A talk

on
Characteristics of Density Logs in
Hydrocarbon identification
Presented By
Muhammad Ahsan Khalid
M.Phil, 2nd Semester
University of the Punjab
Lahore
 Layout

 What is density logging, how it works and tools for it.

 Different attributes of density logs.
 Uses of density logs.
 Characteristics of density logging in hydrocarbon
identification.
 Photoelectric factor log (or litho-density)
 Introduction

Density log is a continuous

record of a formation’s
bulk density along the
borehole.

Bulk density depends upon

the density of minerals
forming a rock (matrix) and
volume of free fluids which
it encloses (porosity) .

Figure 1: Courtesy by Malcolm H Rider

 Principle

 The principle behind the density log is that formation is

bombarded with collimated beam of medium to high
energy (0.2 – 2.0 Mev) Gamma rays.
 When these gamma rays interact with electrons
associated with atoms they are scattered (Compton
scattering) and lose their energy.
 This attenuation of energy depends upon the no. of
electrons in the formation (Electron density) .
 Principle
✘
  Electrondensity is related to the bulk density by
⍴e = ⍴b[]
where as ≌ 1 for common elements in sedimentary
rocks
 So electron density is approximately equal to the
bulk density of the formation.
 In dense formations attenuation is extreme and only a
few gamma rays reach the detector.
 Detector counts are directly converted to bulk density.
 Principle

Figure 2: From Bassiouni, 1994 Figure 3: Courtesy by Malcolm H Rider

 Tool
 Standard density tool have collimated gamma ray source
and two (near and far) detectors.
 Source is usually radio-cesium or radio-cobalt (they
emits gamma rays at 662 Kev).
 Near detector is usually for borehole effects and when it
is subtracted from far detector response gives the
formation effects.
 Source and detector are mounted on plough shaped pad
which is pressed against borehole wall during logging.
Logging speed 15- 30 fpm

Depth of investigation 3 to 6”

Vertical resolution 1 ft.

Figure 4
 Modern density tools
Density measurement:
 Formation Density Compensated (FDC) : Schlumberger
 Compensated Densilog (CDL) : Western Atlas
Halliburton
 Compensated Density (CDS) : BPB
Density and photo electric measurement:
 Litho-Density Tool (LDT) : Schlumberger
 Compensated Z-Density (ZDL) Western Atlas
 Photo-Electric Density (PDS) BPB
 Spectral Density Tool (HSDL) Halliburton
 Log characteristics

 Log presentation
 Density log is normally plotted on linear scale with
density between 1.95 to 2.95 g/cm3.
 Log is run across tracks 2 and 3 while in track 1 usually
caliper log is present.
 Log is accompanied by a curve indicating borehole and
mudcake corrections.
 Tool is typically run as a neutron density combination
along with gamma ray and caliper tools.
Lines in track 1
shows caliper and
gamma ray log
readings while
density and
density correction
are shown in track
2 and 3.

Figure 5: from Next

1999
 Log characteristics
 Depth of investigation
and bed resolution:
it’s depth of investigation
is very shallow however
bed resolution is good (up
to 2 feet or even 1.5 feet).

Figure 6: Original FDC Shlumberger

response. From Malcolm H Rider
 Mudcake compensation
 If mudcake density is different from that of formation
then count rates of near and far detectors vary.
 The zero mudcake line is referred to as spine.
 When the mud cake thickness starts increasing from zero
the curve starts departing from the straight line and its
locus is called rib.
 Rib extend to the left side of the spine for mudcake
having density more than formation density.
 Surface equipment determine the position of a point on
rib and spine chart and estimate the spine and corrected
value of density
 Mudcake compensation

Figure 7: From Richard M Bateman Figure 8: From Richard M Bateman:

Figure 9: From Richard M Bateman
 Uses of density log
 Porosity can be calculated from density logs.
 Density log determines the gas zone and impedance.
 Shale age and unconformity can be estimated.
 Certain mineral are identified by using density log.
 Fracture and over-pressure zones may be identified.
 TOC (total organic content) of source rocks can be
calculated.
 Density log can be excellent indicator of lithology when
employed with neutron log in the presence of Pe curve.
Density log in hydrocarbon identification

Porosity calculation

The formula for bulk density can be written as

 Porosity calculation
Density of fresh water =1 g/cm3 , Density of salted
water = 1.1 g/cm3
Matrix density = 2.65 g/cm3 (For sandstone)

When solved for porosity the equation becomes

Where
ma = matrix density
f = fluid density
b = bulk density (as measured by the tool)
 Porosity calculation

 Relationship between bulk density and calculated

porosity can be close when grain density remains
constant.
 If constant grain density figures are applied to a
formation whose density is not constant then
porosity calculated will be incorrect.
 When grain density used is too low calculated
porosity will be low.
 Gas zone identification

 In the presence of gaseous hydrocarbons (.0007

g/cm3) fluid density drops dramatically.
 Porosity calculated is correct in case of oil because
densities of oil and water are very close to each
other.
 When density log is combined with neutron log we
can identify the gas zone (where gap between two
curves widens).
 If density can be calculated from other means the log
can be used to calculate hydrocarbon density.
Gas effect: log
reads 35% porosity
while it should read
27%
Gas

Water

Figure 10:. From Malcolm H Rider

 Acoustic impedance calculation
Density log is used in
conjunction with sonic
log to calculate the
acoustic impedance.

