Production Logging

Dr. Maunish Shah

School of Energy Technology
Pandit Deendayal Energy University
Production Log
• Production logging provides downhole measurements of fluid parameters on a zone-by-
zone basis to yield information on the type of fluid movement within and near the
wellbore.
• Estimate the production flow rate for each layer of the formation
• Production logs are run only when the completion is done and production is started. It is
also used for injection well.
• The production logging tools are small in diameter and are run through tubing for
evaluation of the well as it is producing.
• Production logs were first used in 1930's for measuring the temperature of wells but over
the decades other measurements such as pressure, fluid density and hold up were
developed consequently.

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Production Log
Major Applications are
• evaluating completion efficiency
• detecting mechanical problems, breakthrough, and coning
• Leakage identification between production tube and production
casing
• Check integrity of production casing
• providing guidance for workovers, enhanced recovery projects
• evaluating treatment effectiveness
• monitoring and profiling of production and injection
• detecting thief zones, lost circulation zones, channelled cement
• single layer and multiple layer well test evaluation
• determining reservoir characteristics
• identifying reservoir boundaries for field development
• evaluates gravel pack quality,
• hold-up behaviours like water/oil/gas hold up for several depths
are determined
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Production Logging Tools
Sensors
• Thermometer
• fluid density (gradiomanometer, nuclear)
• hold-up meter
• flowmeter spinners (continuous, full-bore, diverter)
• Manometer (strain gauge, quartz gauge)
• Calliper
• noise (single frequency, multiple frequency)
• radioactive tracer
• gravel pack logging

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Production Logging Tool Sensors
1.Flowmeter
‐ Determine producing zones
‐ Stimulation evaluation
‐ Secondary recovery
‐ Flow potential evaluation (Selective Inflow Performance- SIP, Absolute
open flow- AOF)
2.Temperature
‐ Location of production or injection zones
‐ Monitor frac performance
‐ Gas entry
‐ Fluid movement behind pipe
‐ Fluid conversions
3.Fluid Density
‐ Determine volumetric flow in two phase flow
‐ Show entry points in three phase flow
4.Pressure
‐ Well test analysis (kh, skin)
‐ Reservoir extent, boundaries
‐ Fluid conversions 5
Production Logging Service Providers

• ATLAS WIRELINE SERVICES

• BRITISH PLASTER BOARD

• COMPUTALOG

• Gaz De France

• GEOSERVICES

• HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES

• SCHLUMBERGER

• S.D.P. (COPGO)
• SONDEX
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Flow Regimes
Single Phase Flow
• When only oil, gas or water is
produced (very uncommon)
Two and Three Phase Flow
• Mixtures of two or three fluid types
• Lighter phase travels at a higher
velocity than denser phases
• The velocity difference between two
fluids is known as “Slip Velocity”
• The flow becomes complicated to
analyze in the deviated wells

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Flow Regimes
As fluids migrate upward in the well, the flow regime usually
changes.
• Oil with dissolved gas can enter the wellbore as a single phase.
• The hydrostatic pressure decreases as the oil rises, and gas
bubbles begin to form in the oil. The flow regime is then bubble
flow.
• Pressure is further reduced as the mixture moves uphole; more
bubbles form and smaller bubbles aggregate to create larger
bubbles. Large bubbles, or gas slugs, travel faster than both
small bubbles and liquids. Gas slugs may initiate slug flow.
• Slugs tend to unite and move to the center of the pipe, forcing
most of the oil to flow along the pipe walls. This flow regime is
called froth flow (churn flow). It is a highly disturbed flow.
Increasing velocity of a slug flow causes that the structure of the
flow becomes unstable. The churn flow is characterized by the Basic Gas Liquid Flow Regimes
presence of a very thick and unstable liquid film, with the liquid
often oscillating up and down. Due to its nearly chaotic
properties, it is one of the least understood of gas-liquid flow 8
regimes.
Flow Regimes
• Annular Flow is characterized by the presence of a
liquid film flowing on the pipe wall and with the gas
flowing in the gas core.
• Eventually, a mist flow regime may be reached, in
which the gas is carrying liquid droplets

