Wireline Logging
Sonic Tools
Overview
Formation: Reservoir quality
Fluid: Oil, Gas or Water?
Borehole: Environmental factors
Formation Properties
Radioactivity
Porosity
Grain density
Pore Size
Stratigraphy
Bedding, Dip
Sonic Velocity
Seismic Velocity
Fluid Properties
Salinity (Resistivity)
Density
Saturation
Pressure
Temperature
Viscosity
Mobility
Bubble Point
Borehole Properties
Depth
Caliper
Spontaneous Potential
Temperature
Cable Tension
Deviation, Azimuth
Sonic Units
Sonic tools measure formation slowness or
delta time (dt).
Slowness is measured in us/ft
uS/ft = 1000000 / ft/s
Slowness of steel: 57 us/ft (5400 m/s)
Slowness of water: Approx 220 us/ft
Different waves have different speeds.
Shear wave is approx twice as slow as
compressional wave.
Sonic Measurement
The compressional slowness is normally
measured using a monopole
(omnidirectional) source around 15kHz.
The slowness is computed by taking the
difference in transit (arrival) times between
two different receivers.
In this way mud velocity and borehole size
are eliminated from the equation.
Washouts and other borehole effects are
reduced by averaging two measurements
from different transmitters.
Simple Tool Design
Borehole Compensation
Sonic Waveforms
Different types of sonic waveforms are of interest
for different applications.
Compressional slowness gives a useful porosity
indication.
Compressional slowness is also used to calibrate
surface seismic velocities.
Shear slowness (together with compressional) is
used to calculate rock properties.
Shear slowness is also used in certain types of
seismic processing.
Stoneley waves are often used to look for fractures.
Waveform Detection
First (compressional) arrival is easily
detected using simple circuits.
Shear and Stoneley waves must be
detected using coherence processing
on an array of waveforms.
The coherence matches similar
events at different parts of each
waveform using a velocity filter.
Coherence Processing
Array Waveform Tools
Limitations of Monopole
Sources
The monopole source is omni directional.
Frequency is between 12kHz and 20Khz
The compressional wave in the mud will be
faster than the formation shear wave for slow
formations.
This large arrival will mask the shear we want
to measure.
Mud does not directly support shear waves
we only detect them due to mode
conversion.
Dipole Source Theory
We use a pair of dipole sources perpendicular to
the borehole wall.
The pressure wave they produce creates a
flexural wave along the borehole.
At low frequencies this wave has a speed close to
the shear speed.
Because the source is directional and
perpendicular to the tool axis, mud arrival is
small.
Mud arrival also reduced by subtracting signal
from pairs of receivers.
Dipole Sources
Shear vs Flexural Speed
Wellbore Formation
Compressional
wave
Head wave
Shear
Flexural wave
wave
Directional source
Compressional Shear Flexural
wave wave wave
Sonic Test 1
1. What is the normal unit of sonic slowness?
2. What is expected slowness of steel such
as casing?
3. What is approximate ratio of shear to
compressional slowness?
4. Which one is slower?
5. What type of source is generally used to
measure compressional slowness?
Sonic Test 2
6. How are mud velocity and borehole size
effects eliminated from our measurements
of compressional slowness?
7. How do we compensate for washouts and
borehole geometry?
8. Name two applications of compressional
slowness.
9. Name two applications of shear slowness.
10.Name one other waveform type with
practical applications.
Sonic Test 3
11.Explain how shear slowness is computed
from an array of sonic waveforms.
12.Monopole sources are (HIGH/LOW)
frequency?
13.Dipole sources are (HIGH/LOW) frequency?
14.We have difficulty measuring shear
slowness with a monopole source in
(FAST/SLOW) formations?
15.Explain why this is so.
Sonic Test 4
16. A Dipole source is omni-directional
(TRUE/FALSE)?
17. The type of wave it generates in the formation
is (STONELEY /FLEXURAL /SHEAR
/COMPRESSIONAL) ?
18. Mud can carry (true) shear waves (TRUE
/FALSE)?
19. What is difference in receiver arrangement for
dipole vs monopole sources?
20. Name two factors that reduce or eliminate mud
arrivals for Dipole modes.
