TOC DETERMINATION USING LOGR AND NEURO FUZZY

METHODS FOR SHALE GAS POTENTIAL OF UPPER

CIBULAKAN FORMATION IN X FIELD NORTHWEST JAVA
BASIN
Muhammad Rizqy Septyandya,*
a

Graduate Student of Department of Geology, Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, Institut Teknologi
Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract. Potentially, TOC content is affected by logging data in a source rock (density, sonic, neutron, and resistivity logs).
Hence, to analyze these logs, which make a quick and reliable assessment of a source rock. So, it is a quick and economically
cheaper method rather than direct geochemical analysis. A source rock interval poses to less density, lower velocity, higher
sonic porosity, higher gamma ray values and increase in resistivity. Shale gas potential in this area show the same attribute with
a source rock interval values. Hence attempted a correlation between geophysical data and direct TOC content measurements
of using LogR, Rock-Eval, and fuzzy logic techniques.
Keywords: TOC, Upper Cibulakan Formation, shale gas, LogR technique, neuro fuzzy methods

1. Introduction
Determination of the prospects for shale gas
exploration requires some parameters, one of which
often used is the value of total organic carbon (TOC).
A case study for the use of the TOC values for shale
gas prospects is Bowland Shale Formation
evaluation. This formation consists of mudstone and
turibidite lithofacies reflecting a pronounced sea level
controlled cyclicity. High TOC contents and large
thicknesses of the mudstone lithofacies show that the
Bowland Shale Formation holds a significant shale
gas/liquid potential in areas with appropriate maturity
(Gross et al., 2015). In addition to TOC, several other
parameters that can be used include methane
adsorption, and organic porosity in a simulation basin
model (Romero-Sarmiento et al., 2013). Some
companies and researchers are looking for the TOC
parameter, usually done through a process of analysis
of Rock-Eval pyrolysis. This analysis is often
referred to as geochemical analysis. The weakness of
this method is that the price is relatively expensive
and that it can not be carried out on wells that do not
have a core data.
*

Corresponding author. E-mail: m.rizqy@students.itb.ac.id.

The proposed study offers a quantitative approach

for determining the value of TOC without using
geochemical analysis. This method consists of two
ways for this quantitative method. Firstly, Total
organic carbon (TOC) content from well log data can
be predicted by logR method. This method uses four
well log data including of electric well logs (log
density, sonic, neutron porosity, and resistivity).
logR assumes that the shale zones rich in organic
material, the response will be high and the rock
resitivitas followed by a decrease in sonic
compressional wave velocity (Passey et al., 1990).
Secondly, TOC content is affected by logging data in
a source rock (density, sonic, neutron and resistivity
logs) using neuro fuzzy. A source rock interval poses
to less density, lower velocity, higher sonic porosity,
higher gamma ray values and increase in resistivity
(Khoshnoodkia, et al., 2011).
One of interest area in Indonesia to be studied is
the Northwest Java Basin which is located in Field X,
Upper Cibulakan Formation Northwest Java Basin, a
block of PT PHE ONWJ, Ltd., have the potential of
shale gas reserves of 5.64 Tcf (Geological Agency,

2013). Upper Cibulakan Formation was deposited in

the post-rift phase at the age of Early Miocene to
Middle Miocene. According to Geological Agency of
2013, Upper Cibulakan Formation is a reservoir rock
in the North West Java Basin that might became a
source rock because the lithology is dominated by
shale which ranging from Early Miocene to Middle
Miocene. The regional stratigraphy of North Sumatra
Basin, Central Sumatra, South Sumatra, North West
Java, and North East Java show that there is a
common ground which is a shale lithology at the age
of Early Miocene to Middle Miocene. Some of the
formations in these regions include:
1. Upper and Lower Baong Formation and
Keutapang Formation (North Sumatra Basin).
2. Telisa Formation and Lower Petani Formation
(Central Sumatra Basin).
3. Gumai Formation (South Sumatra Basin).
4. Upper Cibulakan Formation (Northwest Java
Basin) and in the are
5. Tuban Formation and Wonocolo Formation
(Northeast Java Basin).
In some formations such as Baong Formation,
Telisa Formation and Gumai Formation has produced
shale gas. So based on that analogy, Upper Cibulakan
Formation in Northwest Java Basin has estimated an
indication of shale gas.
2. Research Question
In this study, electrical well logs and geochemical
data especially TOC of source rock are datas that
used to answer the problem of study as follows:
1. How the geochemical characteristics of the
reservoir, especially the TOC values in study
area?
2. How is the relationship between the data of
electrical well logs (density, sonic, neutron
porosity, and resistivity) in order to predict TOC
of source rock in study area?
3. Which method (LogR and neuro fuzzy) that
can predict with accuracy rates of more than
90% of TOC for study areas that does not have
a TOC of geochemical analysis results?
4. How is the effectiveness of both methods in
mapping out areas that could potentially
produce shale gas in study area?

