ROBERTSON GEOLOGGING

Innovation, global support & services

Introduction to wireline logging
for geotechnical applications
 Agenda
Robertson Geologging

PS Suspension Logging

Density/Gamma Logging

Image Logging Acoustic & Optical Televiewers

New Developments
 Capabilities

Established 1979, in North Wales

Design, develop and manufacture of downhole tools and surface equipment

Develop software

Provide contract logging service & supply wireline & surface tools

Support hotline and replacement service

Training & commissioning

Believe in maintaining a large development program for a forever changing market
The only ISO9001 certified mineral logging manufacturer
 Operations

Robertson Geologging (USA)

Sales, support & rentals
Robertson Geologging (ASIA)
Sales, support & rentals

Operations supported by over 45 agents worldwide

 UK Headquarters

Onsite test borehole, mechanical & electrical assembly, pressure & temperature
testing, calibration facilities, R&D, product development
Technology & Services
PS logger

Developed by OYO Corporation Japan for domestic use in earthquake engineering

Introduced to the USA, Golden Gate Bridge & San Francisco Airport projects

2007 OYO transferred technology over to Robertson Geologging for further development
and commercialisation

Recent projects include; shallow oil/gas projects in Russia, offshore wind farm surveys
across Europe, Australia, the Mediterranean and South America, earthquake engineering
in Asia and land & offshore projects in the Arabian Gulf
PS logger - advantages

Needs only a single uncased borehole

Surveys can be performed immediately after drilling

Very mobile, moved rapidly between stations

Minimises survey time and risk of BH collapse

High vertical resolution, locate and resolve thin layers

Transmitter and receiver in the BH noise is reduced

PS Logger - operations
PS Logger - operations

Telemetry

Receivers

Filter

Source

Source driver

Weight
PS logger - operations

Powerful source, monopole and directional receivers separated by acoustic damping

tubes

Measurements typically shot at 1m intervals (1 minute)

Once fired the resultant fluid motion produces a tube wave at the BH wall

Waves propagate parallel to the BH axis, setting up corresponding fluid movements

that are detected by 3D hydrophone receivers allowing the wave velocity to be
directly measured

Open water filled BHs between 75 150mm diameter. Will work through PVC with
adequate grouting does not work with steel casing
PS logger - deliverables
Waveforms are examined and first arrival picks are made

Left and right oriented S waves are derived and averaged

Digital filtering can be used to attenuate random noise

Deliverables:
P wave and S wave waveforms
P wave and S wave velocity profiles
Vp/Vs ratio profile
Tabular data of arrival times, velocities and Vp/Vs ratio

If bulk density is known, the following can be derived:

Shear modulus
Bulk modulus
Youngs modulus
PS logger - picking first brake
 PS logger - interpretation

Final calculation of Vp
and Vs after picking
first arrivals

Karl Jones, Business Development Manager Robertson Geologging

PS logger - interpretation
Bulk, Shear and Young moduli, measured in Mpa.
These are automatically calculated if density profiles are loaded

Final calculation of Vp
and Vs after picking
first arrivals
PS Logging
Formation Density Sonde
Natural gamma - applications

Lithology determination (clay vs sand or other deposits)

Formation shale content estimate

Recognition of mineral deposit (potash or Uranium bearing)

Coal ash content estimate

Contamination studies (Uranium)

Correlation between boreholes

Natural gamma - operations

Can be used in cased boreholes and air-filled wells

Casing, (steel in particular) would shield most of the radiations

Some muds (containing bentonite for example) might be radioactive and induce higher
readings

Caving, bad sonde alignment and mud-cake formation may lead to bad data
Natural gamma - operations
Radioactive elements are
concentrated in certain rock
types and depleted in
others (sandstone and
especially coal, salt and
gypsum)
Natural gamma - operations
Logging at 2 or 3 m/minute is
a good compromise between
productivity and vertical
resolution.

Oscillations in gamma
response are typical and due
to the type of measurement.
Filters can be applied during
acquisition as well as in data
replay or post-processing.
Natural gamma acquisition speed
Televiewer - HiOPTV
HiOPTV - operations

Best results in clear water or air filled borehole

Thick/heavy muds and debris can obscure borehole wall images

Should allow 24-48 hours of settlement after drilling

Typically log at 2m/min, running slowly can cause the centralisers to stick and not move
fluently

If centralisation is not properly achieved, features & true orientation (azimuth and
inclination) cannot be assessed in post processing software (RGLDip or Wellcad)
HiOPTV - applications

Fracture identification and characterisation in term of dip and azimuth (local stress
studies)

Stratigraphic studies (very thin layer detection)

Lithology characterisation

Core orientation and borehole deviation studies

Casing studies

.
HiOPTV - examples

Lithology discrimination
(layers/bands & intrusions)
 Televiewer HiRAT (high resolution acoustic televiewer)

High resolution acoustic pulses - 1.5 MHz

frequency are generated by fixed a
piezo-electric resonator and then transmitted
along the tool axis to be reflected
by a rotating planar mirror

Beam is ultra-focused to achieve the highest

resolution and signal cleanliness

After mirror reflection the pulses propagate

orthogonally to the sonde body through the
acoustic window (nylon construction for
acoustic impedance) then through the borehole
fluid to be reflected by the wall of the borehole
following an almost normal incidence

Karl Jones, Business Development Manager Robertson Geologging

 HiRAT - operations

Integration of HiRAT, OPTV and 3-arm calliper profiles

HiRAT full borehole data despite poor core recovery

.
HiRAT borehole deviation

.
HiRAT - interpretation
Stick-plot Arrow-Plot Notes BH deviation

.
Wireline workshop issue 16 March 2016
New developments/other applications

Increased horizontal logging capability (up to 1000m)

Memory module to alleviate the need to use a wireline for directional logging

New 4 pressure meter

Thank you
Steve Parry
Director
steveparry@geologging.asia
+852 65033486

Karl Jones MSc

Business Development & Sales Manager Europe and Africa
kjones@Geologging.com
+44(0)771 482 5357

www.geologging.com