CAPITULO 2 PROPIEDADES

RADIOACTIVAS Y
SONICAS DE LAS ROCAS
PROPIEDADES RADIOACTIVAS
• INTRODUCTION
• SOURCES OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
• GAMMA RAY DEVICES
• USES OF THE GAMMA RAY MEASUREMENT
• SPECTRAL GAMMA RAY LOGGING
• A NOTE ON DEPTH OF INVESTIGATION
 INTRODUCCION
• As is evident from its name, the gamma ray
responds to the natural gamma radiation in the
formation. We shall first address the question
of the origin of this natural radiation.
• The few isotopes which are responsible for it
can be attributed to a small list of common
minerals. The association of measurable
quantities of radioactive isotopes in shales is
primarily due to the presence of clay minerals,
some of which are naturally radioactive or have
radioactive ions associated with them.
• The nuclide either absorbs or releases discrete amounts of energy
• An excited, unstable nuclide is said to be radioactive because it
releases energy in the form of radiation so that it can stabilize.
• The energy level of nuclides is conveniently measured by a hybrid unit
of energy known as the electron volt (eV).
• The eV is equal to the energy required to move one electronic charge
across a potential difference of 1 V.
• Two types of devices are routinely used for determining formation
radioactivity.
• The GR tool, in a form nearly indistinguishable from its 1930s predecessor,
uses a simple gamma ray detector to measure the total radioactivity of the
formation.
• Spectral gamma tools additionally quantify the concentrations of the
radioisotopes present.
• The two types of devices have similar depths of investigation and
suffer from minor environmental effects.
• The calibration of both types of devices is made with respect to
artificial “shale” formations in the laboratory.
 SOURCES OF NATURAL
RADIOACTIVITY
• In order to suggest which naturally
occurring isotopes might be responsible
for the GR activity of formations, it is
instructive to compare half-lives with the
estimated age of the earth, which is about
4×109 years.
• There are only three isotopes of the
elements potassium, thorium, and
uranium with half-lives of that magnitude
or greater:
• 40K: 1.3×109 years
• 232Th: 1.4×1010 years
• 238U: 4.4×109 years.
NATURAL RADIATION
• Radioactivity is associated with the emission of:
• Alpha
• Beta
• Gamma rays
• Alpha particles is positively charged and posses 2 protons and 2
neutrons. Alpha particles have a very low penetration power.
(Alpha particles are stopped by an ordinary sheet of paper)
• Beta particles is identical to the electron. It may be either positively or
negatively charged. Beta particles penetrate further than alpha
particles but not far enough to be detected by logging techniques.
NATURAL RADIATION
• Gamma Rays are electromagnetic radiations emitted from an atomic
nucleus during radioactive decay. The gamma rays have a very high
power of penetration and consequently can be detected by logging
tools.
• Potassium 40K disintegrate to Argon 40Ar, which is stable. The decay
spectrum contains a single peak.
• The process is more complex for Uranium and Thorium which give a
series of isotopes, some of which are gamma ray emitters.
• The recognition of gamma ray source is important and can help to
identify rock composition.
• Example:
• In sedimentary rocks: Potassium mainly occurs in clays
• Thorium concentrates in clays and heavy minerals
• Uranium usually is associated with organic-rich sediments
GAMMA RAY DEVICES
• One of the principal uses of the gamma ray log is to distinguish
between the shales and the non-shales.
• The total counting rate is a function of the distribution and quantity
of radioactive material in the formation.
• Some calibration standards have been established by the API, and all
total intensity GR logs are now recorded in API units.
• The definition of the API unit of radioactivity comes from an
artificially radioactive formation, constructed at the University of
Houston facility to simulate about twice the radioactivity of a typical
shale.
• This formation, containing approximately
4% K, 24 ppm Th and 12 ppm U, was
defined to be 200 API units.
• The response of a gamma ray device GRAPI
is given by:

GRAPI = α 238Uppm + β 232Thppm + γ 39K%,

ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES OF THE ROCK
SONIC LOG
• Sonic log records the speed of sound waves in a well bore, and it is also
known as an acoustic log.
• The sonic log data is displayed as interval transit time, abbreviated to dt
(delta t).
• Delta t is a measure of slowness; the inverse of the velocity of the sound
wave.
• The interval transit time for a given formation depends on its lithology ad
porosity
• The dependence upon porosity makes the sonic log very useful as a
porosity log.
REVIEW OF ELASTIC
PROPERTIES
• STRESSES AND STRAINS.- refers to the relationship
between the external forces applied to a body and the
resulting changes in its shape and size.

• Stress = Force /Area

• Results in:
• Tensile Stress
• Compressive Stress
• Share Stress
• Shear stress causes deformation by displacement without a change in
volume.
• Deformation and displacements that result from stresses are
described as strains.
ELASTIC BODY WAVES
• An elastic body is instantaneously compressed when subjected to
sudden stress or pressure.
• The region where the particles of the body are most compressed will
propagate away from the point of impact.

• Elastic waves are classified as body waves and boundary waves.

• Body waves: compressional and shear.
• Compressional waves.- longitudinal waves P./ Those where the
particle motion in in the direction of wave propagation.
• Shear waves.- transverse or S. Are those where the particle motion is
perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
 TYPE OF SOUNDWAVE
• 2 MAIN WAVEFORMS ARE
COMPRESSIONAL
• P WAVES
• S (SHEAR WAVES)

• P Waves move in the direction of particle

displacement
• S Waves move in a direction
perpendicular to direction of particle
displacement
• S waves can not go through fluids and are
slower than P Waves
REFLECTION AND REFRACTION OF ELASTIC
WAVES.
• Occur when a wave encounters a
boundary separating two media
with different elastic properties.
• Part of the energy of the incident
wave is reflected and part
refracted.
ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN FLUID
FILLED BOREHOLE
COMPARISON LLS - BHC
REFERENCES
• Darwin Ellis (2007) Well Logging for Earth Scientists. Elsevier
• Reza Rezaee (2015) Formation Evaluation Course Notes. Curtin
University.