APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, Vol. 4 No.3 (September 2007), P. 164 - 172, 8 Figures.

DOI: 10.1007/s11770-007-0031-x

Petrophysical evaluation and its application to AVO based

on conventional and CMR-MDT logs
Yan Jun1, Liu Tangyan2, and Liu Xiangjun3

Abstract: Conventional loggings provide the essential data for AVO (Amplitude-Versus-
Offset) analysis in rock physics, which can build a bridge linking petrophysics and seismic
data. However, if some complex fluid systems, such as serious fluid invasion to formation,
low resistivity response or complicated water salinity etc. exist in reservoirs, the conventional
logs may fail to provide quality data, leading to calculated errors for elastic properties so
worse that the AVO results cannot match the seismic data. To overcome such difficulties in
Tertiary reservoirs of Bohai Gulf in China, we utilized both conventional logs and CMR-
MDT tool (Combinable Magnetic Resonance and Modular Formation Dynamics Tester) to
perform formation evaluation and reservoir descriptions. Our research proposes, it allows
petrophysicists to acquire reservoir parameters (e.g. porosity, permeability, water saturation,
bound fluids and pore pressure etc), and then these results to combine with core analysis
based on laboratory’s measurements to carry out a further rock physics study and AVO
analysis in seismic domain.
Keywords: Formation evaluation, AVO, Well-log, CMR-MDT, core analysis, elastic
properties

Introduction A T 2 echo signal is usually obtained to derive a T 2

The new generation of CMR-MDT tool has made
significant contributions to a wide range of formation
evaluation issues. This modern tool has the capability
to improve the determination, both qualitatively and
quantitatively, of the reservoir fluids and reservoir
properties. Its applications provide useful information
on the variations of reservoir properties, fluid types,
and fluid contacts. The research we conducted in this
paper may improve reservoir exploitation, and reduce
operating and rigging time and pipe-conveyed descent.
CMR tool records the hydrogen signals from the
formation with a depth resolution of 15cm and a
depth of investigation of 2.8cm from the well bore.
amplitude distribution. The tool measurement is, in
principle, independent of mineral compositions. It can
provide useful information, such as formation porosity,
permeability and pore’s fluid viscosity etc. In rare
occasions when the formation contains significant
amount of paramagnetic ions, the loss in T2 signal could
lead to reduced porosity estimates.
MDT (Modular Formation Dynamics Tester) tool can
determine formation pressure and fluid types, and can
collect samples for fluid property analysis. It is similar
to DST, and can be employed down-hole for more than
20 hours in order to determine the productions and
borehole skin, so-called the “mini-DST.” In open hole,
CMR tool can provide depth guidance for running MDT.
In cased-hole, MDT, configured with dual-peckers and
perforation, can be utilized to measure pressure and

Manuscript received by the Editor July 3, 2007; revised manuscript received August 16, 2007.
1. Fugro-Robertson Ltd (now at Ikon Science Ltd, Teddington TW11 0JR, London, United Kingdom).
2. School of Earth and Ocean Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
3. Key Lab of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology (Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China).

