A TALK ON SONIC LOG

By
Samuel Sajan
Roll No. 17
M .Phil 2nd Semester
Institute of Geology
University of the Punjab, Lahore
 TOPICS
 Introduction
 Applications
 Sonic Waveforms
 Sonic Tools
 Unwanted Logging Effects
 Interpretations by Sonic Log
 Summary
 INTRODUCTION
• Sonic Log measures the velocity of
sound waves in rock. This velocity
depends on
1) lithology,
2) porosity,
3) type of fluid in the pores.
• The velocity is usually presented as
the time ∆t a signal takes to travel a
certain distance, which is the inverse
of velocity, This is called “interval
transit time”, and is presented on the
logs on a scale of 40–140 μs/ft. 100
μs/ft corresponds to 10,000 ft/s, or
3,048 m/s.
FIG. 1. Typical response of Sonic log
Courtesy Malcolm Rider
• The sound emissions from
the tool generally have a
frequency between 20-40
KHz.
• Sonic resolution depends
upon the spacing between
the two receivers. For this
reason, sonic Logs have
excellent thin-bed responses
since the common receiver
spacing in today's tools is
2ft.

FIG. 2. Courtesy Hongqi Liu

 SONIC MATRIX VELOCITIES
LITHOLOGY ∆tma (µs/ft) ∆tma (µs/ft) V(ft/s)

Sandstone 55.5---51 5490---5950 18000---19500

Quartz 55.1 5530 18150
Limestone 53---7.6 5800---7000 19000---23000
Calcite 46.5 6555 21500
Dolomites 45---38.5 6770---7925 22200---26000
Dolomite 40 7620 25000
Shale 167---62.2 1600---5000 5000---16000

Table. 1. (From Schlumberger , 1972; Serra 1979; Gearhart 1983).

 APPLICATIONS
• Determine porosity of reservoir rock
• Assist in identifying lithology
• Improve correlation and interpretation of seismic records
• Estimate secondary pore space
• Indicate mechanical integrity of rocks and formations that
surround them
• Estimate Erosion
• Identify Coal and tightly cemented zone
• Identification of Over-pressure zones
• Identification of Compaction
• Identification of Source rock potential
 SONIC WAVEFORMS
• Compressional Waves
The direction of particle displacement is
parallel to direction of propagation.
• Shear Waves
The direction of particle displacement is
perpendicular to direction of
propagation.
• Mud Waves
Travel directly through the mud column
to the receiver without contact with the
bore wall.
FIG. 3. Geophysical wave train received from a
• Stoneley Waves Sonic log

Stoneley waves travel in the mud by

interaction between mud and formation.
Sensitive to wall rigidity.
 SONIC TOOLS
• Basic Sonic (obsolete)
• BHC - Borehole compensated sonic (most common)
• LSS - Long spaced sonic
• Array Sonic or Full Waveform Sonic
• Dipole Shear Imager (DSI)

o Modern sonic tools consist of a double array of sonic pulse

emitter (transducers) and receivers.
o Each array consisting of one emitter and two receivers.
 Dual Receiver Sonic Tool
Early Sonic Tools
Sonic Tools

Borehole Compensated Tools FIG. 4 Long Spacing Sonic Tools

 UNWANTED LOGGING EFFECTS
• Cycle Skipping
Cycle skipping refers to the inability of the threshold detection device at
the receiver to properly sense the correct arrival of the acoustic signal.
Effect: Sonic curve shows spiking or an abrupt change towards a higher
travel time
Occurs in:
- Unconsolidated formations (particularly gas bearing)
- fractured formations
- transmitter weak and/or receiver poor
- Poor borehole conditions
 UNWANTED LOGGING EFFECTS

• Road Noise
• Road noise is caused by the tool travel along the borehole.
• If this noise reaches the receivers before the first real wave then
the measured Interval transit time is incorrect.
• To minimize road noise the receivers are turned off for fixed time
following transmitter fire.
• Spikes usually have a very rapid initial decrease to erroneously
low Interval transit time values and a rapid exponential return to
true Interval transit time.
UNWANTED LOGGING EFFECTS

• Sonic logs registered

soon after logging is
most reliable.
Prolonged exposure
to drilling muds
causes deterioration,
especially in shale.

FIG.5. Cycle skipping and Noise spikes. Courtesy

Malcolm Rider
INTERPRETATIONS
 POROSITY EVALUATION

• Purpose : This Chart

is used to convert
Interval transit time
∆t into those for
Porosity Φ.

• ∆t = 76 us/ft
Vma = 18000 ft/s
• Then,
15% porosity for
sandstone.

FIG.6. Courtesy Schlumberger

 CORRELATION

• In the early days of well correlation, the induction electrical survey

(IES) array was the most widely used for composite logs.
• Now, the gamma-sonic is often more popular, especially where the
SP curve is ineffective.
• As a general guide, coal beds and thin limestones often make useful
markers.
• The sonic log picks out small variations, probably in texture, in
carbonate and in quartz content, to show a very distinct
stratigraphic interval, despite depth difference. This characteristic
sensitivity makes sonic log excellent for correlation.
FIG. 7. The character of sonic log used for correlation. Courtesy Malcolm Rider.
 GAS HYDRATES

• Wire line log part of the

Deep Sea Drilling Project
Site 570, showing a gas
hydrate zone. It is
characterized by high
resistivity and high
acoustic velocity, and by
low radioactivity and
density.