Basic Gas Liquid Flow Regimes

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Horizontal Two Phase Flow

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Downhole Environments
ρ𝑣 2
• Inertial forces
𝑑
µ𝑣
• Viscous Forces
𝑑2
• Reynolds Number (NRe)
𝐼𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ρ𝑑𝑣
= =
𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 µ
Example: 5½-in pipe with an ID of 4.9 in, the diameter in SI units is
0.12 m. Water at surface pressure and temperature has a density of
1,000 kg/m3 and a viscosity of 0.001 Pa.s. Assuming an arbitrary
flow rate of 500 bbl/d gives a velocity of 0.076 m/s. Calculate NRe
1.48𝑞ρ
NRe= (Oil Field Units)
𝑑µ
Where, q = flow rate, bbl/d NRe <2100 NRe > 4000
ρ = fluid density, lbm/ft3
d = pipe inside diameter, in
μ = dynamic viscosity, cP. 11
Pressure Drop Measurements
The frictional pressure
gradient is

f = Moody friction factor

For laminar flow the Moody

friction factor f is given by
64/Nre
The Moody friction factor is
a function of the Reynolds
number and the relative
roughness of the pipe (e/d,
where e is the pipe
roughness measured in the
same units as the pipe
diameter) 12
Oil-Water Flow Regimes
• Mixture density, mixture viscosity, and mixture velocity
are used to calculate the Reynolds number and velocity
profile.
• The average velocity of the oil bubbles is called the oil-
phase velocity (vo).
• The average velocity of the continuous water phase is
called the water-phase velocity (vw).
• If the motion is frozen at some arbitrary point in time,
the volume fraction of the pipe occupied by water is
called the water holdup (Yw).
• Similarly, the volume fraction of the pipe occupied by oil
is called the oil holdup (Yo).
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Oil-Water Flow Regimes
In the case of two-phase oil and water flow,
• Yw + Yo = 1
The flow rates of water and oil are
• qw = vwYw A
• qo = voYo A
Average volumetric mixture velocity
( )(
vm = vwYw + voYo )
• Mixture density for the Reynolds number calculation

( )(
rm = Ywrw + Yorw )
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Oil-Water Flow Regimes
The continuous-phase viscosity normally dominates,
except in the case of emulsions
• The point at which the transition from a water-
continuous to an oil-continuous phase occurs is poorly
defined, lying somewhere between a water holdup of
0.4 to 0.6. The degree of mixing is still more poorly
defined.
• Several crude oils have low downhole viscosities of a
similar magnitude to water and In these cases a linear
combination of the water and oil viscosities is as good
as any other method:
m m = (Ywm w )+(Yomo ),
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Oil-Water Flow Regimes
• For oil-water flow the slip velocity (vs) is strongly influenced by the
density difference between the oil and water and less strongly by the
relative proportions of oil and water.

Choquette (1975) model for slip. 16

Oil-Water Flow Regimes
• Maximum slip velocity occurs with a single droplet of oil rising through a continuous phase of
water.
• Adding more oil helps to lift the water and thus reduce the slip velocity. Increasing the
density difference also increases the slip velocity

• Below water holdups of about 0.3, the droplets of water are carried by a continuous oil
phase; the droplet rise models no longer work

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Oil-Water Flow Regimes-Deviated well
• The fast-moving oil drags some water along with it, more water than is actually
flowing up the pipe, so a down-flow of water on the low side of the pipe is
required to balance the net flux.

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Oil-Water Flow Regimes-Deviated well
• At low mixture velocities, where vs >> vm, the velocity profile looks like Fig. a with
complicated counter currents and challenges for velocity measurements.
• At higher mixture velocities, where vm > vs, the scenario is much closer to the
vertical pipe and monophasic velocity profile, with a more subtle velocity variation
from top to bottom (Fig. b).
Empirical correction for calculation of
slip velocity
vs_deviated = vs (1 + 0.04d),

vs_deviated = Deviated-pipe slip velocity

δ = Pipe deviation in degrees
from the vertical

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a b
Oil-Water Flow Regimes
• Ding et al. (1993) suggested to reduce the slip
velocity above 50° to correct for the reducing
buoyancy vector acting up the pipe axis as
horizontal conditions are approached.
• Increasing the pipe deviation to the near
horizontal results in the oil and water
separating into two layers with an interface that
can be flat, wavy, or bubbly.

