Natural Formation

Gamma Ray

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Logging

HGNS
Highly-Integrated Gamma Ray-Neutron
Sonde

SGT-L
Scintillation Gamma Ray Tool

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 Outline - GR Logging

• Applications
• Physics of Measurement

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– Radioactivity
– GR Interaction
– Detector Operation
• Operations
– Environmental Effects
– Parameters
– Calibrations
– Limitations
• LQC
• Log Response

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 GR Applications

• GR measurement

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– General lithology indicator

– Log correlation

– Quantitative shaliness evaluation

– Scale build-up monitoring

– Others (clay typing, density,…)

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 HGNS Introduction
One tool (cartridge) performing several
functions:

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n Total Gamma Ray

o Compensated Neutron

p Tool Acceleration

q Tool Telemetry

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 Schlumberger Private
GR Log

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 Natural Formation
Gamma Ray

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Logging

Physics of
Measurement

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 Naturally Occurring GR

Rock formation Rock formation

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 Radioactivity
Stable Atom:
One which has equal number of
protons, neutrons and electrons.

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Radioactivity:
A property possessed by some
elements of spontaneously emitting
alpha, beta particles and/or gamma rays
as their atomic nuclei disintegrate.

Unstable Atom

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 Types of Emissions
• Alpha Particles
– Positively charged particle with 2
neutrons and 2 protons (nucleus of
He atom)

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– easy to stop by a thick cloth

• Beta Particles
– Two kinds
• B- : electron emitted from an
unstable nucleus when one of its
neutrons decays to a proton
1 ® 1 + 0
0n 1H -1e + n
• B+: positron emitted from an
unstable nucleus when one of its
protons decays to a neutron
1 1 + 0 + n
1H ® 0n 1e
– Easily stopped by a thin sheet of
metal
– May cause skin burn

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Types of Emissions (Contd.)

• Gamma Rays
– Mass less, chargeless bundles of high-

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frequency electromagnetic energy
emitted when an atom passes from an
excited state to a less excited/ground
state
– Travel at speed of light
– Referred to as photon when it has
discrete quantity of electromagnetic
energy.
– Penetrate rocks up to 15” (8” of
concrete)

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 Natural Radioactivity
The 3 main radioactive series in
nature:
Potassium (K40) - decays to stable
K39

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Thorium (Th232) - decays to Pb208
Uranium (U238). - decays to Pb208
•These elements decay to their rest state
through a series of intermediate steps
emitting α, β and γ particles on their way

•They are found in various proportions in

crystalline rocks

•During erosion and degradation these tend

to concentrate in shales

•Hence shales are more radioactive than

sands

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 Gamma Ray Energies

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 Recap
• There are naturally occurring radioactive
elements in the formation (K, Th & U)

• K, Th & U are primarily concentrated in

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shales

• Gamma rays are produced by the

disintegration of these elements

• These gamma rays may further interact

with the formation losing energy on the way

• The detector sees these gamma rays and

measures the total count rate

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 Natural Formation
Gamma Ray

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Logging

Detector
Operation

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 GR Detectors

• Geiger-Muller
– Detects and counts

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• Scintillating Crystal Detectors
– Sodium Iodide doped with Thallium
– Gadolinium Orthosilicate doped with Cerium
– Others (BGO)
– Crystals need a photomultiplier tube to count

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Geiger-Muller Detector/Counter

Geiger-Muller
•Detects and counts

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•Temperature insensitive
•Very inefficient (6% only!)
•Used in some downhole tools

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 Scintillation Detector

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• NaI(Thallium) crystal converts energy from γ
ray to light by photoelectric effect ( energy <
100 KeV)
• This light ejects electrons from photo-
cathode of PM tube
• These electrons are multiplied in the
dynodes, producing a negative pulse at
anode
• Pulse amplitude proportional to energy of γ
ray
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Formation to Crystal Interaction

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 Detector Plateau
Count Rate
Set High voltage
at 30% of plateau
length

End Volt 110% of

average count

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Start Volt 95% of
average count

Plateau Length

PM Tube Voltage

At low voltages only At very high voltages

high energy γ ray the “dark current” gets
produce pulses. amplified and
produces more pulses.

