BHGE NaviGamma

Understanding Gamma Ray

Measurements

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Sensors, Calibration,
and Measurement
Characteristics

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Types of Sensors

Scintillation Detectors Geiger-Muller Tubes

• Most common detector type • Resistant to vibration and temperature
• Highly efficient • Inefficient
• Capable of performing spectral analysis • Incapable of providing spectral analysis

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Calibration

API Gamma Ray Calibration Standard

• The API Gamma Ray Calibration Standard is a test pit at the main campus of the
University of Houston. All service companies can use the pit to normalize their gamma
ray measurements to API standard units

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Calibration

Test Pit and API Standards

• The test pit is made of three sections. The high-activity section contains K40, U, and Th
in proportions equivalent to twice the activity of an average shale. The low-activity
section has only background radioactivity.

The difference in the gamma ray response generated by the high and low-activity
sections is defined as 200 API units.

Service companies log the pit with their gamma ray tools to establish master
calibrations to duplicate the standard response for all tool calibrations.

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5 ½” Casing Low-Activity Cement

High-Activity Cement

∆ = 200 API

Low-Activity Cement

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Calibration

At the Shop
• Gamma ray tools are calibrated in the shop using a portable standard and a software
routine called "GammaCal", which accounts for spectral biasing and tool type.

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Measurement
Characteristics

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Measurement Characteristics

Depth of Investigation
• It is estimated that 90% of detected gamma rays come from within 6 inches of the
formation.
• The equivalent depth of investigation (50% level) is therefore somewhat less than 6
inches from the borehole wall.

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Measurement Characteristics

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Measurement Characteristics

Vertical Resolution
• Bed resolution and factors affecting it are important to all well logging methods.
Vertical bed resolution of the gamma log is a function of: logging speed (R), detector
length (L) and data acquisition time (DT).
• All gamma-ray logging instruments make measurements over a characteristic sampling
period by use of a time constant (DT), which in LWD is referred to as the acquisition
time window. This time window is chosen to be long enough to reduce statistical
fluctuations inherent in all nuclear measurements, but short enough to preserve
boundary resolution. Generally this is set to 4 x 2.5 sec (10 second sample rate) for both
memory and real-time data. Azimuthal gamma ray measurements require an extended
sample time of 25 seconds for acquiring data over 8 sectors.

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Measurement Characteristics

Statistical Precision
• The discrete nature of nuclear counting takes the form of a Poisson distribution, and the standard
deviation is given by the square root of the number of counts.

𝜎
  =√ 𝑁

where, N = total counts

• Therefore statistical precision is improved by increasing the count rate. For passive nuclear
measurements such as gamma ray, statistical precision can be improved by reducing logging speed (i.e.
rate of penetration), increasing detector size, or averaging multiple passes. However, the timedepth
conversion and fixed level spacing conversion effectively places a limit beyond which slower ROP’s will
not result in an improvement in vertical resolution.
• Vertical averaging can also improve the appearance of statistical data, but can result in a loss of vertical
resolution.

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Measurement Characteristics

Effects of Hole Size and Casing

• Gamma ray logs can be run in wells filled with any type of drilling mud, as well as air
or gas-filled boreholes.

• Due to differences in density, air and gas-filled boreholes record higher count rates than
the same boreholes if filled with drilling mud.

• If the drilling mud contains a significant amount of potassium or uranium, an increase

in count rates will be recorded.

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Measurement Characteristics

Mud Weight Corrections

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Measurement Characteristics

Mud Potassium Corrections

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Measurement Characteristics

Lithology Correction
This graph shows the gamma rays response
to various lithologies.

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Measurement Characteristics

Correlation
• The gamma ray is the primary depth correlation device for most services. It should
correlate closely within 1 ft. (0.3 m) with overlap gamma ray runs in the same well and
gamma ray runs from other combination services over the same interval. Depths must
agree within 1/2 ft (0.15 m) with other services run in the same combination. The
gamma ray values should agree (within ± 5 API) with other gamma ray runs in the same
well, after environmental corrections have been applied.

• Statistical variations are directly dependent upon rate of penetration. However, low
ROP can result in a highly statistical log that requires smoothing.

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Factors Affecting Gamma Response
• Cored intervals
• Significant mud weight, mud
chemistry changes (pumping of
high viscosity pills)
• Lost circulation (barite build up
in formation)
• Mud hydraulics, bottom hole
cleaning and cuttings
• Excessive shocks / downhole
vibrations / sticky hole
conditions
• Bit wear, under-gauge hole
• Directional well path influences
• Excessive weight on bit (drill-
string bending)
• Reaming / re-logging / back-
reaming events (Specify
purpose of reaming; to recover
lost data or for time lapse
analysis)
• Incorrect calibration
(gammacal)
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• Exposure time (for reaming
runs)
• High penetration rate may result
in data gaps or low data density
(real-time and memory)
• Surface equipment problems
(such as power failures)
• Decoding problems (if real time
log is presented)
• Tool Failures
• Incorrect tool power up
procedures (connections)