SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004
IMPROVED FORMATION EVALUATION IN THIN BEDS USING
PETROPHYSICAL IMAGES
Leonora Knecht1, Jacques B. Ventre2, Jean-Pierre Leduc2 and Benot Mathis2.
1
Institut EGID-Bordeaux 3, 1, Alle Daguin, 33607 Pessac cedex, France, 2 Total, 64018 Pau cedex, France
Copyright 2004, held jointly by the Society of Petrophysicists and
Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) and the submitting authors.
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPWLA 45
Annual Logging Symposium held in Noordwijk, The Netherlands,
June 69, 2004.
ABSTRACT
Evaluating thin bed reservoirs becomes a crucial
task when they are expected to contain a
significant part of the initial hydrocarbon (HC) in
place. In this case, conventional logs only see an
average of volumetric properties. While high-
resolution tools such as microresistivity borehole-
imaging devices access the net sand fraction, but
without any valuable up to date means of
calculating a net HC column.
This paper investigates the integration of oil base-
mud electrical borehole images with other
conventional logs to improve formation
evaluation of finely laminated reservoirs.
A powerful step by step method has been
developed which seeks to create so-called
petrophysical images which emphasise
variations of shale volume, porosity and HC
content throughout the borehole.
For validation, the high-resolution shale and
porosity images have to be consistent with the
standard resolution petrophysical interpretation
and the core data.
They are thus constrained by the standard
resolution interpretation. The constraint may be
hard: in this case, the averaged properties of the
petrophysical image are forced to reproduce the
standard log interpretation results exactly. On the
other hand, the constraint may be soft: in this
case, some differences are allowed. The averaged
low-resolution image-derived petrophysical
properties are then compared with the standard
log interpretation results, in order to check how
well they were predicted.
The hard constraint method is presented here,
th using an example in unconsolidated sands with a
binary sand/shale distribution, calibrated on core.
By combining the invaded zone resistivity image
with the shale and porosity image, an invaded
zone HC volume image is obtained. Above the
transition zone, this isnt very different from the
un-invaded zone saturation.
There are now two ways of checking the core to
log match: first, by up-scaling the high-resolution
core data to the low-resolution log data: this is the
standard petrophysical log procedure. In addition,
the high-resolution core data can be compared to
the downscaled log results of the petrophysical
image.
This method improves the understanding of the
thinly laminated reservoirs. It permits the accurate
quantification of the productive sand layers and
associated porosity and HC saturation. These
petrophysical images will help improve the
log/rock typing and permeability modeling, thus
improving the flow units dynamic behavior PPP
prediction.
INTRODUCTION
Today, microresistivity borehole-imaging tools
are a common source of geologic and reservoir
knowledge. Recent devices developed to operate
in non-conductive drill-in fluids have the
advantage of providing a calibrated invaded zone
resistivity (Rxo). The OBMI * (Oil-Base
MicroImager) tool is one of them. Its depth of
investigation is 3.5 in, its vertical resolution is
stated as 1.2 in (0.2 in sampling rate) and its
horizontal coverage is of 32% in an 8 in borehole
(Cheung et al., 2001).
*
Mark of Schlumberger
1
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004
Evaluating thin bed reservoirs becomes a crucial
task when they are expected to contain a
significant part of the initial hydrocarbon (HC) in
place. In this case, conventional logs only see an
average of volumetric properties (Fig. 1). While
high-resolution tools such as microresistivity
borehole-imaging devices access the net sand
fraction, but without any valuable up to date
means of calculating a net HC column.
This paper describes a method developed to
obtain a binary sand/shale image and a saturation
image which should help make a correct estimate
of the net HC column in unconsolidated sands
with a binary sand/shale distribution. The
sand/shale image is created using a standard
resolution clay reference curve derived from a
petrophysical quantitative interpretation based on
conventional logs. Once the sand/shale is image
obtained, the Archie law can be applied to the
sand pixels, creating a saturation image. Sand
porosity is taken from the quantitative
interpretation.
These images are validated by comparing them to
the standard resolution petrophysical quantitative
interpretation and to core data.
METHODOLOGY
Shale image
An in-house quantitative formation interpretation
calculates clay, effective porosity and saturation
curves. These curves are computed with an
estimated (log driven) vertical resolution of
approximately 2 ft (Fig. 1). The information is
hence averaged over a 2 ft interval.
A frequency histogram of the pixels resistivity
values on the electrical image was computed
using a 2 ft sliding window (a hanning averaging
operator was used). This distribution was
displayed in the same way as the NMR T2
distribution (Fig. 2). Both resistivity image and
T2 distribution are very similar, thus validating in
a way the assumption of a binary distribution of
the clay. In addition, the vertical resolution of the
OBMI * resistivity distribution is much higher.
This new way of dispatching the OBMI* readings
* Vclay: low-resolution interpreted clay volume
Mark of Schlumberger
2
is likely to improve the facies detection. At first, a
constant cut-off system was applied to transform
the resistivity image into a binary sand/shale
image. The resistivity histogram at xx77.8 m
(Fig. 2) shows a rather bimodal behavior, with a
minimum between 7 and 10 ohmm. However, by
applying such a constant cut-off value, the
resulting large-scale average clay content does
not fit with the results of the quantitative
interpretation. This is not surprising, in view of
the fact that resistivity depends not only on clay
content, but also on porosity and saturation.
A variable cut-off was obtained as follows. In
order to obtain a binary clean sand/shale image,
the already computed low-resolution clay volume
curve (Vclay) was changed into a shale volume log
(Vshale = Vclay / Vclay-maximum). The OBMI*
resistivity distribution was combined with the
Vshale log to compute, at each depth, the best
OBMI* resistivity cut-off. In an oil-base mud
environment shale intervals are lowly resistive
whereas sand intervals are highly resistive. The
cut-off was calculated applying the shale value to
the cumulative resistivity histogram of the image
at each depth (Fig. 3). That amounts to
calculating, for every 2 ft interval, the number of
image pixels to be considered as shale. This
variable cut-off was directly (no averaging)
applied to the OBMI* images in order to get a
high-resolution binary image (Fig. 4).
No averaging was applied to the cut-off, thus
obtaining a hard constrain by the low-resolution
interpretation and forcing the binary assumption.
Saturation image
The sand pixels of the image were converted into
sand porosity. This sand porosity was computed
at the petrophysical interpretation scale with:
E _ max
sd = E + ( Vclay ) (1)
Vclay _ max
Where:
sd : sand porosity
E : low-resolution interpreted effective porosity

