Well logging and

interpretation
2 year,
nd

By: Dr. Pavel Spirov

Lecture 2

Outline:

-Logs
-Borehole environment
-Well logging tools

LOGGING BASICS
Well logging is the process of recording various physical, chemical, electrical, or other properties of the rock/fluid
mixtures penetrated by drilling a borehole into the earth's cruste. A log is a record of a voyage, similar to a ship's
log or a travelog. In this case, the ship is a measuring instrument of some kind, and the trip is taken into and out of
the wellbore.
In its most usual form, an oil well log is a record displayed on a graph with the measured physical property of the
rock on one axis and depth (distance from a near-surface reference) on the other axis. More than one property may
be displayed on the same graph.
Well logs are recorded in nearly all oil and gas wells and in many mineral and
geothermal exploration and development wells. Although useful in evaluating water
wells, few are run for this purpose.

logs
Mechanical Methods - Caliper
Logging
Acoustic Logging
Electrical Methods
Radioactive Methods
Density Logging

Mechanical Tools
Caliper

Lithology Tools
Spontaneous Potential
Gamma Ray

Fluids Identification
Tools
Resistivity

Laterolog

Induction

Petrophysical Tools
Porosity

Neutron

Density

Sonic

5
Intro to Well Logging
Restored

Lecture 4

 Acoustic Logging
Electrical Methods
Radioactive Methods
Density Logging

6
Intro to Well Logging
Restored

Lecture 4

Creating of well log

Up-hole instruments
Down-hole
instruments
The Downhole
logging instrument

A well log recording

The nature of the fluids

in the pore space
immediately surrounding
the borehole depends
upon the amount and
type
of mud filtrate that
invades the formation.

Borehole environment &

drilling

Drilling fluids
Drilling mud - Rm
Mud filtrate - Rmf
Mud cake Rmc
Drilling fluids generally affect logging tool
response. The logging tool response is effected
by:
-Tool design
Borehole size
Mudcake thickeness
Depth of invasion
Mud type: oil, water

Electric
properties of
mud differ from
formation,
creating a
considerable
resistivity
contrast.

Borehole size and shape

In gauge
- Borehole diameter is equal to drilling bit size
Borehole reduction
- Mud cake buildup, precursor to permeable
formation
Borehole enlargement
- Swelling and sloughing of shales
- Collapse of poorly cemented porous rock
- Dissolution of salts, evaporates
- Logging tools are typically calibrated on 8
borehole. Correlations necessary for smaller
and larger borehole sizes.

Logging speed
Logging speeds are by no means the same for all
types of log.
Since natural and induced radio-active phenomena
are random by nature, it is necessary to accumulate
count data over a period of time and compute the
mean in order to obtain a representative reading. This
accumulation or sampling period corresponds tothe
Time constant
Other factors which limit logging speed are
galvanometer inertia (they must have sufficient time
to deflect to the full value, which precludes very high
logging speeds where high contrasts in readings are
to be encountered), and various safety
considerations, particularly cable tension and the risk
of damage to pad-type equipment

Hostile environment
Well-bore temperature and pressure increase with depth as a function of the
geothermal gradient, and mud density, respectively (Figs. 2-10 and 2-1 1).
Logging tools must be able to withstand extreme hole conditions which might be
encountered. (Freshly circulated drilling mud may initially be considerably cooler than
the formations with which it is in contact.

The warming-up period may provide a short safe period for logging very hot wells.)
The presence of corrosive gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, may require special
precautions, and resistant equipment (H,S-proof cable, for instance).
Logging companies provide the operating limits for each tool. Outside these limits,
there is the risk of breakdown or destruction of the equipment by temperature failure
of electronic components, leaking of mud past pressure seals, collapse of the
pressure housing, and so on.

Invasion
The pressure
differential between the
mud in the annulus and
the formation fluid
pressure, forces drilling
fluid into the formation.

Invasion

Formation damage near the

wellbore

Invasion
environment

The saturation profile of the invaded zone must be

taken into account when interpreting wireline logs.

Invasion
Invasion profile water
zone

Invasion
Invasion profile oil zone

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS
(TEMPERATURE LOGS)
Generally temperature increases with depth and
in undisturbed conditions it has a rate of
increase with depth known as the geothermal
gradient
This gradient varies according to the
geographical location and the thermal
conductivity of the formation.
The gradient is generally low in formations of
high thermal conductivity (salt
or anhydrite for example) and high in the
opposite case (e.g. shales)

Thermometry

Application of geothermal gradient

Open hole
Temperature measurements allow the definition of changes in the geothermal balance
(geothermal energy, thermal flux, maturing organic matter, etc.). We can then define the
average geothermal activity of a
well or a zone.
The thermal equilibrium destroyed by drilling reestablishes itself more or less quickly
according to the
thermal conductivity of the rock. Variations in temperature can then give some indication of
lithology
We can locate lost circulation zones or, on the other hand, fluid flow into the well, and in
particular, gas, which is detected by the cooling effect brought about by gas expansion.