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 Petrophysical evaluation and its application to AVO
collect sample fluids.
Conventional core analysis based on lab measurements
is generally regarded as the ground truth. It is therefore
essential to calibrate logs based on core information
on mineralogy, porosity and permeability in order to
establish production database in situations where well
test data are limited or unavailable. From a reserve
classification standpoint, the core data provide the best
evidence for the establishment of rock property (Chanh,
1999).
We use the data from the Tertiary reservoir in Bohai
Gulf, China as a case study. The result shows that
the combination of CMR-MDT, core analysis and
conventional well-log can significantly improve fluid
identification, formation evaluation and AVO study.
Regional geology and data
acquisitions
The reservoirs in Tertiary are situated in the Bohai
Gulf, China. The wells were drilled through a series of
formations including the formation groups of Ping-Yuan,
Ming-Hua-Zhen, Guan-Tao in upper Tertiary, and Sha-
He-Jie in middle Tertiary. The main formation profile is
shaly sand and its mixture, both MDT and DST testing
show oil and gas in sand intervals.
The log data was acquired from logging tools
introduced into a borehole on the end of a cable. These
tools measure physical parameters, such as current flow,
natural or induced radioactivity, sonic-wave propagation
times and signal amplitude. The data in this study include
conventional logs, CMR-MDT data, core analysis and
DST testing etc. Table 1 lists a summary of the collected
data in this study.
Table 1 Available data sets for the study
Composite logs Special core analysis
CMR-MDT logs Pressure measurements
DST testing PVT analysis for fluid samples
Conventional core analysis Final well report
The petrophysical characteristics are inferred from
calibrations carried out on well logging tools, which
takes into account fairly small rock volume surrounding
the tools. Because many factors, such as the presence
of mud density, mud cake, caved sections, fractures,
micro fissures etc., can adversely influence the log
measurements, therefore, it is necessary to have the
following precautions for data quality controls.
• Correction of conventional logs: Data editing
is necessary for poor logging data. For example, the
missing data or the abnormal data over the depth of the
borehole should be corrected or re-created based on log’
s correlation. A standard layer may be defined for the
purpose of log normalization to compare and correct log
readings in the same area for multi-well correlation. In
addition, the fluids invasion zones should be identified
based on borehole conditions (e.g. CALI, DRHO, GR
logs and micro-resistivity log), the environmental and
invasion corrections should be performed before to carry
out formation evaluation for conventional logs.
• Quality check of CMR log: Log quality for the
CMR tool can be displayed based on the following
information: bad-hole flag, polarization correction
curves, insufficient wait time flag, high-voltage current,
system gain, temperature and operating frequency, signal
phase, noise and standard deviation etc.
• Core data correction: Core depth should match to
log depth, the GR log can be as a reference for core depth
adjustment qualitatively. In addition, the density log
can be regarded as an important reference to adjust core
depth quantitatively since the core porosity (bar plot)
has a good correlation with the density log curve. And
then, the data calibration can be achieved by assuming
one set of data (core) is perfect, and to calibrate other
data (determined logs). In order to achieve this, log data
smoothing, filling missing and core data filtering should
be applied for resolution matching.
• Fluid properties: It should be focused on AVO study.
This research includes fluid properties and reservoir
parameters based on MDT log, DST testing and PVT
analysis, and all the parameters consist of fluid types,
reservoir pressure, temperature, gas and oil ratio, gas
gravity, oil gravity and oil API etc. Table 2 lists a typical
example for this study.
Methodology
Work procedure
CMR-MDT logs can improve formation evaluation
effectively as a high-resolution tool. It provides the
information for porosity, permeability, fluid types and
fluid contacts etc. The advances in the use of CMR log
have improved the evaluation of reservoir quality and
predictability. Particularly, in mud invasion zones,
it can still provide valuable information on porosity,
fluid content, and clay-bound water volume. The CMR
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Table 2 Fluid and mineral properties

Depth(m) Temperature Pressure GOR Oil API Oil gravity Gas gravity Salinity
4565.0 155 C 13620 psi 322 47.8 0.785 0.648 180k ppm

Quartz Calcite Dolomite Anhydrite Dry shale Clay Water

Density (g/c3) 2.65 2.71 2.88 2.98 2.52 2.38 1.02
Transit time (us/f) 55.5 47.5 43.5 49.9 95 118 189
Neutron (v/v) Matrix neutron value = - 0.015