E_max: maximum effective porosity
Vclay_max: maximum clay volume.
The maximum effective porosity and clay volume
were obtained by calculating a linear regression
over a sliding window of 70 ft (Fig. 5).
This technique can be applied because the sand
porosity variations are due to sorting variations
and not to cementation.
The next step consisted in combining the sand
porosity image and the original Rxo image with
the Archie formula, in order to compute an HC
volume image of the invaded zone (Fig. 6).
Archie formula:
( )
S xo = n a / sdm Rw / R xo
Where:
Sxo: effective water saturation of the invaded zone
a: constant
m: cementation factor
n: saturation exponent
sd: sand porosity
Rw: water resistivity
Rxo: invaded zone resistivity of sand pixel
Above the transition zone, this invaded zone HC
volume isnt very different from the un-invaded
zone volume (standard resolution quantitative
interpretation).
APPLICATION: N/G RATIO
When using conventional quantitative
interpretations to assess the net HC column, cut-
offs on both the effective porosity and clay
volume are needed to properly evaluate the net
sand pay. Figure 7 shows that with these new
petrophysical images the cut-offs are no longer
necessary. In fact the sand layers thickness can
be directly measured on the shale volume
image.
Thus, an accurate net oil column can be
calculated and assigned to different rock types
3
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004
(i.e.: rock with homogeneous petrophysical and
geological characteristics).
This can be used to predict and locate the possible
different dynamic reservoir behaviors during the
production history of the field (i.e.: laminated
versus massive).
VALIDATION
Considering the fact that the resistivity image-
core correlation isnt always straightforward (the
OBMI* resolution is lower than the core
resolution) and that there is a certain gap between
the formation investigated by the OBMI* and the
core (borehole = 8 in; core = 4 in) a fairly
good correlation can be obtained when directly
comparing the shale image with the high
resolution core clay values (Fig. 8).
This high-resolution binary Vshale image was
smoothed along a 2 ft sliding window and
compared with the Vshale curve provided by the
petrophysical interpretation. The resulting fit is
overall very good (Fig. 9). This isnt surprising,
since a hard constraint was applied.
The sand porosity image, once filtered along a
2 ft window, provides an effective porosity that is
generally in very good agreement with the
petrophysical porosity, thus validating the sand
porosity image (Fig. 9) and the used technique.
The resulting HC volume image, once filtered PPP
along a 2 ft window, fits with the petrophysical
result (Fig. 9), validating the saturation formula
used in the in-house quantitative formation
interpretation.
REMARKS
Several limitations exist due to the tools
characteristics. The quantitative value of Rxo is
only accurate in beds 10 in thick. The quantitative
values are under or over estimated when bed
thicknesses are less then 1.2 in. Resistivity
measurements are also very sensible to standoff
(borehole roughness, mudcake) (Cheung et al.,
2001). These factors reduce the accuracy of the
petrophysical images.
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004
The OBMI * tools borehole coverage is only of
32%. This means that the method only works for
formations with continuous beds; slumps and
non-continuous layers, at a borehole scale, wont
be properly characterized.
The Rxo cut-off values can be locally very high
(up to 30 ohmm). Further investigation is needed
to asses the geological origin of these high values:
i.e. non-binary sand/shale distribution, variable
clay compaction, cementation
CONCLUSIONS
The three petrophysical images (shale, porosity
and HC volume) were obtained by matching the
high resolution OBMI* images to the standard
resolution petrophysical interpretation: it was
afterwards observed that this downscaling is
actually in agreement with the standard resolution
petrophysical interpretation. In general, there is
no uniqueness, and the very satisfactory high-
resolution results were obtained adding two
constraints. These constraints are derived by core
observation: unconsolidated sands with a binary
sand/shale distribution.
This method improves the understanding of the
thinly laminated reservoirs. It permits the accurate
quantification of the productive sand layers and
associated porosity and HC saturation. These
petrophysical images will help improve the
log/rock typing and permeability modeling, thus
improving the prediction of the dynamic behavior
of the different flow units.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Total SA for
support and authorization to publish this work.
REFERENCES
Cheung, P., Pittman, D., Hayman, A., Laronga,
R., Vessereau, P., Ounadjela, A., Desport, O.,
Hansen, S., Kear, R., Lamb, M., Borbas, T.,
Wendt, B., 2001. Field Test Results of a New Oil-
Base Mud Formation Imager Tool, 42nd SPWLA
*
Mark of Schlumberger
4
Annual Logging Symposium Transactions: Paper
XX.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Leonora Knecht is currently preparing a Ph.D. in
petrophysical reservoir characterization at the
University of Bordeaux, France. She graduated in
Earth Sciences from the University of Brest,
France, and received a M.S. in Geoscience
Engineering from the University of Bordeaux,
France in 2002. Her current research interest is
petrophysical reservoir characterization by
wireline imaging logs and core integration.
Jacques B. Ventre is a Total's senior
petrophysical advisor in Pau (France). He holds
an engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale
Suprieure de Gologie Applique et de
Prospection Minire of Nancy (France) and an
engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale
Suprieure du Ptrole et des Moteurs (I.F.P.
France). He gained field experience in Africa and
Italy as a reservoir engineer for Elf Aquitaine,
before being assigned to France where he worked
on geological modeling and then on petrophysics
and log analysis. He was head of the International
quantitative log interpretation team within the
logging department for four years, before taking
up his present position. Jacques served the
SPWLA as a Regional Director, and as a member
of the Technology Committee. He was also a
member of the board of the SAID, Paris Chapter
of SPWLA.
Jean-Pierre Leduc graduated from the
University of Perpignan in 1979. He joined the
sedimentological department of Elf in 1980 and
was involved in operational and research projects
both in clastic systems and carbonate domains.
He participated in the development of
stratigraphic modeling before joining the
geological log interpretation team in 1997. He
then specialized in borehole image processing,
log clustering and petrophysical interpretation of
logs and cores. His interest in research lies in the
optimization of sedimentary facies interpretation
from logs in relation with petrophysical
properties.
Benot Mathis is the geological advisor of the
Subsurface and Formation Evaluation Department

