ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF

ROCKS
CONTENT
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 DEFINITION OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
3.3 NATURE OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF RESERVOIR ROCKS
3.4 FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR
3.5 EFFECT OF FORMATION-WATER SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE OF ROCK
RESISTIVITY
3.6 ROCK RESISTIVITY- POROSITY RELATIONSHIP
3.7 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR AND
PERMEABILITY
3.8 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROCK RESISTIVITY AND FLUID SATURATION
3.9 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SHALY SANDS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
• Electrical resistivity was the earliest and still is the most frequently
measured physical property of rocks.
• Igneous, metamorphic and dry sedimentary rocks are poor conductor
of electrical current.
• Sedimentary rocks are usually porous , and the pores are generally
filled with conductive water.
• As result, they are electrolytic conductors of intermediate resisitivity.

• Several parameters control resisticity in sedimentary rocks : HC in

pore space
3.2 DEFINITION OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
• Electrical generator delivers an
electrical current I
• Metallic wire of cross-sectional area A
and length L
• The potential difference V
Ohm’s Law V = rI
• r is the resistance of the wire
• Reciprocal of resistance (1/r) is called
conductance c
3.2 DEFINITION OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
• By changing wire material and current delivered by the generator is
maintained constant, the potential difference will change
• This change is caused by change in wire resistance
r = R(L/A)
• R is the resistivity of the material and is a constant characteristic of
the wire’s material
• The relationship between resistance and resistivity is somewath
similar to the relationship between mass and density
R = r(A/L)
3.2 DEFINITION OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
• L ------ meters
• r ----- ohms
• R ------- ohm * meter2 per meter ---- ohm m
3.3 NATURE OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF RESERVOIR ROCKS

• Reservoir rocks are porous and permeable sedimentary rocks.

• Sandstone (quartz minerals) SiO2
Contain water salt
in pores
• Limestone (organic calcite) CaCO3
OIL
• Dolomite alteration of limestone (CO3)2

GAS

• Replace the wire in the electric circuit

 3.3 NATURE OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF RESERVOIR ROCKS

• First, imagine the core plug filled

with air
• Then imagine with oil and gas
• Finally with pure water
• If a salt (NaCL), is dissolved in the
water…..pass a current.
• Salt molecules when dissolved in
water dissociate into particles called
ions.
 3.3 NATURE OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF RESERVOIR ROCKS

• Ions are atoms and molecules

electrically charged as a result of
electron excess or deficiency.
• Sodium atoms dissociate as positively
charged ions (cations)
• Chlorine atoms dissociate as
negatively charged ions (anions)
 3.4 FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR
• Rw when rock sample is saturated
with salt water.
• The resistance of the rock sample can
be determined with Ohm’s Law
• When the rock is fully saturated with
water, Ro.
• Ions moving through a porous rock
follow a tortuous path, so the length
of the equivalent water is Le.
• If porosity of the rock is Ø
 3.4 FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR
• ØAL is the volume of the water in
the rock sample.
• Cross sectional area of the
equivalent water volume, Ae, has
to be ØAL/Le.
ro =Ro (L/A)
rw =Rw (Le/Ae)= Rw (Le^2/ØAL)
Because ro = rw
Ro= FRw
3.4 FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR
• Where

• F, Formation resistivity Factor depends on:

• Tortuosity ,
• Porosity
• Ro= FRw used in 3 ways:
• Determine Ro
• Determine F
• To dermine Rw
3.5 EFFECT OF FORMATION-WATER SALINITY AND
TEMPERATURE ON ROCK RESISTIVITY
• Parameters that affect formation water
resistivity also affect rock resistivity.
• The conductivity of a substance depends
on:
• Number of ions present in the solution
(salinity)
• Velocity at which the ions move through the
solution
• Charge of the ions (type of salt in solution)
• Units: weight of salt per unit volume of
solution (g/l) , ppm (mg/kg)
3.5 EFFECT OF FORMATION-WATER SALINITY AND
TEMPERATURE ON ROCK RESISTIVITY
• The velocity of ions (mobility) is determined by
the opposition of drag force they encounter
while moving through the solution.
• Drag force is controlled mainly by the solvent
viscosity and ion size.

• Water viscosity f(T) Rw f(T)

• It is necessary to correct resistivities measured
under surface conditions to temperatures
existing at bottom.
EFFECT OF FORMATION-WATER
SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE ON
ROCK RESISTIVITY

• Arps empirical
approximation

𝑇1 + 6.77
𝑅2 = 𝑅1
𝑇2 + 6.77
EXAMPLE
• An NaCl solution has an electric conductivity of 20000 millimho /m at
77° F.
• Determine the solution resistivity at 77°F
• Determine the solution salinity in ppm and in g/L.
• Determine the solution resitivity at 200°F
1. Rw= 1000/ C = 1000/20000 = 0.05 ohm m at 77°F
2. Go to chart fig 1.7 170000 ppm or 190 g/L
3. Rw = 0.02 ohm m at 200 °F
• PPM
3.6 ROCK RESISTIVITY / POROSITY RELATIONSHIP
• Formation resistivity factor controlled by porosity and tortuosity.
• Rock tortuosity is impossible to measure.
• Investigators studied the relationship between F and petrophysical
properties.
• Model used included sphere packs, bundle tubes and the network.
• On the basis of laboratory measurement of F and Porosity on core samples,
• Archie suggested the empirical equation: F = ∅−𝑚
• Winsauer et al suggested: F = 𝑎 ∅−𝑚
• a and m vary mainly with pore geometry.
• Term m varies with the degree of consolidation of the rock ( cementation exponent)
• (Timur et al) 0.35<a<4.78 1.14<m<2.52 Carbonate formations m can reach 2.9
FORMATION RESISTIVITY FACTOR/ POROSITY RELATIONSHIP FROM
LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

F
3.7 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORMATION
RESISTIVITY FACTOR AND PERMEABILITY

• Related with Darcy equation.

• Velocity of fluid flow is q/A.
• The increased velocity is a result of the
increased length of the actual flow path
and decreased area of actual flow.
• Hence, permeability decreases as
tortuosity increases
3.8 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROCK
RESISTIVITY AND FLUID SATURATION

• If the hydrocarbon saturation is increased, resistivity will increase.

• Presence of hydrocarbon detected by:
• Experimentally determine Rt of the sample
• Remove fluids from the sample, then saturate it with water of same Rw.
• experimentally determine Ro of the sample
• Compare Rt and Ro
• If sample originally contained Hydrocarbon then Rt > Ro or Ir = Rt/Ro > 1
• If sample was originally fully saturated with water, Rt = Ro or Ir = 1
𝑛 1
• Archie 𝑆𝑤 = 𝑅𝑜 1/𝑛
𝑎𝑅𝑤 1/𝑛
𝐼𝑟 𝑆𝑤 = 𝑆𝑤 = 𝑚
𝑅𝑡 ∅ 𝑅𝑡
Value of n close to 2