As voltage increases, a point is reached

when all γ ray -crystal interactions
produce pulses.
This is the plateau, and a voltage
increase does not increase count rate.
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 Natural Formation
Gamma Ray
Logging

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Operations,
Calibrations,

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Environmental Effects
• Log affected by
– Hole Size (standoff)
– Mud weight
– Barite in Mud

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– Casing
– Tool position

• Correction charts and software settings

exist to correct the GR reading for these
effects

• However since GR is primarily used as a

correlation tool, corrections may not be
applied in some areas

• Output ECGR (from HGNS) is fully

environmentally corrected (ECGR = GR *
CFGR)
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 Parameters

• NMT : Barite or No-Barite

• HISC : HGNS run centered or eccentered
• SOCO : Yes / No

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• SOCN : Standoff Distance
• DFD : Drilling fluid density
• DPPM : Density Porosity Processing Mode
– on DPPM = HIRS, reduce speed to 900 fph
(SGT-L) & 1800 fph (HGNS)
– on DPPM = STAN, can log at 1800 fph (SGT-
L) & 3600 fph (HGNS)

Note:
DPPM is a critical parameter for GR from
SGT-L, and selects whether the Hi-res (2
inch sampling rate) signals will be
acquired or not. True only for SGT-L!

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 Outputs
• GR : GR output from HGNS or SGT, 6”
sample
• HGR : High resolution GR output from
HGNS or SGT, 2” sample

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• ECGR : Environmentally Corrected GR
output from HGNS, 6” sample
• EHGR : Environmentally corrected High
resolution GR output from HGNS, 2”
sample

Notes:
• DPPM is a critical parameter for GR
from SGT, and selects whether the Hi-
res (2 inch sampling rate) signals will
be acquired or not. True only for
SGT!
• HGNS acquires 2 inch samples
regardless of DPPM and will average
three 2 inch samples to get the 6”
sample.
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 GR Calibration
• Primary : Artificial radioactive
formation in Houston

• Field : GSR-U/Y blanket

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PRIMARY
• No Field Engineer involvement
• Defines the measurement unit

FIELD CALIBRATION
• Reference source is 160 - 165 GAPI
blanket impregnated with monazite sand

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 GR Primary Calibration

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 GR Field Calibration

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GR Tool

• A Zero Measurement is done without the blanket

• The GSR- U/Y is a wrap around blanket containing
monozite sand.
• Activity of the blanket (in GAPI) is written inside the
blanket - the Reference value
• A Plus Measurement is done with the blanket
• The difference is calibrated to the reference value to
compute the gain of the tool

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 GR Field Calibration

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GR Tool

• Gain = Reference / (Plus - Zero) (during

before survey calibration)
• Calibrated GR calculated (= reference)
• Plateau check should be within +/- 2 %
• Perform Log
• After calibration zero and plus measurement
• GR calibrated = (Plus - Zero) * Gain
• Difference between before and after
calibrated GR < +/- 15 GAPI

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 Natural Formation
Gamma Ray
Logging

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Limitations,
LQC,
Typical Response

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GR Measurement Limitations

 The biggest feature of the GR log

is that it can be run in almost any

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logging condition including:

– cased wells
– open holes drilled with air
– open holes drilled with water based
muds

– open holes drilled with oil based or

fresh muds

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 LQC Checklist
Hardware LQC is within tolerance

Proper logging speed

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Parameters correctly selected

Difference in before and after survey less

than 15 GAPI

GR gain 0.9 to 1.1

Plateau Check = +/- 2 %

Log follows response (in shape) with other

wells in the region

Repeatability within specified tolerances

(7%)
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 HGNS Hardware LQC
GR Neutron Accelerometer

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 Typical Response

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