of TOTAL. He received his MS in Oceanography
from the"Universit de Bretagne Occidentale" in
1983 and his PhD in Geology from the
"Universit de Nancy" in 1988. He worked first
as a research engineer in the Oceanographic
French Agency (IFREMER). He joined the Elf
group in 1989 where he was successively in
charge of log interpretation and reservoir geology
of various fields. From 1995 to 1999 he was
5
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004
appointed in Netherlands as an exploration
geologist. From 1999 to 2000, he was a project
team leader in charge of various E&P tasks in
North Sea, Middle East and North Africa. He is
presently in charge of the geological expertise and
research in Total subsurface department. He has a
special interest in petrophysical reservoir
characterization using well-logs and cores. He is a
member of SPE and SPWLA.
PPP
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004

Figure 1: Left track: reference curves (Vclay, sand, water and HC). Middle track: OBMI image (plotted with
its real borehole coverage: 32%). Right track: core photo. The reference curves average the formation data
over a 2 foot interval.

Figure 2:
Resistivity and RMN T2 distributions. The resistivity histograms are computed over a 2 foot sliding window.
Both distributions are similar, validating the assumption of a binary distribution of the clay.

6
 SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004

Figure 3: The Rxo cut-off value is calculated applying the Vshale value to the cumulative resistivity histogram
of the image at every depth.

PPP

Figure 4: The binary clean sand/shale image is obtained applying the variable Rxo cut-off to the resistivity
image.

7
SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004

Figure 5: PHIE and Vclay values of a 70 foot sliding window are plotted, in order to compute the sand
porosity at every depth.

Figure 6: The HC volume image (5th track) is obtained applying the Archie formula to the resistivity of the
clean sand pixels on the shale image (4th track: sand porosity image)

8
 SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004

Figure 7: Sand layers thickness can be easily measured on the shale image, without having to apply any
cut-offs. In fact the image even allows to detect thin intervals not depicted by the conventional petrophysical
interpretation.

PPP

Figure 8: A fairly good correlation can be obtained when comparing the shale image with the high resolution
core clay values, even though the resistivity image-core correlation isnt always straightforward.

9
 SPWLA 45th Annual Logging Symposium, June 6-9, 2004

10
Figure 9: The high-resolution images are smoothed over a 2 foot sliding window. All curves are in very good agreement with the curves provided by the
petrophysical interpretation.