Application of geothermal gradient

Example:

Application of geothermal gradient

Cased hole
The main applications of temperature logs are in cased holes and in particular in production logging:
(a) detection of the cement height behind casing (Fig. 18-12) and channeling zones (fluid circulation
behind pipe);
(b) detection of producing zones (Fig. 18-13);
(c) determination of the depth of the bubble point;
(d) detection of zones of fluid injection entry

Pressure change
with depth

Fluid Pressure

Types of logs

 Opened hole logs

Cased hole logs
Mud log no cable
The geology log
Measurements while drilling (MWD) or logging while drilling (LWD)
composite log

Most open and cased-hole logs are recorded continuously as the tools are pulled out of the hole. A few logs, however,
may only be recorded when the tool is stationary in the hole, such as the gravity meter survey. Such logs are called
station-by-station logs as opposed to continuous logs
Most open hole logs are run in a conductive mud system. Muds with relatively high resistivity are called fresh muds,
and those with low resistivity are called salt muds
Salt muds may be salted on purpose to reduce erosion in shales or solution of salt beds while drilling through them.
Oil-base muds are non-conductive and cause a few problems, but not many are serious. You cannot run SP, microlog,
microlaterolog, or laterlog because they need conductive mud. Dipmeter and Formation Micro Scanners need scratcher
pads but otherwise operate normally. Sonic, density, neutron, gamma ray, NMR, caliper, induction logs all work
normally.
Logs are used for a variety of purposes depending on the nature of the data gathered. Correlation from well to well is the
oldest and probably the most common use of logs. It allows the subsurface geologist to map formation depths and
thicknesses and then to identify conditions that could trap hydrocarbons.

Usage of logs
One of the important uses of logs today is the determination of rock porosity. This measurement is
significant because it tells how much storage space a rock has for fluids. No log actually measures porosity
directly, but many analytical methods are available to help estimate this important property
Another of the routine uses of logs is the determination of the water, oil, or gas saturation
in the rock pores
One of the older, but very useful, surveys is the caliper log. In open hole logging, it is used to
determine hole volume and aids the engineer in designing a cementing program.
It also indicates mud cake build-up and hole wash-out. Both of these indications are of interest
to the log analyst when he considers the other logs. In cased hole work the caliper is often
used to find casing damage and separated casing.
A more recent development in logging is fracture-finding
When it is time to perforate the casing to allow fluid to flow into the well, there may be some
doubt about how well the perforator depths match the log depths. To overcome this
uncertainty, a casing collar gamma ray log is often run
Another common use for this type of measurement is the determination of water input profiles
in water injection wells.

Usage of logs

The temperature log is commonly used to indicate the top of cement behind a newly cemented
string of casing.

Another use for the temperature log is the location of points of fluid entry in a well bore or of fluid flow
behind casing. As the fluid enters the well it expands and cools creating abnormally low temperature in
the well at the point of entry.
Acoustic noise logs also find flow entry and flow behind pipe by the noise caused by the flowing
fluid.
The most significant change in the use of logs, in recent years, is production monitoring. The thermal
decay time log (often called a pulsed neutron log) allows for the interpretation of porosity and fluid
saturation behind casing.
Neutron log:
The fluid saturation will change over time as a reservoir is depleted by production, and the changes
may be monitored by logging at regular intervals, say once a year. If the production pattern is not as
predicted, remedial action may be possible. The log is also used to provide porosity and fluid
saturation data in wells which are not, or could not, be logged in the more conventional open-hole
manner.
A large suite of logging instruments is available to evaluate fluid type, fluid flow, and mechanical
conditions in producing or injecting wells.

LOG SCALES and LAYOUT

Logs can be run on a number of vertical (depth) scales and quite a variety of horizontal (curve
value) scales

Common Logging Scales

Often Called
Detail scale or
large scale
Correlation scale or
small scale
Super detail scale
*
Dipmeter scale

English
Terminology

5" = 100 ft
2" = 100 ft
1" = 100 ft
10" = 100 ft
25" = 100 ft
60" = 100 ft

Metric
Terminology

1:240 1:200 is also very common

1:600 1:500 is also very common
1:1200 1:1000 is also very common
1:120 1:100 is also very common
1:48 1:50 is also very common
1:20

Correlation
The spacing between depth grid lines is 10 feet or 5
meters for correlation scales and 2 feet or 1 meter for
other scales. Heavier grid lines appear every 10 feet (5
meters) and every 50 feet (25 meters).

Correlation

Logs presentation
Logs are presented in the field in a three track
presentation. The pair of tracks 2 and 3 is often called
track 4, which is used to record curves with a large
range in values
Four (or more) track presentations (with all tracks to
the right hand side of the depth numbers) is created in
the course of computer processed log analysis. These
can be generated in the computer on the logging truck
or in the office. Some logs recorded prior to 1946 have
only two tracks, and logs run for special purposes (eg.
potash) have three tracks all to the right of the depth
numbers

Well logging
tools

Caliper

Mechanical
Methods
Caliper Logging
The caliper tool and log is used to
determine the shape and
size(diameter) of a drilled hole.
It measures variations in the
borehole diameter.

Mechanical Methods
Caliper Logging

Mechanical Methods
Caliper Logging
- Measures the variations in the
size of well bore
- These variations can affect the
accuracy of the other
measurements
- Based on these measurements,
the pc recalculates the readings
from the other tools

Mechanical Methods
Caliper Logging
-in addition to providing information on the diameter of
the borehole
can also give information on the lithology of the well (if
used correctly)
- It can also give details of fractures, given that if a pair
of the caliper arms locks into a fracture, the tool rotation
ceases.

GEOLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING HE HOLE DIAMETER

The diameter of the hole depends mainly on:

(a) The lithology, since certain rocks may:

(1) be soluble in the drilling mud for example salt;
(2) disintegrate and cave in (for example sands, gravel, shales), in which
case hole caves will appear;
(3) flow, as in the case of swelling shales or low compaction shales,
when the hole will
close in;
(4) be consolidated, in which case the hole will be in gauge.

(b) The texture and structure of the rock

Caliper log data

Interpretation