Schlumberger

A Comparison of Wireline and LWD

Resistivity Images in the Gulf of Mexico
First published at OFS Interpretation Symposium, SDR, 1997
First published on the I2S, November 1997

Jeff Prilliman1, Abstract logged with both wireline and logging-while-drilling

Tom Bratton2,
Mark A. Borehole resistivity images provide a wealth of in- (LWD) tools. Raw data from these measurements was
Fredette2, John R. used to generate resistivity images. The advantages
formation for petroleum geologists and petro-physi-
Lovell2, Clarke L.
3
Bean , Mohamed cists. Such images are generated by measuring and disadvantages of each type of measurement are
Hashem4
formation resistivity azimuthally around the borehole investigated. In addition, the limiting factors and com-

and assigning a graduated color scale to the range of plications in the processing of each type of data are

resistivities encountered. The borehole images are discussed.

oriented by magnetometers and can be plotted with

reference to the top of the hole or north. Traditionally, Introduction

such imaging measurements could be made only us- Many different kinds of geological or petrophysical

ing wireline-conveyed tools. Recent technological ad- images can be made in a borehole by passing sensors

vances allow quantitative resistivity images to be across the surface of the hole. Whether a logging tool

generated from measurements taken while drilling. Al- is pulled up the borehole on a wireline cable or pushed

though these images do not have the vertical resolu- down the borehole on a drillstring, state-of-the-art log-

tion available from some wireline imaging tools, the ging tools exist to provide a wide choice of image data.

while-drilling images have many uses, including pick- Ultrasonic images can be made using wireline tools

ing structural dips, identification of some fractures, li- (e.g., Hayman, 1994) and porosity images can be

thology indication, and thin-bed analysis. made using LWD tools (e.g., Evans et al., 1995), but

only resistivity images are currently available from

Inherent benefits of the while-drilling measure-
both modes of conveyance. A comparison of wireline
ment include 100% borehole coverage and better hole
and LWD resistivity images was made for wells in off-
conditions than at wireline time. Data are recorded
shore California (Lovell et al., 1995), but only recently
versus time in the while-drilling mode which facilitates
has image data become available to make a compar-
time-lapse logging to show features such as invasion
ison for the types of sand-shale sequences that are
and borehole stability. Some limitations of the current
common in the Gulf of Mexico.
while-drilling image acquisition technology include ar-

tifacts resulting from time/depth data recording dis- A well was logged with both the RAB5 Resistivity-

crepancies and a requirement that the drillstring be at-the-Bit tool while drilling and the FMI5 Fullbore For-

rotating above 30 rpm. mation MicroImager tool after drilling. Both tools gen-
5. Mark of Schlumberger
A well recently drilled in the Gulf of Mexico was
1. Schlumberger Wireline & Testing
2. Anadrill
3. Chevron USA
4. Shell Offshore, Inc.

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 Schlumberger

Vertical W ell Horizontal W ell

Figure 1
Top of
North hole

Fractur e

Bedding
plane Bedding
plane
0° 90° 180 °
Fractur e Bottom of hole

Bormap in Horizontal Hole Bed Dipping A way from Kickof f Point

Figure 2
3D V iew

Horizontal Vertical Top of hole

bedding fractur e
Unr olling Bottom of
the cylinder hole

Folded Bed

Nearly vertical
Bormap natural fractur e

Top of
hole
o
Tp of hole

Vertical induced Bottom of

hole

erate resistivity images from buttons that emit current hole size increases, the percentage of coverage will

into the formation and use technological designs opti- decrease.

mized for their quite different operating environments.
The FMI tool has four pads with a fold-out flap on each
pad. There are twenty-four 0.16-in. diameter buttons
on each pad and flap, giving a total of 192 buttons
(Safinya et al., 1991). Each pad is on an extensible
caliper arm that maximizes the contact between the
buttons and the borehole wall. In an 8-in. borehole, the
The RAB tool has just three 1-in. buttons. The but-
tons have different depths of investigation (Bonner et
al., 1994), so they cannot be readily combined to build
a single image. Instead, the RAB tool makes images
by recording button currents as the drillstring rotates.
It uses a pair of internal magnetometers to orient
these data into 56 azimuthal bins around the bore-

