CHINESE JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICS Vol.47, No.

1, 2004, pp: 181187

MONTE CARLO SIMULATING OF THREE DETECTOR DENSITY LOGGING

WU Wen-Sheng1 HUANG Long-Ji2

1 Engineering Physics Department of Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 2 Resource and Information College of the University of Petroleum, Shandong Dongying 257061, China

Abstract To amend the defects of traditional litho-density logging tool, the paper advances the scheme of three-detector density logging tool, that is, add a backscatter detector in negative spacing range on the basis of traditional dual-detector density tool. With Monte Carlo general program MCNP (3B), the paper, which starts from the mechanism of the interaction between photon and formation, calculates various responses of backscatter detector, long spacing detector and short spacing detector, gains photon ux spectrum distribution, the change rules of photon ux with spacing, the relationships between photon ux and formation density, the relationships between spacing and detecting depth, count window and so on. Results reveal that the responses to formation of long or short spacing detector of three-detector density tool are same as these of traditional dual-detector density tool. Backscatter detector has high count rate and clear responses to formation, which is almost reverse to these of long or short spacing detector. Therefore, it is feasible to put the third detector in negative spacing range, which will improve measuring precision and vertical resolution. At the same time, it indicates that Monte Carlo method is eective in the early research of nuclear logging tool, and can direct tool design. Key words Radioactive logging, Monte Carlo method, Three-detector density logging, Feasibility.

1 INTRODUCTION Existing dual-detector density logging tool or mended lithology-density logging tool has obvious defects[1] , which include bad vertical resolution, low measurement precision, inuences imposed by wellbore and mudcake, inaccurate formation photoelectric absorption coecient Pe in barite well, high statistical uctuation in low porosity formation. To amend the defects of traditional density logging tool, we advance scheme of three-detector density logging tool, which has three detectors in tool pad. Long and short spacing detectors are similar to those of traditional density logging tool. The third detector is a backscatter detector, which is close to radioactive source in negative spacing range. Fig. 1 displays the tool conguration. The advantages introduced by the third detector are as follows: high count that can ameliorate statistical uctuation, high vertical resolution, high measurement precision in low porosity formation, quantitative compensation used to mudcake[2] . With Monte Carlo[3] general program MCNP (3B), the paper investigates the feasibility of triFig. 1 The conguration of three-detector detector density logging. density instrument 2 CALCULATING MODEL Considering practical circumstances and calculating convenience, the model, as shown in Fig. 2, is built as half-column with 75cm height and 1043cm diameter[4] . In the center of the model is a borehole with 20cm
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diameter. The tool is pushed to wellface. The tool housing is steel with 0.5cm thickness. Detector bearing shell is beryllium. A radioactive point source, which is 0.661MeV137 Cs, is located on the symmetry axis of the tool and distanced 20cm from the model bottom. Ideal shielding materials is located bellow the source, above the detector and between the source and the detector. The point detector is distanced 5cm from the top and bottom shielding. The space outside the model is ideal shielding material. Many variance reduction techniques such as energy cuto and weight windows are used in simulation[5] . The detector, 1cm from wellface, tallies photon ux , statistical relative error is controlled to be less than 1%. Simulation process ignores the inuences of wellbore and merely considers particle-transport course. The Fig. 2 Calculating model materials used in simulation are shown in Table 1. To save time, the paper selects three typical spacing, that is, long spacing is 40cm, short spacing is 20cm, and the spacing of backscatter detector is 4cm.
Table 1 the densities of lithologies or materials used in the calculation
Material Sand Limestone Dolomite Montmorillonite Potassium feldspar Gypsum Rocksalt Density/(g/cm3 ) 2.650 2.710 2.870 2.060 2.560 2.310 2.165 Electric Density/(g/cm3 ) 2.646 2.708 2.863 2.068 2.540 2.361 2.074

3 PHOTON FLUX AND SPACING When L is equal to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50cm and 60cm, the relationship between photon ux N and spacing L is obtained for pure limestone with porosity equal to 0, 0.2, 0.4, which contains fresh water. Fig. 3 display the results.

Fig. 3 The relationship between photon ux and spacing

(a) L=1060cm; (b) L=26cm.

