuration

Tool bottom
34 - Reference, date, place
 Flow Profile Behavior
Vertical – low deviation wells

Smooth velocity and holdup profile across the pipe

Conventional centered measurements generally provide the solution.

Low – high deviation wells

Some areas of the wellbore can be monophasic, but segregation

effects can create very complex flow regimes and varied profiles across
the wellbore. Shear forces between fluids gives instabilities and large
velocity and holdup gradients across the wellbore.

High deviation – horizontal wells

Flow regimes are generally stratified even at higher velocities.

However small changes in deviation will dramatically change the velocity
and holdup profiles.

35 - Reference, date, place

 FSI – Image views

Linear: simple linear interpolation,

Spline: cubic spline though all the points with no
curvature at the end points.
Smooth spline: cubic spline though the end points
and one point along each intermediate segment.

36 - Reference, date, place

 Three Phase Holdup

Gas Hold-Up Response

Inelastic N/F Ratio

N/F Ratio YG = 0.00

YG = 0.33

YG = 0.67

Inelastic Spectrum Casing YG = 1.00

YG

Porosity
Counts

YG
Carbon

Oxygen
YO
C/O Model Response

YW

Far C/O Ratio

Energy (MeV)

Near & Far C/O

Near C/O Ratio

37 - Reference, date, place