FMI tool has more than 75% borehole coverage. As hole. This results in a quantitative resistivity measure-

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ment every 6.4o. Three different RAB images can be
made, each with a different depth of investigation, but
for this particular well only the deep resistivity image
was recorded.
To display resistivity images, a color map is as-
signed to the resistivity values. A common convention
is to use dark brown for low resistivity and yellow for
high resistivity. The images can be viewed as three-di-
mensional surfaces (e.g., Serra, 1989) but for a two di-
mensional representation the cylindrical surface of the
borehole is cut and displayed as a flat plane. Images
from nearly vertical wells are typically cut along the
north direction whereas those from highly deviated
wells are cut along top of the hole (Fig. 1). The resis-
tivity images shown in this paper are all oriented with
respect to north. On each of the images, the nearly
vertical green line through the FMI curves represents
"pad one" and the nearly vertical blue line through the
RAB images denotes the top of the hole.
Structural features that cross the borehole can be
readily identified from both the FMI and RAB images.
Planar features that cross the borehole at an angle will
show a characteristic sinusoidal shape. Images of
beds dipping away from the kickoff point in horizontal
boreholes produce an arrowhead pointing in the direc-
tion of drilling. Images of folded beds produce a char-
acteristic "eye" shape (Fig. 2). Resistivity images
provide critical information for the geologic evaluation
of the formation. One such use is picking structural
dips automatically with pattern-recognition software or
manually using a workstation (Delhomme et al., 1990;
Lovell et al., 1995). This analysis can yield important
information about where to drill the next well or where
to steer the current well (Rosthal et al., 1995). Images
will also give a positive identification of bed bound-
aries which might be difficult to locate from other logs,
especially in deviated wells.
A more detailed study of resistivity images can
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yield information about the depositional environment
of the formation. FMI image logs have often been
compared favorably to conventional core photos. Us-
ing images as a substitute for cores in fields where
several wells are to be drilled is a common industry
practice. Under good wellbore conditions, the deposi-
tional axis, flow direction and depositional energy lev-
el can all be interpreted (Serra, 1989). High-resolution
images can be used for fracture identification (Cheung
et al., 1990). Resistivity images can even be used as
a lithology indicator. Differentiating thin-bedded
sands from shales is a typical use of images in the
Gulf of Mexico.
Not all of these depositional features are interpret-
able from RAB images even though the RAB tool has
the highest resolution of any currently existing LWD
tool. The RAB tool uses toroids to generate electrical
circuits through the mud and formation. A single toroid
will generate currents that are free to leave the drill-
string along the most conductive path. The result
would be horns on a resistivity curve and "ghost" arti-
facts on an image. Instead, the RAB tool uses a pair
of vertically focused toroids (Bonner et al., 1994). The
resulting RAB measurements have a very high verti-
cal resolution and have no horns at bed boundaries
regardless of the formation dip. Unfortunately, there
are sampling constraints. The RAB records at fixed
time intervals (typically every 10 s), not fixed depth in-
tervals. If the rate of penetration (ROP) is too large,
geological events perpendicular to the borehole may
be undersampled or aliased. The opposite is true in
the azimuthal direction: there is no azimuthal focus-
ing, and the azimuthal sampling is slightly higher than
required to satisfy the Nyquist condition regardless of
the ROP or rpm (Openheim et al., 1975). A conse-
quence is that thin conductive events that are parallel
to the wellbore will be slightly exaggerated on the im-
ages, whereas very thin events (less than 2 in.) per-
3
 Schlumberger

good correlation between wireline and RAB images is

shown in Fig. 3. The structural detail shown on the

wireline images is duplicated well by the RAB image.

Hand-picked dips from each set of images also show

excellent agreement. The wireline image has better

vertical resolution and focus, but the RAB image pro-

vides sufficient structural information in this Gulf of

Mexico formation.