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From Fig. 3a we see that when spacing is from 10 cm to 60cm, there is a good linear relationship between photon ux of various density and spacing on half-logarithm coordinate. Photon ux descends linearly with spacing increasing in the same density formation. Photon ux contrasts, between dierent density formations, increase gradually with spacing increasing. Formation density is greater, photon ux is less. From Fig. 3b we see that when backscatter spacing is from 3 cm to 6 cm, there is a good linear relationship between photon ux and spacing too, formation density is greater, photon ux is greater. 4 PHOTON FLUX SPECTRUM Energy range of photon ux spectrum is from 0.010MeV to 0.665MeV, a track is 0.001MeV. Although relative error of the spectrum count is less than 1%, statistical uctuation is high, the spectrums in following are processed with seven point FFT. Fig. 4 displays photon ux spectrums of dierent spacing in pure limestone. Because dierent spectrum counts dier by orders of magnitude, for convenient comparing, these spectrums are normalized by count sum of photons that have energy greater than 0.1MeV. In Fig. 4, I is the count of each energy track, I0 is the count sum of energy greater than 0.1MeV. From Fig. 4 we see that when L is equal to or less than 10cm, spectrum shapes change acutely with spacing. With spacing increasing, the contribution, oered by the count of energy zone greater than 0.25MeV to total spectrum count, enhances obviously. The rules, in energy zone from 0.08MeV to 0.25MeV, are complicated, and the rules below 0.08MeV change little. When L is equal to 2cm, the spectrums all have a clear single Compton backscatter apex. With spacing increasing, the apex position moves gradually to high energy, the apex height descends, and the apex width increases obviously.

Fig. 4 Photon ux spectrums of various spacing in limestone formation

(a) L 10cm; (b) L 10cm.

Fig. 4b displays the photon ux spectrums for spacing L greater than or equal to 10cm. When L is greater than 20cm, spectrum shapes stabilize on the whole, that is, spectrums reach to balance, these spectrums present a maximum when energy equals approximately to 0.1MeV. When E is greater than 0.1MeV, relative counts in energy zone greater than 0.48MeV are all low, relative counts increase gradually when energy descends, which reveals spectrum intenerating after much scattering. When E is less than 0.1MeV, relative counts descend gradually when energy descends, which shows that photoelectric absorption eect becomes dominant. Relative counts below 0.04MeV are also low. After careful comparing, we see that the spectrums from 0.08MeV to 0.24MeV descends slightly, and the spectrums greater than 0.24MeV increase slightly when L is greater than 20cm. Fig. 5 displays photon ux spectrums in dierent formation. Similarly, I is the count of each energy track, I0 is the count sum of energy greater than 0.1MeV. Fig. 5(a,b) shows the spectrums for spacing L equal to 20cm. Fig. 5a displays the spectrums for fresh water limestone with dierent porosity. With water volume

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content increasing, relative counts from 0.04MeV to 0.15MeV increase relatively, which reects the inuence imposed on low energy scatter zone by density. Fig. 5a displays the spectrums of dierent lithology formation, we see that relative counts from 0.04MeV to 0.15MeV change largely, which reveals Pe eect, the eect is used to distinguish lithology in scatter gamma spectrum logging. We also see that relative counts greater than 0.20MeV are inuenced little by Pe . Fig. 5(c,d) displays photon ux spectrums in dierent formation for spacing L equal to 40cm. We see that the spectrum shapes for spacing equal to 40cm are similar to those for spacing equal to 20cm.

Fig. 5 Photon ux spectrums of dierent formations

1 Limestone; 2 Rocksalt; 3 Gypsum; 4 Dolomite; 5 Potassium feldspar; 6 Sand; 7 Montmorillonite. (a,b) L=20cm; (c,d) L=40cm.

5 PHOTON FLUX AND DENSITY After simulating, we gain photon uxes of fresh water limestone with porosity equal to 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4, and also gain photon uxes of montmorillonite, rock salt, gypsum, potassium feldspar, sand and dolomite. If N is detector photon ux of pure limestone formation with porosity equal to 0, and N is detector ux of an optional formation, ln(N/N ) is relative changing quantity of photon ux. Fig. 6 displays the relationship between ln(N/N ) and formation density b . In the gure real lines, also called limestone lines, are tting lines for fresh water limestone with dierent porosity, hollow points are limestone points, solid points are other lithology points. From Fig. 6(a,b) we see that density is greater, ln(N/N ) is less. For limestone with dierent porosity, ln(N/N ) has good linear relationship with b . For other lithology formation, the relationship points between ln(N/N ) and b mostly depart from the limestone line. Photon uxes of montmorillonite, rock salt, potassium feldspar, sand and dolomite are tending high, their corresponding densities are tending low. Gypsum photon ux is tending low, and its measuring density is tending high. Because the electric density of fresh water e is greater than its density, e in large porosity formation is greater than b . For limestone, the contrast

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between e and b has been eliminated when scaling the tool. But, the contrast between e and b appears for other lithology formation.

Fig. 6 Relationship between relative photon ux and density in various spacing

(a) L=20cm; (b) L=40cm; (c) L=4cm.