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Oil-Water Flow Regimes-
• water cut is 50%.
• At the lower flow rates gravity and the
buoyancy difference between the oil
and water dominate the partition of the
holdup.
• As the flow rate is increased the wall
friction pressure drop becomes more
significant and at 6,000 bbl/d [about 1
m/s] the wall friction is more important
than a change in deviation of a few
degrees

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Production Logging Measurements
Fluid Velocity
• Spinner velocity tool is used for formation fluid velocity determination.
• A spinner flow meter consist a rotating blade. This blade turns when the
fluid passes it. The rotational speed of the blade is measured in RPS
(Revolution per Second).
• This rotational speed depends on mainly three factors.
• Fluid velocity (More the velocity of the fluid, more the rotational speed is)
• Fluid viscosity (If the fluid viscosity is low, its velocity is high)
• Friction factor of the spinner bearings (Less the friction of the bearings, more the
rotational speed of the blade is)

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Spinner Flow Meters
Continues Flow Meters

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Spinner Flow Meters

• The large cross-sectional area of the

spinner tends to correct for fluid velocity
profiles and multiphase flow effects.

Full bore Spinners 24

Spinner Flow Meters-Inflatable Diverter Tool
• The metal cage is opened and closed
on command from the surface and,
when open, helps to centralize the tool
and deploy the diverter.
• The inflatable diverter tool has good
fluid sampling characteristics since all
of the fluids moving through the casing
must pass through the spinner section.
• It is particularly appropriate for
multiphase flow since the fullbore
spinner measurement can be adversely
affected by the down flow of the
heavier phase.

Inflatable Diverter Tool

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Spinner Flow Meters-Inflatable Diverter Tool
Inflatable diverter tool flow loop response

Inflatable Diverter Tool

SPE 16819 26
Bulk Flow Measurements
Continues or Tubing Spinner
• The continuous, or tubing, spinner has a progressive
pitch spinner, which is more effective at extracting
energy from the well fluids
• A common size is 1 11/16”

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Bulk Flow Measurements

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Flowmeters
Value of fluid speed depends:
• Type and diameter of flowmeter
• Tool position in pipe
• Deviation, type of flow
Propeller: Reversal Of Rotation
Increase of speed

Entry of fluids

Propeller turns
clockwise. Assume Vtool
constant. In zero flow
zone.
Zero flow
Propeller: Reversal Of Rotation

Propeller turns slower

Entry of fluid

due to fluid
flowing,,Due to forces
different applied on
each side of
propeller.tool speed ct.
Helix up clockwise.
Propeller: Reversal Of Rotation

Entry of fluid

Helix will stop if

cable speed
comes close to
fluid speed. Tool
speed constant.
Propeller: Reversal Of Rotation

Tool speed same as

before.helix starts to turn
cc as fluid speed comes
Entry of fluid

bigger than tool speed.

 CONVENTION

Note:
• The down passes in producing wells are positive
revolutions per second (rps).
• The up passes are positive, if logged slower than fluid flow.
• The up passes are negative, if logged faster than fluid flow;
Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

Ideal response: linear, no threshold Real response: threshold and frictions

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot
rps

Increasing
decreasi
m

a: pitch coefficient
Vfs
(geometrical)
b: bearing friction coefficient Threshold (+) + threshold (-)

c: fluid friction coefficient

r: fluid density
m: fluid viscosity
37
Bulk Flow Measurements –
Spinner Cross Plot Calibration

