FORMATION EVALUATION

PETE 663

RESISTIVITY THEORY / SATURATION

Summer 2010

IDEALIZED
LOG SET

R=4
= 0.30
R = 0.4

R=8

= 0.07

Shale

Sand

R = 0.3

= 0.35

FOUR COMPONENTS OF SANDSTONE

Geologists Classification

1.
2.
3.
4.

Framework
Matrix
Cement
Pores

Note different use of matrix

by geologists and engineers

Engineering
matrix

PORE
FRAMEWORK

CEMENT

(QUARTZ)

MATRIX

FRAMEWORK
(FELDSPAR)

0.25 mm
Ayers, 2001

FLUID SATURATIONS
Grain
and matrix

Water Gas

Oil

Initially, water fills pores and wets the rock surface

Hydrocarbons migrate into the reservoir rock, displacing some water
Hydrocarbon distribution determined by gravity and capillary forces,
and by wettability

Modified from NExT, 1999

RESISTIVITY OF ROCKS CONTAINING FLUID

RESISTIVITY DEFINITION OF THE

OHM-METER

From Halliburton (EL 1007)

RESISTIVITY
Resistivity
The voltage required to cause one amp to pass
through a cube having a face area of one
square meter
2

Units are ohm-m / m; usually ohm-m (.m)

1
Resistivit y =
Conductivi ty

RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENT
Resistivity

( )

V
2
(ohms ) * A m
R(ohm meters ) = I
L(m )

RESISTIVITY OF EARTH MATERIALS

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Rock
Gas
Oil
Fresh Water
Salt Water

Increasing
Conductivity

Increasing
Resistivity

1
Resistivity =
Conductivity

FACTOR AFFECTING RESISTIVITY

Resistivity of water
Porosity of the formation,
Pore geometry - tortuosity
Lithology of the formation
Degree of cementation, and
Type and amount of clay in the rock

From J. Jensen, PETE 321 Lecture Notes

ELECTRICITY AND EARTH MATERIALS - 1

Conduction is by ions in water

Na+ and Cl- are very common
Other monovalent ions K+ and OHCommon bivalent ions: Ca++, Mg++

Electricity and Earth Materials - 2

Water resistivity
controlled by
Ion concentrations
What type of ions
What temperature

Chart GEN-4 to
convert to NaCl
equiv
Chart GEN-5 for
temperature/resist
for NaCl
From Schlumberger

Resistivity
of NaCl
Solutions
____
GEN-5 H
or
GEN-9 S

From Schlumberger

H, GEN-4; SLB, GEN-8

TDS = 20,850 ppm

0.81
0.45
Ca = 460 ppm
S04 = 1,400
Na + Cl = 19,000
TDS = 20,860

(460)(0.81)+(1,400)(0.45)+(1)(19,000) = 20,000 ppm

T = 75 deg. F
From Schlumberger

75 deg. F

SLB, GEN-9
H, GEN 5

From Schlumberger

ARPS FORMULA
For constant solution
R1(T1 + 7) = R2(T2 + 7) (T in deg F)
R1(T1 + 21.5) = R2(T2 + 21.5) (T in deg C)

Example

Rm = 0.32 ohm-m @ surface (25deg C)

What is Rm at 145 deg C?
R2 = R1(T1 + 21.5)/(T2 + 21.5)
R2 = 0.32(25+21.5)/(145+21.5) = 0.089 ohm-m
Check this on the chart!

ARCHIES FIRST EQUATION

Relates rock resistivity to Rw

Ro = F Rw , where:
Ro

Rw
F

=
=

Resistivity of a rock that is 100%

saturated with formation water
Resistivity of formation water
Formation factor (formation resistivity factor)

As the salt water content increases, the formation

resistivity will decrease.
A rock containing oil or gas will have a higher
resistivity than the same rock completely saturated
with salt water.
As the shale content increases, the rock matrix will
become more conductive.