With planning and good rig-to-base communica-

tions, dip results from recorded images can be avail-

able within 12 hr after a bit trip. This data timeliness is

critical when structural dip information is required for

steering and final positioning of the well.

A method is under development to calculate for-

mation dips in real time, using a correlation technique

between the azimuthal scans from the RAB buttons.

The processing is done downhole, and the resulting

dip and azimuth are transmitted to the surface (Rost-

hal et al., 1995). This real-time calculation has proven

useful in geosteering applications.

Figure 3 pendicular to the well-bore will be undersampled if the 100% azimuthal coverage
ROP is greater than 60 ft/hr. This undersampling can Another benefit of recording images while drilling

be seen, for example, at X205ft on Fig 3, where the is the 100% azimuthal coverage of the borehole sur-

generally excellent correlation between the RAB and face. Wireline tools with buttons on pads always have

FMI images is marred by the slightly blocky appear- areas of the borehole that are missed. The RAB image

ance of the RAB images. is made while the tool is rotating and scans the whole

surface of the borehole. This is especially important

Benefits of RAB Images where the formation has heterogeneous features. For

Despite the sampling constraint, however, there full borehole coverage the RAB tool must be rotating

are conditions where using the RAB tool to acquire re- at a minimum of 30 rpm. While somewhat restrictive,

sistivity images can offer significant advantages: this limitation is not extreme for most drilling environ-

Wireline replacement ments.

An immediate and obvious benefit of images tak- Time effects

en while drilling is that in those cases where medium Another advantage of while-drilling measure-

resolution images are sufficient, using the RAB tool ments is time-lapse logging. By taking readings while

may eliminate a wireline trip. Especially in the current drilling and during bit trips, much can be learned about

offshore drilling environment, this can mean substan- invasion profiles, formation permeability, and bore-

tial cost savings to the operator. An example of the hole stability (e.g., Tabanou et al., 1997). The RAB

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RAB while Drilling RAB after Drilling Wireline
X590
X595
X600
X605
Figure 4
Figure 4 tool stores data in memory versus time, making time-
lapse logging a straightforward task. An early-time log
is normally acquired while drilling. As the RAB tool is
located either at the bit, or close to it, this first log will
have a minimum of alterations caused by invading
mud filtrate or mechanical damage from the drilling
process. During a bit trip, it requires only a small
amount of time and good rig communications to slow
down either while tripping out or tripping back in to get
a repeat section over a zone of interest. This repeat
log can be recorded 8rable alteration from the original
log.
An excellent example of knowledge gained by
time-lapse logging is shown in Fig. 4. Fracturing of the
formation is visible in the RAB image logged while
drilling, shown in the left track of the figure. Approxi-
mately 24 hours later, while a new bit was being
tripped into the well, we see a much greater influence
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Schlumberger
on the log as shown by the image in the middle track.
This indicates that the fractures have propagated far-
ther into the formation with the mechanical action of
the drillstring and mud circulation. Images generated
from wireline data are shown for comparison on the
right side of the figure. The fractures are filled with
conductive mud, which causes the laterolog-type
measurement of the RAB tool to amplify their appar-
ent width. It is much easier to identify the fracture di-
rection using the RAB images.
To determine the direction of the far-field horizon-
tal stresses, it is important to differentiate between
drilling-induced hydraulic fractures and wellbore brea-
kouts. Drilling-induced hydraulic fractures propagate
in the direction of maximum horizontal stress whereas
wellbore breakouts define the direction of minimum
horizontal stress. These mechanisms of rock defor-
mation have been explained in (Plumb, 1989).
The type and location of wellbore failure is depen-
dent on the downhole well pressure. The average
mud weight used during drilling was 16.9 lbm/gal. This
mud weight was too high to observe the classic well-
bore breakouts characterized by an increase in hole
size (as observed on four-arm caliper logs) over an
angle of 30o to 75o. Instead, a series of nearly vertical
shear fractures coalesce to form a continuous vertical
hydraulic fracture. This continuous fracture defines
the direction of the maximum horizontal stress. Knowl-
edge of the direction of the in-situ stresses is useful in
planning the completion of the current well, as well as
in planning development of the entire field.
Comparing RAB and Wireline Images
Images generated using the RAB tool have limita-
tions in the uses for which they can be used to replace
wireline images. Depth control issues are significant
for both types of images. Wireline tools have greater
vertical resolution, which make wireline-generated im-
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 Schlumberger