The ideal response of the spinner The effect of viscosity is to Mechanical effects are seen at
with fluid velocity change the spinner response very low flowrates. It is effectively
away from the ideal line the flow needed to start the
spinner
• Each spinner has its own characteristics
• The actual rps are also dependent on logging speed, direction of the tool and the pitch of the spinner.
• The response slope is in RPS per ft/min and the intercept is ft/min (or equivalent metric units)
38
Bulk Flow Measurements –
Spinner Cross Plot Calibration

The ideal response of the spinner The effect of viscosity is to Mechanical effects are seen at
with fluid velocity change the spinner response very low flowrates. It is effectively
away from the ideal line the flow needed to start the
spinner
• The intercept is known as the threshold velocity or lowest velocity required to start the spinner rotating
• In a typical producing well the spinner reads higher running into the well (against the flow) than
running out (with the flow) at the same speed.
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• To find the actual fluid velocity the spinner must be calibrated at downhole conditions – IN-SITU
Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

NOTE:
In reality both slope
and threshold
change with fluid
type density,
viscosity, casing
diameter, etc
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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

This is the final plot with tool Flowing fluids add their velocity
velocity substituted for fluid to that of the tool changing the
velocity (Represents Zero flow) flow away from the zero
calibration line
Note: The down passes in producing wells are positive revolutions per Fluid velocity can be read off the x-axis as
second (rps). the difference between the threshold and
The up passes are negative, if logged faster than fluid flow; the reading (Threshold =0 in this figure)
and positive, if logged slower than fluid flow.
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Bulk Flow Measurements

Velocity correction factor,

𝑣
𝐶𝑣 =
𝑣𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟

Commonly 0.83 is used

q = Cv ∗ Vf ∗ A

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Flow Velocity Evaluation from up down spinner surveys
Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot
Example to Calculate Zone-wise Contribution

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot
Example on flow rate
Construct a flowmeter calibration curve from the following data in
zones A and B of the diagram

Determine the flowrate in bpd if the spinner is recording 15rps. Tool

speed is 67 ft/min. Assume a fluid velocity of 34.4 ft/min for 1000 bpd.

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Bulk Flow Measurements - Spinner Cross Plot

1. Construct the spinner calibration

crossplot for the zones A, B, C, D.
2. What are the values of the
thresholds (as seen on zone D)?
3. What is the fluid apparent velocity
for each zone?

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Bulk Flow Measurements –
Spinner Cross Plot Interpretation
• In case of monophasic fluid (unique threshold and
slope),one spinner response, normalized to surface flowrate,
is enough to have a production allocation.
• Can work in simple single-phase flow (water injector)
• Does not work in multiphase flow, or in changing fluid
properties (viscosity)
• To get the flow associated to each perforation, select a
zone between each producing zone ,called “Spinner
calibration zone”, and compute the calibration slope
• Threshold has to be defined in no flow section
• Necessity to have Shut-In passes (especially in a gas
column)
Bulk Flow
Measurements –
Spinner Cross Plot
Interpretation

This well is producing gas

and liquid at surface. Given
the spinners recorded in the
well determine the thief
zones and the production
zones in this well.
Bulk Flow
Measurements –
Spinner Cross Plot
Interpretation
• The spinners are overlaying
below 10408 indicating zero flow
• The down spinners decrease
around 10350’ before increasing
again.
• The conclusion is that the top of
the second set of perforations or
the bottom of the third
set is taking fluid produced from
the lower interval. The increase
at the top of the latter zone is
due to production here.
• The shut-in pass below shows
the picture clearly. Production
from the lower perforation is
flowing into the second set of
perforations
Bulk Flow Measurements

