CHAPTER NINE SPONTANEOUS POTENTIAL 1. History of the SP ‘The spontaneous potential (SP) was one of the first logging measurements ever made, It was accidentally discovered as a DC potential that affected old electric logs. Its usefulness was quickly realized and it has remained one of the few well log measurements to have been in continuous use for cover fifty years. ‘The SP is used for several purposes, including: * correlation; * lithology indication; * porosity and permeability indications; and ‘+ ameans to measure Ry and then formation water salinity. Figure 9-1 shows typical SP log. Itis represented in track 1 and deflects left from a shale baseineto 1a sand lineon the left in the cleanest, non-shale zones. The scale of the log is in millivolts, abbreviated mV. Notice that there is no absolute scale in mV, only a relative scale of so many mV per division. The ‘quantitative uses of this measurement will be explained later in this section. _— Ss Question #1 (On the log shown in Figure 9.1, read the maximum SP deflection from the shale line to the sand line. —_—_—————————Chapter 9: Spontaneous Potential ALS SPONTANEOUS POTENTIAL WITH DUAL INDUCTION Figure 9-1. Typical SP log. 92HLS Recording the SP The SP can be recorded by suspending an electrode in the borehole and measuring the voltage difference between the electrode and a “ground” electrode (usually called “fish”) that makes electrical Chapter 9: Spontaneous Potential contact with the earth at the surface. A generalized illustration of the SP recording method is shown in Figure 9.2. Such SP electrodes are built into many logging tools. For example, the SP can be recorded using: * an induction log, © allaterolog, * asonic log, © asidewall core gun, etc. However, the SP cannot be recorded in air or oil-base muds, since there is no conductive fluid in the borehole. Conductive mud is essential for generation of a spontaneous potential. Recording Voltmeter Shale Sand ‘ hal Figure 9-2. Recording the SP. O38