Figure 11: From Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole

 Lithology identification

Lithology identification
 Density log alone is poor indicator of lithology
because densities of common rocks overlap each other.
 However when combined with neutron log is the best
indicator of lithology.
 Shale Compaction, Age, and
Unconformities
 Shale undergoes compaction and increase in density
with increasing depth of burial and age.
 When formation density data is plotted on small depth
scale, the compaction trend appears continuous but
small rate of increase of density with depth.
 It is common that the more compact shales are older.
 The sudden change of density within a given shale
interval represents an unconformity.
Figure 12 :Determination of unconformity
 Mineral identification

 Density can be indicative of specific minerals when it

is extraordinarily high or low from the average 2.3
g/cm3
 Coal are identified by very low densities between 1.2
to 1.8 g/cm3.
 Pyrite is characterized by very high density between
4.8 to 5.17 g/cm3.
 Carbonate nodules within general lithology represent
sudden high peaks in log response.
 Evaporites are usually found in pure state and have
well defined densities so identified easily.
Figure 13: identification of coal and pyrite
 Overpressure identification

 Generally the density of shale increases with depth

due to expulsion of pore and interstitial water .
 Sometimes fluid does not escape and if it is trapped
becomes over-pressured.
 This is registered on density log as break in normal
compaction trend.
 The density break therefore identifies the
overpressure zone.
Figure 14: Identification of overpressure, courtesy
from Malcolm H Rider
 Fracture recognition

 Log comparison of density log porosity with sonic log

porosity gives identification of fracture.
 Density tool record bulk density including inter-
granular and fracture porosity while sound waves in
sonic tool take the quickest path avoiding the fractures.
 Sonic log gives only inter-granular porosity and the
difference between the two log is due to fracture
porosity.
Figure 15: Effect of fractures on density and sonic logs, by Magara 1968.
 Source rock evaluation

 The presence of organic matter can reduce the density

of shales by up to 0.5 g/cm3.
 The effect of organic matter on density log can be
quantized.
Traditional method:
 To do this, relationship between organic matter content
and density log was normalized using sample analysis.
 The normalized log was then used to interpolate
between analyzed points.
Figure 16: Comparison of organic
content derived from derived from
density log and from core analysis.
TOC= Total organic content.

Figure 17: Effect of organic matter on density log

 Source rock evaluation
 Modern methods: give a quick derivation of the
organic content from density log without lengthy
normalization.
 One of the methods discussed below have the following
assumptions.
1. Source rock is composed of mudrock (matrix density =
2.7 g/cm3) , water filled porosity (density = 1.05
g/cm3) and kerogen (density = 1.1 g/ cm3).
2. Non-source interval have the same matrix density,
water density and water filled porosity as source
interval
 Equ. 1

Equ.2

Equ. 3

⍴ns = density of non-source interval (average from log)

⍴s = density of source interval (from log)
⍴ma = 2.7 g/cm3 assumed mudrock density
⍴fl = 1.05 g/cm3 density of water
⍴ker =1.1 g/cm3 kerogen density
ϕfl = water filled porosity derived from equ. 1
ϕker = kerogen filed porosity derived from equ.2
TOC% = 0.85× wt.% kerogen
Photoelectric factor log (Litho-Density)

 Photoelectric factor log (PEF or Litho-Density) is a

continuous record of photoelectric absorption cross
section index (Pe) of the formation.
 Pe strongly depends upon the atomic number Z of
the formation’s atoms and hence refer to the
composition or lithology.
 It is basically used for qualitative and quantitative
determination of lithology especially when cross
plotted with corresponding density log.
 Principle
✘
  When low energy (below 100 Kev) gamma rays are
passed through matter photoelectric effect take place.
 In photoelectric effect gamma ray is absorbed by
electron bound to atom and displace from its orbit.
 The ratio between Pe and U is Pe =

 U = photoelectric absorption cross section per unit

volume (low energy window)
 ⍴e = electron density index (high energy window)
 Pe = photoelectric absorption factor per unit weight
Figure 18: litho-density log, from Malcolm H Rider.
Figure 19: Gamma ray spectrum, courtesy by Richard M Bateman.
Identification
of lithology.

Figure 20: cross plot

of density and PEF.
This figure can be
used to determine
the lithology..
 Summary
 We discussed density log depends upon electron density (⍴e)
within the formation.
 Density log response runs in track 2 and 3 with usually caliper or
gamma ray log running in track 1.
 Tool consist of a gamma ray source and two detectors.
 Tool automatically compensates for mucake correction
 We then discuss different uses of density log i.e. determination of
porosity, gas zones, acoustic impedance, lithology, unconformity,
over-pressure zone fracture zone and TOC.
 At the last litho-density log involves photoelectric effect caused
by low energy gamma rays and lithology can be determined
when it is used in combination with density log.
 References
 Rider, M. H. (1986). The geological interpretation of well logs.
 Richard, M. B. (2012). Openhole log analysis and formation
evaluation.
 Liu, H. (2017). Principles and applications of well logging.
Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
 http://infohost.nmt.edu/~petro/faculty/Engler370/fmev-Chap9-
densitylog.pdf
 http://homepages.see.leeds.ac.uk/~earpwjg/PG_EN/CD
%20Contents/GGL-66565%20Petrophysics%20English/Chapter
%2013.PDF