52
2-Pass Technique
• Calculate % contribution of each zone in varying
viscosity conditions, whether from multiphase
flow or single-phase flow with multiple viscosities.
• This technique consists of running several passes
against and with the flow direction
• The cable speed must be faster than the fluid
velocity on the passes with the fluid flow
direction. Two passes, one with and one against
the flow, are selected.
• The amount of separation measured in log
divisions between the two passes is linearly
proportional to fluid velocity.
• A distinct advantage of this technique is that it
cancels the effect of viscosity changes.
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Radioactive Tracer Tool- Flow Rate (Q)
• The tracer material (radioactive) moves at the same velocity as the
wellbore fluid.
• The ejector consists of a chamber that will hold a small amount of
radioactive material and a pump that will eject a controlled amount
upon command.
• When logging a producing well configuration will be one detector
below and two detectors spaced above the ejector.
• The single detector is used to detect unexpected flow reversals
caused by thief zones and for identifying channels behind casing
where flow is opposite of the wellbore fluids.
• The two adjacent gamma ray detectors are used for flow profiling by
measuring the flow time between the two detectors

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Radioactive Tracer Tool- Velocity Shot
Interpretation
h = distance between gamma ray detectors
A = cross-sectional area
t = time.

6.995 = numerical constant

D = casing inside diameter in inches
d = tool outside diameter in inches
X = detector spacing in inches
t = time, in seconds, to move X-inches
As a general rule, the flowmeter gives more accurate
results in high flow rates and the radioactive tracer
technique provides better results in flow rates less than
about 100 B/D 55
Controlled Time Survey
• The controlled time method qualitatively detects the
flow of fluids up or down the hole, either in the casing
or in the annulus. (radioactive material was ejected at
the bottom of the tubing and successive runs were
made with the gamma ray tool.
• The radioactive slug (points a, c, e, and h) may be seen
to move down the casing.
• After entering the perforations opposite sand 3, a part
of the radioactive slug (points f, j, n, and v) channels up
the casing annulus to sand 4.
• After entering at sand2, part of the radioactive slug
(points l and p) channels down the casing annulus to
sand 1.
• Fluid appears to be entering sand3 because of the
stationary readings at points i, m, and q.
• Some radioactive material is trapped in a turbulence
pattern just below the tubing as shown by points b, d, g,
and k. 56
Radio Active Tracer Log-Proppant Tracer Log
Or Spectral Gamma Ray Log

Use of proppant tracer to identify near wellbore coverage and isolation

effectiveness; blue for antimony tracer, yellow for scandium tracer and red for 57
iridium tracer
Fluid Tracers

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Temperature Tool
Applications are:
• Detection of gas production via the cooling effect of expanding gas (in or
behind casing)
• Qualitative evaluation of fluid flow as indicated by departures from the
geothermal gradient
• Temperature (T) information for PVT equations and charts.
• Temperature information is critical to the determination of gas
expansion/compression, GOR, and oil shrinkage from downhole to surface
conditions and vice versa;
• Evaluation of fracture treatments
• Evaluation of the mechanical integrity of a completion

59
Temperature Tool

60
Temperature Tool

61
Temperature Log – Fracturing Treatment
(Microseismic Mapping (MSM), Distributed Temperature Sensing-DTS)

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Temperature Log – Fracturing Treatment
(Distributed Acoustic Sensing-DAS, Distributed Temperature Sensing-DTS)

63
DAS, DTS Log – Explanation of Previous Figure
• In DAS, cooler colours represent lower or no acoustic activity and warmer colours indicate higher
acoustic energies describing fluid and proppant distribution during the treatment.
• In DTS, warmer colours represent high temperatures and cooler colours indicate relatively lower
temperature which is associated with the injection of treatment fluid.
• Third display indicates changes in pressure (surface and downhole), rates (total and clean),
concentrations (surface and downhole) and a cumulative proppant tonnage.
• PC 4.6 experienced early screen-out.
• At the end of proppant stage, most of PCs started to warm back due to geothermal temperature and
absence of slurry.
• At the beginning of diversion stage, cool down was observed in all PCs.
• When diverter reached PC, the strong pressure response was noted.
• Subsequently, warmed back and decreased acoustic energy was observed in PCs (PC 4.1 to PC 4.4)
which dominantly received fluid in previous proppant stage.
• It clearly indicated the effective diversion by plugging PC 4.1 to PC 4.4 as indicated by both DAS and
DTS. The DAS and DTS clearly indicated that after diversion most of the fluid was utilized in
stimulating PC 4.6 and partially PC 4.5. 64