CEMENT BOND LOG (CBL)

A cement bond log (CBL) is a type of log that measures the loss of acoustic
energy as it passes through casing. A cement bond log documents an evaluation
of the integrity of cement work performed on an oil well. In the process of drilling
and completing a well, cement is injected through the wellbore and rises up the
annulus between the steel casing and the formation.
A sonic tool is typically run on wireline by a service company that detects the
bond of the cement to the casing and formation via a principle based on
resonance. Casing that is not bound has a higher resonant vibration than that
which is bound, causing the imparted energy from the sonic signal to be
transferred to the formation. In this sense, the amplitude of the waveform
received is the basic measurement that is evaluated.

What is it used for?

Cement bond logs are used to detect the presence or absence of external cement
behind casing. Proper cement placement between the well casing and the
formation is essential:
1. To support the casing (shear bond)
2. To prevent fluid from leaking to the surface
3. For isolating producing zones from water-bearing zones (hydraulic bond)

Concept of CBL:
Transmitter sends acoustic wave to casing/cement and then receivers receive
acoustic signal that transfer through casing to cement and reflects to receivers.
Acoustic wave at receivers is converted to amplitude (mv). Low amplitude
represents good cement bond between casing and hole; however, high amplitude
represents bad cement bond. The concept likes when we knock pipe. If there is
something coverage around pipe, the reflection sound will be attenuated, and
vice versa.
What are we looking for?
Minimum interval of continuous 60% bonded cement in a continuous confining
shale.
Rule-of-Thumb: < 10mV on amplitude curve for x-amount of feet.
For heavier casings, can sometimes accept < 12mV or < 13mV but this is fairly
RARE.
 VARIABLE DENSITY LOG (VDL)
A presentation of the acoustic waveform at a receiver of a sonic or ultrasonic
measurement, in which the amplitude is presented in color or the shades of a
gray scale. The variable-density log is commonly used as an adjacent to the
cement-bond log, and offers better insights into its interpretation.  Acoustic
waves are a type of longitudinal waves that propagate by means of adiabatic
compression and decompression

Principle: A radioactive source, applied to the borehole wall, emits medium-

energy gamma rays into the formations. These gamma rays are high velocity
particles that collide with the electrons in the formation. At each collision a
gamma ray loses some, but not all, of its energy to the electron, and then
continues with diminished energy. This type of interaction is known as Compton
scattering.
The scattered gamma rays reaching the detector, at a fixed distance from the
source are counted as an indication of formation density. The number of
Compton scattering is directly related to the number of electrons in the
formation.

Tools:
 Long spaced detector
 Short spaced detector
 Source of radiation
Scale: The density log is generally plotted on linear scale of bulk density. Most
often its scale is in between 1.95 to 2.95g/cmᶟ

Units: In CGS it is g/cmᶟ. In SI it is kg/mᶟ.

Uses: Most reliable for porosity indicator of sandstone and limestone because
their porosity is well known.  On the other hand the density of clay minerals
such as mudstone is highly variable, depending on the depositional environment,
overburden, pressure, type of clay minerals and many other factors.  Its main
use to derive the total porosity of the formation.
It is also useful in gas-bearing formations and in the recognition of evaporites.  It
gives the best way to identify the lithology in borehole with collaboration of
Neutron log.

Limitations:
Correction only valid if mudcake or sandoff (perforating) <0.75 inch and is
uniform along pad.
Abnormally low density (high permeability) is washed out (>1.7inch) hole or rough
hole.