workflow in this study is summarized in Figure 1, which
includes five steps, they are (1) Log quality control; (2)
Data acquisition and inversion; (3) T2 domain analysis;
(4) parameters determination and (5) Data integration.
Log quality control
1. Data view and editing
2. Signal-to-Noise
3. Depth stacking
Inversion processing
1. Acquisition
2. Comparison with T2
3. Porosity
T2 Domain
* T2 Cut-offs * Polarization * Peak tracking
* SBVl * Trying * Running
Permeability
1. SDR
2. TIMUR-Coates
3. Determining permeability
Advanced processing
* Multi-component T2 * T2 Principal components
* Dmrp for gas * Core data * Integration and results
Fig. 1 The workflow of CMR interpretation for Tertiary
reservoirs in the Bohai Gulf, China.
Determined reservoir parameters
Usually, the reservoir parameters used for AVO
analysis consist of the following inputs:
Porosity: Generally, the sonic log cannot be used to
determine porosity for petrophysical stage due to sonic
log (Vp) will be used in next stage (rock physics study).
However, it also exists a big problem within invasion
zones to calculate porosity based on the cross plot of
density and neutron log. Particularly, in a gas interval,
it is not clear if conventional log tools actually detect
all of the fluids and formation or not. In this case, CMR
porosity shows more advantages and abilities than the
conventional logs. This is because the CMR porosity is
determined by the method that the echo decay curves are
extrapolated back to an initial time of 0 milliseconds,
and the porosity from CMR tool captures most of the
available fluid signal.
Water saturation: Water saturation should be
estimated based on the conventional logs and using one
of methods (Archie or Indonesian equation etc.). The
estimation of water saturation from CMR log directly is
more difficult when the relaxation time distributions are
characterized by a single broad mode due to the choice
of a T2 cutoff to distinguish water from the oil zone and
water zone is an important and difficult step. However,
the water saturation exponents based on the combination
of conventional logs and CMR tool can be determined,
which can be used to correct the constant that used in the
equation of Archie or Indonesian.
log(Sw)
n , (1)
log( Rt ) /(a ˜ Rw / POR m )
where Sw is the water saturation, Rt is the deep
resistivity, POR is the CMR porosity and Rw is the
formation water resistivity, and a and m are the constant
and cement index, respectively.
Permeability: The estimation of permeability is
based on the following equations. Using core and MDT
permeability for proper calibration, the CMR log can
increase the reliability of the formation evaluation.
I T 4 FFV 2
KCMR ( ) ( ) , (2)
C BFV
or
KCMR C ˜ T2 LM ˜ IT , (3)
where KCMR is the derived permeability (mD) from
CMR, I T is the total porosity (decimal), C is constant,
FFV is the free fluid volume and BFV is the bound fluid
volume (dimensionless), and T2lM is the T2 logarithmic
mean (ms).
The value of T2 cutoff can be determined based on core
analysis when the core-log depth matching is properly

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done. The covariance sum of core and CMR result can
then be calculated, the value of T2 cutoff can be obtained.
Based on the relationship between Qa and T2, the value
of T2 cutoff can be determined from the minimum value
by equation below:
where Kd and Km are the bulk moduli of dry frame and
clay-sand mixture, μd and μm are the corresponding shear
moduli of dry frame and clay-sand mixture. A and B are
the functions of pore aspect ratio.

N Application and case study

Qa ¦ ( KCi  KCMRi ) 2 ,
i 1
(4)

where Qa is the sum of permeability variance (mD 2), Reservoir identification

KCMR is the permeability derived from CMR and KC is Figure 2 shows a typical example of the identification
permeability (mD) from core or from MDT. of hydrocarbon zone in high GR intervals based on
Elastic moduli: For AVO analysis, the bulk and share CMR log. As can be seen in the depth interval of
moduli can be determined based on Kuster & Toksöz 1122.0 m to 1131.0 m, in which the readings of GR
model (1974). It can be expressed as follows: and RHOB are 105 API and 2.12 g/cm 3. Using the
method of conventional log for interpretation, we will
K m  4 AP m probably miss this reservoir since the high GR log
Kd , (5)
shows a high shale response if just simply to compare
1  3A
with the normal reservoir response in the same field
1  B (9 K m  8P m ) (e.g. GR is 75 API and RHOB is 2.10 g/cm3). However,
Pd Pm , (6) CMR permeability shows its value can arrive at 410
1  6 B( K m  2P m )

Fig. 2 The identification of missed hydrocarbon reservoirs from 1122 to 1131 meter based on CMR-MDT logs.

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 Yan et al.

mD, the free fluid volume derived from CMR occupies
the most part of the pore space. In addition, the MDT
log performed at 1125.9 m showed that the drawdown
mobility was 85.8md/cp, the viscosity of water was 0.9
cp. All information above indicates that this layer should
be a potential hydrocarbon zone. Later, the DST testing
confirmed the previous CMR analysis.
Permeability estimation
CMR permeability is based on the sum of the echo
amplitudes (top) and it is directly proportional to the area
under the spin-echo decay envelop. However, the CMR
permeability calibration with core and MDT should
be performed for data integration for different types of
permeability. As an example, the core, MDT and CMR
in one well are summarized in Table 3.
The example in the Table 3 indicates it is necessary to
understand the value from different data types. As can
be seen at the depths of 1233.10 m and 1234.80 m, the
variation of the core permeability shows a different trend
if to compare with the CMR permeability. Therefore,
we should keep in mind that the data calibration to be
needed necessarily for applications. In addition, there
is a significant difference between the core and MDT
permeability. This is because the core permeability is air
permeability measured under the laboratory condition.
However, the MDT permeability is the effective
permeability for multi-phase flows at reservoir condition,
derived from oil viscosity in PVT measurement. Because
MDT permeability is obtained from pressure drawdown
or build-up, it is more reliable than log permeability in
hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Table 3. Permeability from core, MDT and CMR

