FORMATION EVALUATION

SKPP 3213

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Radzuan Junin

Department of Petroleum Engineering
Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

• Well Logging and Formation Evaluation

• Basic Logging Types

 FORMATION EVALUATION

• Why must we evaluate the formation?

• Estimate OOIP (Sw, So, h, Ф)

• Estimate recoverable oil
• Rock typing
• Locating Fluid contact
• Reservoir depth?
• Oil or gas reservoir?
• Production rate?
• Etc.
 FORMATION EVALUATION

• Data Requirements

➢Rock/formation properties

➢Fluid properties (hydrocarbon and water)

➢Flow potential
 FORMATION EVALUATION
• Data While Drilling
– Drilling Operations Log (progress, mud, cuttings,
etc.)
– Cores
– Measurement while Drilling (MWD) or Logging
While Drilling (LWD)
• After Drilling
– Open-Hole Well Logs (before casing!)
– Cased-Hole Logs
– Reservoir Fluid Samples
– Flow Potential (Drill Stem Test- DST)
– Wireline Formation Test
 FORMATION EVALUATION METHODS

• Drilling Operation Logs

• Coring Direct Methods
• Productivity Tests

• Wireline Logging Indirect Method

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 WELL LOGGING
What are logs?
“When someone mentions a log, we are
usually referring to records run on an
uncased wellbore using an electric
wireline logging truck and tools.
Logs can also refer to the driller’s log,
mud logs, computer-generated logs, and
MWD (measurement while drilling) logs”
(D.E. Johnson and K.E. Pile, Well Logging in Non-
technical Language, 2nd ed. PennWell Publishing
Co., Tulsa, USA, 2002 ).

Some types of wireline logs can also be

run in wells after they have been cased
(e.g., gamma-ray; pulsed neutron)…
 WELL LOGGING
• The wireline logging operation showing
logging truck (left), logging cable strung
into the rig, then lowered into the
borehole (right), with logging tools at the
end of the cable (bottom).
• Logs are usually recorded while being
pulled upward by the winch in the
logging truck.
• Most logs can also be run as an integral
part of the drill string (logging while
drilling or LWD) or attached to coiled
tubing. These methods are useful in
deviated, horizontal, or other hostile
well environments.
 WELL LOGGING
Open Holes vs Cased holes
 Well Logging
Examples of four logging tools.
• The dipmeter, on the left, has sensors on
four actuated arms, which are shown in
their fully extended position. Attached to the
bottom of one of its four arms is an
additional electrode array embedded in a
rubber “pad.”
• It is followed by a sonic logging tool,
characterized by a slotted housing, and
then
• A density device with its hydraulically
activated back-up arm fully extended.
• The tool on the extreme right is another
version of a dipmeter with multiple
electrodes on each pad.
 Some questions addressed by
log interpretation
• Reservoir Engineer
• Geophysicist/ – How thick is the pay zone?
Geologist – How homogeneous is the
– Are potential zones zone?
porous? – Porosity?
– Formation – Permeability?
intervals? • Production Engineer
– Lithology? – Which zone(s) to complete?
– Hydrocarbons? – What production rates?
– What type of – Any water production?
hydrocarbons? – Will well need stimulation?
– Commercial – What stimulation would be
quantities? best?
 Recoverable STO (Stock Tank Oil)

Area Porosity Recovery factor

Recoverable STO = A x h x ϕ x (1-Sw) x RF x 1/FVF

Height Formation Volume Factor

Oil Saturation

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 Sidewall Coring
• This method is cheaper than the
conventional coring.
• Cores can be taken in hours, instead of
days.
• In sidewall coring, a slim wireline coring
tool is run into the hole. The tool may be
of two general types; either "rotary
sidewall" or "percussion".
• Typically, cores about 1" in diameter and
1" to 2" long can be retrieved with this
method.
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 Basic Log Types
1. Lithology logs
1.1 Gamma ray
1.2 Self/spontaneous potential

2. Porosity logs
2..1 Density
2.2 Neutron porosity
2.3 Sonic

3. Electrical logs
3.1 Resistivity log
3.2 Borehole Imaging

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 Basic Log Types
• Gamma-ray: Measures the strength of the natural
radioactivity of formation. Lithology indicator (high GR
for clays/ shales).
• Spontaneous Potential (SP): Measures the potential
difference naturally occurring in the formation. Lithology
indicator (high vs low permeability formations).
• Bulk Density: Porosity, gas detection.
• Neutron Porosity: Porosity, gas detection.
• Sonic: Porosity, seismic correlation, mechanical
properties.
• Resistivity: Two main categories; laterolog (low
frequency current – used in WBM) and induction type
(high frequency current – used in OBM). Fluid
saturations.
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 Basic Log Types
• Microresistivity: Measures the formation resistivity in
the invaded zone close to the borehole wall. Using low-
frequency current – not suitable for OBM.
• Caliper Logs: Measures the geometry of the hole.
Cement volume analysis; hole quality indicator;
borehole breakout analysis.
• Borehole Image Logs: These work either on an
acoustic or a resistivity principle. Identify the presence,
characteristics and orientation of bedding or fracture
planes.

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 Well Logging History
• The first electrical log was introduced in 1927 in France
using stationed resistivity method.
• The first commercial electrical resistivity tool in 1929 was
used in Venezuela, USA and Indonesia.
• SP was run along with resistivity first time in 1931.
• Schlumberger developed the first continuous recording in
1931.
• GR and Neutron logs was started in 1941.
• Microresistivity array dipmeter and laterolog were first time
introduced in 1950’s.
• The first induction tool was used in 1956 followed by
Formation tester in 1957, Formation Density in 1960’s,
Electromagnetic tool in 1978 and most of Imaging logs
were developed in 1980’s.
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 Well Logging History
• Advanced formation tester was commercialized in early
1990’s.
• Nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR) was introduced in
the early 1990’s.
• Halliburton and Schlumberger introduced logging while
drilling (LWD) NMR tools in 2000 and 2002, respectively.

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 Advantages and Limitations of
Well Logging
• Advantages:
• Continuous measurements
• Easy and quick to work with
• Short time acquisition
• Better resolution than seismic data
• Economical

• Limitations:
• Indirect measurements
• Limited by tool specification
• Affected by environment
• Varying resolution

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Basic Log Types

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 Choosing a Logging Tool

It is necessary to choose the right tool to get the

desired measurement.
Considerations:
• Hole conditions (depth, deviation, hole size, mud
type)

Examples:
– Oil based mud: Induction tool
– Water based salty mud: Laterolog Tool
• Formation fluid content (fresh/salt connate water)
• Economics (cost of the job, rig time involved)

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Example: Resistivity

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Example: Resistivity

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Wireline Logging & LWD

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