Computing Petrophysical Cutoffs

Many times, reservoir studies use legacy or former petrophysical cutoffs

already computed. However, you may want to validate those VSH, PHIE and
SW cut-offs, or even estimate or compute suitable cutoffs for a new
formation or members under study.
There are several techniques or criteria to define cutoffs from a production
point of view. This section illustrates and provides a free GLS script program
to compute or estimate the cutoffs from interpreted LAS petrophysical logs
(that is, with VSH, PHIE and SW curves), using theCumulative Hydrocarbon
Columntechnique.
The concept of the hydrocarbon column in a formation is simple: HCOL =
PHIE * (1-SW) * Delta_H, is the equivalent height of pure hydrocarbon
column contained in a zone of thickness Delta_H > HCOL, when poured into a
recipient.
Clean rocks with low Volume of Shale VSH usually have few problems or
capability to store hydrocarbons. As a rock becomes more shaly, it will be
more difficult either to store hydrocarbons, or the hydrocarbon to migrate
from the source rock to be trapped into the reservoir. There is anelbow
pointof VSH beyond which there are no more significant contributions to store
hydrocarbons. That point could be taken as a VSH cutoff for pay rocks. The
same concept applies for effective porosity PHIE (and also permeability).
There is a threshold point of tight porosity with a low capability to store
hydrocarbons.
The sequential algorithm can be summarized as follow:
1. STEP 1: Seek the elbow point for VSH
Define the top and base of the interest zone. Compute the total
hydrocarbon column for all log steps without any restrictions. Then
apply regular decreasing values of VSH_cutoff (that is, scan from right
to left, like VSH_cutoff = 100%, 95%, 90%, ..., 0%) and compute the
total hydrocarbon column, rejecting rocks for which VSH >

VSH_cutoff. A plot of pairs {(VSH_cutoff, HCOL)} would show the

elbow point to pick a VSH cutoff value.

2. STEP 2: Seek the elbow point for PHIE (or even permeability)
Keep and freeze the VSH elbow cutoff value VSH_cutoff picked in Step
1. Then compute the total hydrocarbon column while scanning
effective porosity cutoffs, accepting only those rocks for which (VSH <
VSH_cutoff) and (PHIE > PHIE_cutoff). A plot of pairs {(PHIE_cutoff,
HCOL)} would show the elbow point to pick a PHIE cutoff value.

3. STEP 3: Seek the elbow point for SW

Keep and freeze the VSH and PHIE elbow cutoff values picked in Steps
1 and 2. Then compute the total hydrocarbon column while scanning
water saturation cutoffs, accepting only those rocks for which (VSH <
VSH_cutoff) and (PHIE > PHIE_cutoff) and (SW < SW_cutoff). A plot
of pairs {SW_cutoff, HCOL)} would show the elbow point to pick a SW
cutoff value.
Step 1:This real
plot shows a
typical curve
behaviour to
pick the elbow
point for a VSH
cutoff. Not in all
cases the elbow
point shows
clearly like in
this example.
Usual values of
VSH cutoffs for
clastic oil
reservoirs
ranges from
20% to 35%. In
those cases

where the VSH

cutoff was
computed as
high as 40% or
more, odds are
that the VSH
model was too
pessimist,
perhaps when a
linear Index of
Gamma Ray
VSH was used.
Step 2:This real
plot shows a
typical curve
behaviour to
pick the elbow
point for a PHIE
cutoff. Not in all
cases the elbow
point shows
clearly like in
this example.
Usual values of
PHIE cutoffs for
clastic and
carbonates oil
reservoirs
ranges from
12% to 25%.

Step 3:This real

plot shows a
typical curve
behaviour to
pick the elbow
point for a SW
cutoff. Not in all
cases the elbow
point shows
clearly like in
this example.
Usual values of
SW cutoffs for
clastic and
carbonates oil
reservoirs are
around 50%.
REMARKS:
1. Cutoffs for gas reservoirs will be completely different
The computed cutoffs depend on rock-fluid interactions (and even
pressure and temperatures). While a (VSH > 40%) and a (PHIE <
15%) could be a barrier for medium and heavy oils, gas might flow
easily under those conditions due to its lower viscosity and wettability
behaviour.

2. Never apply or use a SW cutoff into a reservoir simulation grid model

You must declare to the simulator all the existing fluids, even those
zones bearing 100% of water, like aquifers. Use the full ternary VSH,
PHIE and SW cutoffs only for mapping, economic screening, and
volumetric purposes. For numerical reservoir simulation, use only
VSH_cutoff and PHIE_cutoff to compute the Net-To-Gross ratio NTG
include files. However, if you are lucky enough and have access to
several relative permeability curves, you could arrange several sets
for different combinations of VSH and PHIE intervals.

3. Different wells, even in the same formation's member could show different
cutoffs

Since rock properties vary for different locations, the petrophysical

cutoffs could be easily different for several wells. If a single cutoff
system is required for a reservoir, there are two approaches:
1) Take a compromised average, typical or representative cutoffs for
all the wells.
2) Extend the algorithm to compute the whole Original Hydrocarbon in
Place, instead of the Hydrocarbon Column per well. The latter
approach is the preferred one, but requires a lot of computational
effort, resources, software, and time.
Finally we present below a sample GLS script program to estimate
petrophysical cut-offs. It looks like a large program, but it's not, because it is
step-wise heavily commented to guide you. You do not need neither to type
the source code nor load a special interpreted LAS log file. The GeolOil license
contains in its demo data-set both files. Don't hesitate to try the code: GLS is
free, simple and specific for log petrophysics (Matlab is not). If you think it is
complex, try to achieve the same results using either Petrel, an Excel
spreadsheet or a Matlab script program to handle depth loops with missed
-999.25 values. The program displays in its Message Window, the pair values
that can be copied and pasted into other software to make the cutoffs plots
and pick the elbow threshold points.
This example runs "out of the box" with your GeolOil license On a typical
Windows installation just follow: [File] -> [Open_GLS_Script] -> [Open] ->
[UserHomeDir] -> [GeolOil_DB] -> [GLS_examples] ->
[cutoffs_example.gls] -> [Run]. The script will display on the right window a
set of pair values that can be plotted to pick a cutoff value.

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