Comparing line slope in Fig. 6a with that in Fig. 6b, we nd that the slope for spacing equal to 40cm is greater than that for 20cm, which shows long spacing detector has high vertical formation resolution. Fig. 6c shows the result of backscatter detector. We see that density is greater, relative ux is greater, that is, detector count increases with density increasing. Limestone line is not linear. 6 SPACING AND DETECTING DEPTH Recorded photons mostly start from wellbore, pass through formation, come back to the detectors in wellbore after being scattered by formation in density logging. When spacing changes, the formations, which have dierent detecting depth, have dierent contributions to detector count, thus, corresponding detecting depth for certain spacing is obtained. Formation is fresh water limestone with porosity equal to 0.2, gamma source is at the point (9, 0, 0). The formation, from 10cm to 43cm, is separated vertically into 3cm thick cakes. Detector photon uxes are collected for each cake when spacing L is equal respectively to 10, 20, 30 and 40cm. Fig. 7a shows the result. In the gure UN is normalized count, Hr is cake width.

Fig. 7 Chart of various spacing detector count changing with formation radial thickness

From Fig. 7a we see that with cake width increasing, detector count increases rapidly when cake width is thin, these thin cakes contribute largely to the count. With cake width increasing gradually, the count changes slowly and reaches to stabilization, then detector count doesnt change with cake width. Fig. 7a also reveals that for dierent spacing, detecting depth is dierent, spacing is larger, detecting depth is deeper. Thus, proper

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short spacing is selected to make detecting depth as shallow as possible, which reects wellbore information. Long spacing, which must meet count statistical precision, can be as longer as possible to reect formation information. In fact, selecting spacing is limited by actual tool conditions. For negative spacing, formation is still fresh water limestone with porosity equal to 0.2, the source is at the point (9, 0, 0). The formation, from 10cm to 16cm, is separated vertically into 0.5cm thick cakes. Detector photon uxes are collected for each cake when spacing L is equal respectively to 3, 4, 5 and 6cm. Fig. 7b shows the result. From Fig. 7b we see that detecting depth is shallow because spacing is very short, which reects commendably the characteristics of wellbore and mudcake. The contrast of detecting depth between dierent spacing is little. 7 ENERGY WINDOW SELECTING There are two advantages in selecting energy windows with Monte Carlo method. One is that gamma spectrums with single energy are obtained, which enhances the precision of energy window selecting and cant be realized with experiments, The other is that the spectrums with dierent energy resolution, obtained from simulation, are stored and provide momentarily corresponding energy windows when detector energy resolutions change.

Fig. 8 Relationship between photon ux of dierent energy window and electronic density at various spacing point
(a, b, c, d, e, f) L=4cm; (g, h, i, j, k, l) L=40cm.

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Photon ux counts used the energy greater than 0.15MeV in the forenamed discussion of the relationship between photon ux and formation density. From Fig. 5 we see that the counts from 0.15MeV to 0.20MeV are still inuenced largely by Pe , which needs reconsidering the discussion with the energy greater than 0.20MeV. From Fig. 5 we also see that Pe increases in turn from sand, montmorillonite, potassium feldspar, dolomite, gypsum, rock salt to limestone. In Fig. 6 the lithologies, departing largely from limestone line, are sand, montmorillonite, potassium feldspar and dolomite. Fig. 8 displays the relationship curves between photon ux with dierent energy windows and e . Fig. 8(af) shows the result for spacing equal to 4cm, and Fig. 8(gl) shows that for spacing equal to 40cm. From Fig. 8 we see that with increasing lower limit of energy window, the absolute slope value of limestone line descends gradually, the points, at which the uxes of sand, montmorillonite, potassium feldspar intersect with their each e , close up to limestone line. After enhancing energy window lower limit, ux count descends, so enhancing energy window width properly helps to enhance statistical precision. 8 CONCLUSIONS 8.1 The responses to formations, from long or short spacing detector of three detector density tool, are similar to those of dual-detector density tool. Backscatter detector has clear responses to formations, and its response rules are inverse to those of long or short spacing detector. Backscatter detector count is high. Therefore, it is feasible to add the third detector in negative spacing range. Backscatter detector will improve measurement precision and vertical resolution. 8.2 The results reveal the validity of Monte Carlo method in early development of nuclear logging tool, the method can direct and optimize tool designing[6] . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was supported by the National Basic Research (973) Project (G199043311). The authors thank Daqing Production Logging Institute, PetroChina and doctor ZHENG Hua for the invaluable help. REFERENCES
[1] Huang L J. Nuclear Logging Theory (in Chinese). Shandong: Petroleum University Press, 2000 [2] Eyl K A. High-resolution density logging using a three detector device. SPE28407, 1994 [3] Pei L C, Zhang X Z. Monte Carlo Method and Its Use in Particle-Transport (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1980 [4] Shi Y J. Reservoir dynamics characteristic after mud invasion and its inuence on density and compensated neutron log [Masters thesis] (in Chinese). Shandong: Exploration Department of Petroleum University, 1996 [5] Carter L L, Cashwell E D. Particle-transport simulation with the Monte Carlo method. Los Alamos Scientic Laboratory, 1975 [6] Peng H. Nuclear logging progress in 1990s. Well Logging Technology (in Chinese), 2000, 25(1): 511