Rock containing pores saturated

with water and hydrocarbons
Non-shaly rock, 100% saturated
with water having resistivity,
Rw

Rt

Cube of water
having resistivity,
Rw

= 20%
Sw = 20%
SHC =80%

Ro
= 20%
Sw = 100%

Rw
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Rock
Gas
Oil
Fresh Water
Salt Water

Increasing
Conductivity

Increasing
Resistivity

= 100%
Sw = 100%

F = Ro

Rw

FORMATION FACTOR
The formation factor (F) depends on:
Porosity of the formation;
Pore geometry;
Lithology of the formation;
Degree of cementation; and
Type and amount of clay in the rock.

FORMATION FACTOR
For a clean formation (no shale), the formation factor can
usually be empirically correlated with porosity.

F=
a
m

= constant 1.0 for most formations

= cementation factor 2 for most formations

Common values
F = 0.8/2 (Tixier) or 0.62/2.15 (Humble) for sandstones
F = 0.8/2 for carbonates

Formation
Resistivity
Factor
Versus
Porosity
F = Ro

Rw

As increases, more of
the rock volume is
comprised of pores
filled with conductive
fluid
Therefore, Ro and F
decrease

RELATION OF FORMATION FACTOR

TO VOLUMETRIC POROSITY

RESISTIVITY FACTOR TO SHALINESS

The formation factor (F) is constant for a clean
sand; F decreases for shaly sand as value of Rw
increases.

SATURATION
Amount of water per unit volume = Sw
Amount of hydrocarbon per unit volume = (1 - Sw)

(1-Sw)
Sw

Hydrocarbon

Water
Matrix

ARCHIES SECOND EQUATION

Relates Sw to Rt
If Rt = R0, then the formation is 100% saturated
with formation water. However, if Rt > Ro, then
the formation contains oil or gas.
General formula:

Ro F * R w a * R w
S =
=
= m
Rt
Rt
Rt
n
w

For clean sands, n = 2 is common.

Like a and m, n is measured in the lab.

LAB EVALUATION OF N

Archies Equation
Empirical constant
(usually near unity)

Sw = n

Water
saturation,
fraction
Saturation
exponent
(also usually
near 2)

a Rw
m
Porosity,
fraction

Resistivity of
formation water,
-m

Rtt

Cementation
exponent
(usually near 2)

Resistivity of
uninvaded
formation, -m

How Archies Equation Works

Archies equation is based on the following
relationships
1000
Rock type 1

FR

100

10

Rock type 2

1
When water saturation is 100%

.01

.1

1.0

How Archies Equation Works

1000

Rock type 1
R0

IR =

Rt

100

Rock type 2

10

1
.01

When is constant

.1
Sw

1.0

Determining Rw
Directly: from measured water sample
Indirectly: from openhole well logs
SP logs
Pickett plots
Rwa technique

Rw Using the Rwa Technique

R wa = R t
m

Example Log
001) BONANZA 1
GRC
0
150
SPC
-160 MV
40
ACAL
6
16
10700

10800

10900

ILDC
0.2

200
SNC

0.2

200
MLLCF

0.2

200

RHOC
1.95
2.95
CNLLC
0.45
-0.15

DT
150 us/f 50

Rw Using Pickett Plots

a Rw

S w = m

Rt

1/ n

log(R t ) = m log () + log (a R w ) n log (S w )

For water sands

log (R t ) = m log () + log (aR w )

y

Slope

Intercept

Apparent Rt

6.324555
0.632456

Rw = 0.073
a=1
m=2
n=2

1.00
0.2

0.01

0.1

Porosity

20

63.245553

200

Example Pickett Plot

0.01

0.1

10

100

500

Well: Bonanza 1
Zone: 10690.000 - 10980.000 ft
Date: 27 Apr 1998 @ 11:31

Deep Induction

VCL < .3

0.01

0.01

.6
.8
1.00
0.1

10

100

0.2

.4

Rw = 0.073
a=1
m=2
n=2

0.632456

.2

Apparent Rt

6.324555

.1

0.1

Porosity

20

63.245553

200

Pickett Plot Solution For Sw

500

Well: Bonanza 1
Zone: 10690.000 - 10980.000 ft
Date: 27 Apr 1998 @ 11:32

Deep induction

VCL < .3

SUMMARY - RESISTIVITY
Resistivity important property
Depends on ions in water
Water resistivity depends on
Concentration
Temperature
Ion species

Archies First Equation relates rock

resistivity to Rw
Archies Second Equation relates Sw to Rt