Surface versus Downhole Depth

Wireline LWD
X710

Depth
Surface Depth
Measurement
Downhole Depth
Measurement
X715

Time

measurements while drilling minimizes depth discrep- Figure 6

ancies caused by tool sticking. Notice how the RAB

image on the right side of Fig. 5 captures more infor-

X720 mation than the wireline image over this zone.

The positive side of wireline depth measurements

is that they tend to be closer to the true depth of the

well than drillpipe-measured depth. This is due to the

fact that cable stretch is measured or at least estimat-

ed by most wireline operators, while drillpipe lengths

X725
are measured while lying on a rack on the surface. As

the drillstring becomes longer with increasing hole

depth, it is affected by stretch, thermal expansion and

external and internal pressure effects. These effects

Figure 5
will add up to an increase in length of 20 to 40 ft in a

Figure 5 ages more appropriate for fine-scale geological anal- 10,000-ft well (Theys, 1991). This increase has nearly

ysis. always been ignored when calculating the driller's

Depth control depth, but will be taken into account in upcoming ac-

Depth control is a critical issue for both wireline quisition software.

and LWD measurements. The wireline depth mea- Depth control in LWD has other challenges be-

surement is affected by the tool sticking in the bore- sides the omission of the effects of pipe stretch. One

hole while the cable continues to move at the surface. limitation of the system in use today is that depth is

This causes the measurements to read the same val- measured at the draw-works on the rig floor. During

ues over the length of cable that is pulled by the winch normal drilling operations, the driller will ease off the

until the tool breaks free. On an image display, this re- brake and allow a length of pipe to go down past the

sults in a smeared display, as shown in Fig. 5. Small- rotary table. This will reduce the hookload as weight is

scale tool sticking will result in minor depth discrepan- transferred to the drillstring. As the bit drills deeper,

cies between different parts of the button array on the weight will gradually build back up on the string until

wireline tool. This shows up as mismatches between the driller again releases the brake and lets more pipe

the pads and flaps on the FMI sensors. Taking the log into the hole. This can be represented as shown in

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 Schlumberger

chanical damage from the drilling process, hole condi-

Wireline LWD
tions can only deteriorate. Most LWD tools, including

the RAB tool, have been optimized for good hole con-

ditions, resulting in a high degree of sensitivity to rug-

osity and washout. Wireline tools typically have pads

x760 on caliper arms that can adapt to moderate degrees of

hole rugosity or washout.

Vertical resolution

Wireline imaging tools have been designed with a

high vertical resolution. The FMI buttons are sampled

every 0.1-in., resulting in excellent reproduction of

x765
even very thin-bedded formations. By comparison, at

a drilling rate of 60 ft/hr, the RAB tool will record a

sample every 3-in. For fine-scale geologic interpreta-

tion, especially when using images as a substitute for

conventional core, studies indicate that the FMI tool is

x770
the preferred vehicle.