Core MDT CMR
Depth por perm Mobility perm T2 cut off Perm
(m) (%) (mD) (mD/cp) (mD) (s) (mD)
1233.1 33.7 2124.1 78.7 70.83 31 49.0
1234.1 33.2 1818.5 31 171.85
1234.25 34.6 2916.6 31 63.73
1234.55 33.2 2539.5 31 33.16
1234.8 31.8 3590.4 31 8.09
1235.15 33 3428.1 55.5 49.95 31 109.53
1235.35 32.3 2187.3 43.7 39.33 31 128.08
1235.6 30 2545.9 31 57.57
1235.82 34.3 2243.2 31 28.41
1236.15 36 3751.1 31 21.8
1236.35 31.4 488.2 31 11.24
1236.62 31.4 369.1 31 15.92
1236.8 30.7 92.4 31 26.54
1237.35 32.1 392.1 31 46.66
1237.58 32.8 170.1 31 298.96
1237.78 33.1 499.3 20.8 18.72 31 455.72
1247.65 31.8 81.3 31 19.64
1249.43 28.7 266.1 31 24.62
1250.35 31.7 90.7 31 35.55

Formation evaluation reservoir with more details. Therefore, the predominance

Both the conventional logs and the CMR-MDT log
provide the estimations of porosity, permeability and
saturation at reservoir conditions, fluid types and fluid
contacts as well. However, the conventional logs and
CMR-MDT log reveal the changes of reservoir quality,
and their values may have different significance to fluid
flow (Haddad, 2001), but the former result is affected
by borehole environment, and the later result describes
of CMR log is on the analysis of pore throat, fluid
typing, and it is independent of mineral compositions in
most cases.
Velocity prediction and fluids substitution
S-wave velocity is the essential data for AVO analysis,
it can be determined based on a trend of measured Vp
and Vs logs. Since the S-wave velocity was unavailable

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 Petrophysical evaluation and its application to AVO

in our study area for the most wells; therefore, the Xu-
White model (1995) has been employed to predict share
wave velocity, which via Kuster & Toksöz model (1974)
and Gassmann’s equation (1952). The equations can be
expressed as follows:
1
­ ª º½ 2
° « Kc 2
1  Km »°
° 1 «K d  4 P d  »°
Vp ® ¾ , (7)
° Ub « 3 1  I I K c »°
«  
°
¯ ¬ Km Kf K m »¼ °
¿

the shear wave velocity is

1
­Pd ½2 Fig. 3 Determining fluid types and pressure based on a MDT
Vs ® ¾ , (8)
pressure profile.
¯ Ub ¿
where U b U m (1  I )  U f I , with ρb, ρm, ρf are the density of and temperature etc. in AVO study, these properties
bulk, matrix and fluid respectively, and ф is the porosity. can be determined based on MDT pressure profile and
It is necessary to know fluid types, formation pressure other measurements or analysis. The Figure 3 shows an

Fig. 4 CPI plot for formation evaluation with Gassmann fluid substitutions of P-wave, S-wave and density logs.
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 Yan et al.

example, which suggests a separator between oil and
water distributes from 1175.0 to 1213.98 meter. Our study
is presented on a CPI plot as Figure 4. The result shows
a good agreement for porosities between conventional
and CMR logs. To investigate the fluid effects for AVO
analysis, the last 3 tracks of CPI show the results of
initial and after fluid substitutions for Vp, Vs and ρ logs,
It indicates initial logs (black); fluid substituted with 90%
gas saturation (red); 80% oil saturation (green) and 100%
water saturation (blue) based on Gassmann’s method.

Fig. 5 Blocky AVO modeling in 100% brine (blue), saturated 80% oil (green) and saturated 90% gas (red) based on the function of
incidence angle of Zoeppritz reflectivity.

Synthetic and AVO analysis degree. The response of AVO in 100% brine, 80% oil
Figure 5 shows a blocky AVO modeling and Zoeppritz saturated or 90% gas saturated pore shows the correlation
reflectivity as a function of incidence angle from 0 to 40 among gas, oil and water in the interface of the top shale

Fig. 6 AVO responses with the weighted stack of intercept and its gradient with blocky averages for VP, VS and ρ.

