TPG4175

Petrophysics

Course overview
 What subsurface data is important?
Porosity
• What is the value of Saturation
hydrocarbons in place? Hydrocarbon type
(potential value) Hydrocarbon thickness
Area

• How easily can the hydrocarbons Permeability

flow out of the well? Pressure
(cash flow)

• How easy is it to drill and produce Lithology

the reservoir?
Depth, pressure, temperature
(cost of drilling, completion...)
 Computing Oil In Place

Compute total volume of oil in place:

OIP = Oil In Place

ϕ = effective porosity
Sw = water saturation
h = productive thinkness
(net pay)
A = drainage area

• Notes:
- Porosity and Water Saturation are often quoted in percentage
(i.e. 30% porosity)
- In all calculations, use the fraction (0.30), NOT the percentage!
- Beware of the units of measurement!
 Sources of subsurface data

Data needed: Data sources:

Porosity Cuttings, mud log
Saturation
Hydrocarbon type
Hydrocarbon thickness Coring
Area
Well logs
Permeability
LWD – Logging While Drilling
Pressure
WL – Wireline logging
Lithology (usually ‘open hole’)
Depth, pressure, temperature
 Well log measurements

Nuclear Acoustic (=sonic)

(Natural) Gamma Ray
Natural Spectral Gamma Sampling and testing
Bulk Density (and Pef) Sidewall coring
Neutron Porosity Fluid pressure testing
Induced Gamma Spectroscopy Fluid sampling

Resistivity
Induction
Micro Imaging and dipmeter
Laterolog
Micro(latero)log Seismic

Dielectric dispersion Miscellaneous

Caliper
Spontaneous Potential Temperature

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

 Nuclear measurements

MAIN
INTERACTION(S) PRIMARY
SOURCE DETECTOR(S) RESPONDS TO
WITH APPLICATION(S)
FORMATION
(Natural formation Natural emissions
GAMMA RAY (GR) GR)
Gamma rays -
from K, Th, U
Vsh, Correlation

(Natural formation Natural emissions

SPECTRAL GR GR)
Gamma rays -
from K, Th, U
Vsh, Mineralogy

Density, Porosity,
DENSITY Gamma rays Gamma rays Compton scattering Electron density
Lithology

NEUTRON Neutrons Neutrons Elastic scattering Hydrogen Index Porosity, Lithology

INDUCED GR Thermal capture, Elemental

Neutrons Gamma rays Mineralogy, Lithology
SPECTROSCOPY Inelastic scattering composition
 Electrical measurements

PRIMARY PRIMARY
PRINCIPLE RESPONDS TO
OUTPUT(S) APPLICATION(S)
Emits focused currents into
the formation. Measures
LATEROLOG TOOLS LLS, LLD  Rt Formation resistivity Water saturation
voltage drop to compute
formation resistivity

Transmitter coils set up an

electromagnetic field in
INDUCTION TOOLS the formation. Receiver ILM, ILD  Rt Formation resistivity Water saturation
coils pick up the resulting
formation signal

Emits focused currents into

MICRORESISTIVITY the formation. Measures Water saturation
MSFL, MCFL  Rxo Flushed zone resistivity
TOOLS voltage drop to compute (flushed zone)
flushed zone resistivity

Passive measurement of
SPONTANEOUS
changes in voltage SP Shale content Vsh, Permeability
POTENTIAL potential along a borehole
 Course material
Recommended:
– Lecture notes/slides
– Exercises and interpretation projects
– Petrophysics MSc Course Notes, Dr. Paul Glover, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada (see
separate reading list)
– Log Interpretation Charts, Schlumberger
– Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging – Technology for the 21st century, Kenyon et al.,
Oilfield Review, Autumn 1995 (note a separate page/slide with corrections to the article)
– NMR logging Principles & Applications, Coates et al., (Sections in chapters 2, 3 and 4 as
covered in lectures)

(these files are all posted on It’s Learning)

Additional reading:
– Innføring i boreholslogging, Helge Langeland, NTNU, 1992 (Norwegian only)
– Log Interpretation Principles/Applications, Schlumberger
– Atlas of Log Responses, Baker Hughes (poster)