FIG.8. (Courtesy of R.C. Selley)

 GEOPHYSICAL APPLICATIONS

Since the transit time is directly linked to the speed of sound in the
formation it can be used in combination with the density to establish an
acoustic impedance log (r = v ρ ) and to calculate a reflection
coefficient, R:

R1-2 = V2ρ2 – V1ρ1

V2ρ2 + V1ρ1

which leads to the realization of an impulse log and of a synthetic curve

which helps in the interpretation of vertical seismic profiles in terms of
seismofacies, and porosity and fluid determination
 COMPACTION
• As a sediment becomes
compact its velocity value
increases but this attribute not
easily quantified because
velocity also depends on depth.
• The compaction of a sediment
represents its deepest burial.

• The only true picture of

compaction can be obtained by
comparing the same
stratigraphical intervals at
various depths.
FIG.9. Compaction in shale sequence shown by regular
decrease in interval transit time with interval.
 ESTIMATION OF EROSION
• The amount of erosion that has occurred in a region that has
been uplifted can be estimated from the degree of shale
compaction measured by acoustic travel time. 

• This technique assumes that shale compaction is irreversible

and that the shale retains the degree of compaction it gained at
its maximum burial depth.

• Uplift and erosion will result in lower porosities than expected

for the current burial depth (i.e., a shale will appear to be over-
compacted)
• Sonic logs, have been used
in several studies to
estimate maximum burial.
• Establishing a typical curve
for change of sonic travel
time (∆t) with depth for
shale which are still at their Estimated erosion
maximum burial depth and Approx. 1400m
projecting uplifted shale
values down onto this
curve; the difference in
depth indicates the amount
of erosion.
FIG.10. Data from Jurassic in Gifhorn trough, Germany
(Courtesy Larry Thomas)
 INDICATION OF UNCONFORMITY

• A sudden change in
the Sonic slowness
trend with depth is
also a good indicator
of unconformity.
• Unconformity can be
detected by the abrupt
and important change
in the shale
compaction profile.

FIG.11. Courtesy Oberta Serra

 COAL

• Typical Response of sonic

log to coal-bearing
lithotypes.
• Lignite have highest
interval transit time among
the different lithotypes of
coal.
• Characteristics of the coal
can be obtained by
combining data from several
different types of logs. For
example, sonic and density
logs can be combined for
interpretation of coal rank

FIG.12. (Courtesy Larry Thomas)

 STRENGTH OF ROCK
• The velocity of the compressional wave depends upon the elastic
properties of the rock (matrix plus fluid), so the measured
slowness varies depending upon the ;
-composition and microstructure of the matrix,
-the type and distribution of the pore fluid and
-the porosity of the rock.
V = velocity of a P-wave in a rock
V ∝ Strength/Density
∆t ∝ Density/Strength
• Density and the speeds of both the longitudinal and the transverse
waves helps to determine Young’s, Bulk, Shear Modulus and
poison’s Ratio.
CROSSPLOTS
 SONIC-NEUTRON CROSSPLOT
• Purpose: This chart is used
to determine crossplot
porosity and an
approximation of lithology
for sonic and neutron logs
and in freshwater.
• Thermal Neutron limestone
porosity = 20 p.u.
∆t = 89 us/ft
• Then,
Matrix is Quartz sandstone.
With Porosity 24.5 p.u.

FIG.13. Courtesy Schlumberger

 SONIC-DENSITY CROSSPLOT
• Purpose: This chart is used
to determine porosity and
lithology for sonic and
density logs in freshwater
invaded zone.
• Bulk Density = 2.3 g/cm 3
∆t = 82 us/ft
Then,
Limestone with porosity =
24 p.u.

FIG.14. Courtesy Schlumberger

 SONIC-DENSITY CROSSPLOT
• The velocity (or transit
time or slowness) alone
can be used for rock
identification when the
rock is not porous (case
of evaporites and
igneous rocks).
• However, for more
accuracy, it is better to
combine slowness (or
transit time) with other
log data.
• It allows the recognition
of evaporite minerals.

FIG.15. Courtesy Oberta Serra

 SONIC-DENSITY OVERLAY

• Density-sonic overlay is
particularly useful for secondary
porosity determination (Vugs and
Fractures).

FIG.16. Courtesy Richard M. Bateman

 SONIC-DENSITY CROSSPLOT
FOR COAL

• Interpretation of coal rank

from sonic and density
logs.

FIG.17. (Courtesy Larry Thomas)

 SUMMARY
• The sonic or acoustic log measures the travel time of an
elastic wave through the formation.
• Sonic waveform consists of four types of waves.
• Sonic resolution depends upon the spacing between the two
receivers.
• The sonic log is used for porosity, lithology, correlation,
overpressure, compaction, fracture identification, source rock
identification, interval velocity, erosion estimation, coal
identification and for estimating strength of a rock.
• Sonic logs are more useful in conjunction with other logs.