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 Petrophysical evaluation and its application to AVO

and bottom sand layer.
Using well specific averages and employing a shale
cut-off of 0.35, we suggest an intercept gradient cross-
plot in Figure 6, it also indicates the weighted stack of
intercept and its gradient with blocky average values for
Vp, Vs and ρ.
In order to investigate the seismic attributes at the
interface of the top shale and bottom sand layer, based
on blocky AVO modeling, the rock elastic properties and
attributes are summarized and plotted in Figure 7, which
consists of blocky averages for seismic attributes (such
as Ai, Ei, Si, Mu, Sigma and Lambda etc).

Fig. 7 The investigation of interface with elastic properties and seismic attributes.

The Figure 8 shows the synthetic gathers for generated at initiation, 100% water, saturated 80% oil and 90% gas
AVO analysis based on the modelling in the cases of rock respectively.

Fig. 8 Synthetic gathers for generation AVO in the cases of fluid substitutions.
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 Yan et al.
Conclusions
The study and examples show significant results
for formation evaluation, velocity prediction, fluids
substitutions and AVO modeling (elastic properties
and seismic attributes). Our research is based on the
combination of conventional log and CMR-MDT logs
with core data. It can be regarded as an integrated study
from petrophysical domain expending into geophysical
domain.
CMR-MDT logs give continuous, reproducible
measurements with excellent vertical high resolution.
It is a powerful tool for identifying tight inter-bed for
complex formation evaluation when fluid invasion zones
or/and complex fluid system existed in reservoirs. The
benefit of this tool is able to identify missed reservoirs if
the reservoirs show high GR responses in conventional
log.
Oil identification and viscosity determination from
CMR-MDT can provide valuable insight for finding oil
in low-resistivity, low-contrast pay zones, determining
viscosity for production estimates, identifying heavy oil,
and distinguishing gas from oil. Both conversional log
and CMR log can be used to check up the varying trend
on reservoir quality, but the CMR logs can indicate the
reason of log response if value changed.
References
Castelijns C., 1999, Combining NMR and formation
tester data for optimum hydrocarbon typing,
permeability and producibility estimation, SPWLA
40th Annual Logging Symposium. Norway.
Gassmann, F., 1952, Elastic waves through a packing of
spheres: Geophysics 16, 673 - 685.
Haddad S., 2001, Integrating permeabilities from NMR,
formation tester, well test and core data: SPE 71722,
SPE Annual Technical Conference, New Orleans,
Louisiana.
172
Kuster, G. T., and Toksöz, M. N., 1974, Velocity and
attenuation of seismic waves in two phase media: Part
1, Theoretical formulation: Geophysics, 39, 587 - 606.
Xu, S., and White, R. E., 1995b, A new velocity model
for clay-sand mixtures: Geophysical Prospecting, 43,
91 - 118.
Yan, J., Li, X.-Y., and Liu, E., 2002, Effects of pore
aspect ratios on velocity prediction from well-log data:
Geophysical Prospecting, 50, 289 - 300.
Yan Jun, is currently the principal petrophysicist in
Ikon Science, London. He was a
senior petrophysicist from 2001 in
Fugro Robertson Limited. He also
was an assistant professor with
many years of experience in well-
log interpretation at the Southwest
Petroleum University and the Tarim
Oil Field. He studied his Ph.D on
petrophysics at the University of
Edinburgh and British Geological Survey in United
Kingdom from 1997 to 2001.
Liu Tangyan, is currently an assistant professor of
petrophysics in the University of Tongji, China. He
holds his Ph.D on petrophysics in the University of
Science and Technology of China in 2003. . Prior to
that, he was a visiting scholar to the University of
Waterloo, Canada in 1999, and he was an associate
professor and log analyst for many years at the
Southwest Petroleum University and the Tarim Oil
Field.
Liu Xiangjun, is currently a professor at State Key
Lab of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology in Southwest
Petroleum University. She holds Ph.D on Petroleum
Engineering (1995) and Master degree on petrophysics
(1992) in Southwest Petroleum University. Her
research interests cover reservoir evaluation,
petrophysical analysis, oil engineering and related oil
& gas developments etc.