3. Methods
3.1. Geochemistry Analysis
Pyrolysis of organic matter is a thermal method,
which has commonly been applied for evaluation and
thermal maturity of source rocks, especially to
determine of the source rock richness. Also, it can be
used for determining of hydrocarbon generating rock
(Page and
Kuhnel, 1980). These analyses have been
performed by Rock-Eval Pyrolysis apparatus and can
obtain information such as; quantity, quality, thermal
maturity, type, genetic potential, production index,
hydrogen index, and oxygen index of organic matter.
3.2. LogR
Log R is a practical method, for identifying and
calculating total organic carbon in organic-rich rocks
which has been developed by using well logs. The
method employs the overlapping of a properly scaled
porosity log generally sonic transit time curve with
one of these logs, including neutron, density and
resistivity logs (Passey et al., 1990). In water
saturated, organic-lean rocks, the two curves are
paralleled each other and can be overlain, since both
logs respond to variations in formation porosity.
However, in either hydrocarbon reservoir rocks or
organic rich non-reservoir rocks, a separation
between the curves occurs (Passey et al., 1990).
Using the gamma-ray curve, the reservoir intervals
can be identified and illuminated from the analysis.
The separation in organic rich interval results from
two effects: the porosity curve responds to the
presence of low-density, low-velocity kerogen, and
the resistivity curve responds to the formation fluid.
In an immature organic-rich rock, where no
hydrocarbons have been generated, the observed
curve separation is due solely to the porosity curve
response. In a mature source rocks, in addition to the
porosity curve response, the resistivity increases
because of presence of generated hydrocarbons. The
magnitude of the curve separation in non-reservoirs is
calibrated to total organic carbon and maturity, and
allows for depth profiling of organic richness in the
absence of data samples. This method allows organic
richness to be accurately assessed in a wide variety of
lithologies and maturity by using common well logs
(Passey et al., 1990). The following well logs
(neutron, density, sonic and resistivity) were available

for this research. I try to correlate the results of well

logs data with direct TOC measured from cutting
samples of this formation. Furthermore, I attempted
to establish a quantity correlation between
standard.Pyrolysis of organic matter is a thermal
method, which has commonly been applied for
evaluation and thermal maturity of source rocks,
especially to determine of the source rock richness.
Also, it can be used for determining of hydrocarbon
generating rock (Page and
Kuhnel, 1980). These analyses have been
performed by Rock-Eval Pyrolysis apparatus and can
obtain information such as; quantity, quality, thermal
maturity, type, genetic potential, production index,
hydrogen index, and oxygen index of organic matter.
3.3. Neuro Fuzzy Logic
Preliminary fuzzy logic concept was introduced
first by Zadeh in 1965. In crisp logic (CL), a value
may or may not belong to one class, but in fuzzy sets
allow partial membership. The membership or nonmembership of an element X in crisp set C is
described by a characteristic function of C(x), where
(1, 2):

XA(X): X {0,1},

(1)
(2)

Fuzzy set theory completed this concept by

defining partial membership which can take values
ranging from (3):
F (x): X [0,1],
(3)
Where X refers to the universal set defined in
specific problem and F is a fuzzy set (Yagar and
Zadeh, 1992). The membership function illustrated
for a crisp set C and fuzzy set F (Matlab user's guide,
2001a, 2001b).
Fuzzy inference is a formulating process of
mapping from input data to an output using fuzzy
logic. The mapping then provides a basis from which
decisions can be made, or patterns discerned (Matlab
user's guide, 2001a, 2001b). Fuzzy inference systems
fall in to two categories; Mamdani type (Mamdani
and Assilian, 1975) and Sugeno type (Takagi and
Sugeno, 1985). These two types of inference systems
vary somewhat of the way outputs are determined.
The most commonly Mamdani's fuzzy inference
method is seen fuzzy methodology and it is a set of
linguistic control rules come from experienced
human operators. Mamdani's method was among the

first control systems built using fuzzy set theory.

These two methods are similar and there is a main
difference in output membership functions (MFs).
Sugeno-type introduces by constant (linear) of MFs
and membership function determine by clustering
process. A small cluster radius usually yields many
small clusters. However, a large cluster radius yields
a few large clusters in the data (Chiu, 1994). So,
these clusters have an individual membership
function. Each of membership function has a set of
rules for formulating input data to achieve output data
such as; (if, and, then rules). Here you can see a rule
below;
If (t is high) and (FDC is low), then TOC is high.
Upper rule consists of two parts, including if and
then part. When first part (if part) has multiple parts,
fuzzy logic operators will connect (interpret) them. In
Matlab user's guide, 2001a, 2001b were compared the
operators from FL and CL approaches.
Totally, geosciences knowledge to classify and get
target and clear results associated with state of being
uncertain and doubtful. As a result, it is appropriate to
use fuzzy reasoning for solving problems. Here, I can
clarify TOC amount by the following simple example
in basis of fuzzy logic and crisp logic. For being an
effective source rock, particular formation should
have minimum level of total organic carbon. This
value defined about 0.5% as value of contain
significant amount of organic matter in mud rocks
and if it has good maturity and richness parameters,
could produce hydrocarbon during thermal
maturation (Tissot and Welte, 1984). However,
amount of TOC alone does not qualify maturity of
source rock. So, the richness amount of TOC is an
important criterion. (I.e. Rock Eval parameters such
as S2, S3, HI). If a mudrock has lower than this
range, is an ineffective source rock on basis of crisp
logic. Conversely, it means if an interval has more
than 0.5% TOC amount, it will be considered as an
effective source rock. So, fuzzy reasoning is very
similar to reality and it is suitable tool for prediction
of TOC content in source rock.
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