Data Processing

Figure 7
A considerable amount of human interaction is re-

quired for the processing of both wireline and LWD re-

Figure 7 Fig. 6, where the uphole depth measurement increas- sistivity images. Many critical parameters require

es by discrete steps, while the bit depth is actually in- specific in-depth knowledge of the formation being

creasing at a more uniform rate. This discrepancy can drilled. Such inputs as the averaging interval for the

cause irregularities in the RAB image, as shown in color scale used and the relative enhancement of the

Fig. 7. The horizontal lines in the image near the top images require the experience of a trained analyst.
of the figure are caused by time/depth discrepancies. Picking dips from the images can be done using pat-

This effect is noticeable only on logs displayed at a tern-recognition software, but most operators prefer

very fine vertical resolution and is negligible for the hand-picked dips over "machine-generated" ones. At

normal log resolution of 2 points per foot. Future soft- the present time, the time-to-depth conversion of LWD

ware modifications will greatly reduce this effect. data requires careful attention to correlate surface

Hole conditions pipe movement with the that of the RAB tool down-

An inherent benefit of LWD measurements is that hole. This intervention will not be necessary once au-

the log is being recorded immediately after the rock is tomated speed correction algorithms are available.

cut. With the RAB tool, little time elapses between cut- Due to the relatively recent introduction of LWD imag-

ting the rock with the bit and logging it with the button es, some commercially available software programs

sensors that are used to generate images. As drilling are not yet set up to handle the inputs from the RAB

progresses and the hole is exposed to mud and me- tool. This situation will be quickly addressed by the

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 Schlumberger

software providers as they upgrade their programs.
Conclusions
From the results presented in this paper, we con-
clude that the RAB tool provides useful resistivity im-
Serra, O. 1989, Formation MicroScanner Image Interpreta-
tion, Schlumberger Educational Services.
Tabanou, J.R., et al., 1997, "Time-lapse opens new opportu-
nities interpreting 2-MHZ multispacing resistivity logs un-
der difficult drilling conditions and in complex reservoirs,"
these proceedings.
Theys, P., 1991, Log Data Acquisition and Quality Control,
Editions Technip, pp 167-172.

ages while drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This data

About the Authors
have proved especially valuable because the images
Jeff Prilliman is a senior engineer in the Interpre-
are available immediately after drilling. In the current
tation Engineering section of Schlumberger Well Ser-
offshore drilling environment, the opportunity to save
vices in Sugar Land, Texas. He is currently working on
a wireline trip to record resistivity images is especially
forward modeling software for geosteering and high-
attractive. Under some conditions, the data acquired
angle interpretation applications. Previous assign-
while drilling can be of even higher quality than data
ments since joining Schlumberger in 1983 have in-
recorded with a wireline tool at a later time. The exam-
cluded wireline and LWD field work in North America
ple shown of the propagation of drilling-induced frac-
and Saudi Arabia and sales and marketing in New Or-
tures would be most difficult to be capture with wireline
leans, Louisiana. He graduated from California State
measurements. On the other hand, for fine-scale geo-
Polytechnic, Pomona in 1982 with a degree in Agricul-
logical analysis, wireline measurements provide a bet-
tural Engineering and is a member of SPWLA, SPE
ter answer. FMI measurements would be more
and AADE.
appropriate for some sand count studies, determina-
Tom Bratton is an engineering specialist in the
tion of depositional energy level, and identification of
Anadrill LWD department in Houston, Texas. He is
near-horizontal fractures. Using both the RAB and the
currently working on real time interpretation applica-
FMI provides the most complete fracture information.
tions for LWD. Since joining Schlumberger as a field

engineer in 1977, he has held various staff, manage-

References
ment, and interpretation positions, specializing in
Bonner, S., et al., 1994, "A new generation of electrode resis-
tivity measurements for formation evaluation while drill- petrophysics, acoustic waveform analysis, and rock
ing," Transactions of the SPWLA 35th Annual Logging
Symposium, paper OO. mechanics. He has a Master degree in Experimental
Cheung, P.S., et al., 1990, "Workstation based fracture eval-
uation using borehole images and wireline logs", SPE Atomic Physics from Kansas State University and is a
Paper 20573, New Orleans, LA.
Delhomme, J.P,. et al., 1990 , "A method to derive dips from member of SPWLA, SPE and ISRM.
bedding boundaries in borehole images", SPE Paper
20540, New Orleans, LA.
Evans, M., et. al., 1995, "Improved formation evaluation using John Lovell earned degrees in mathematics from
azimuthal porosity data while drilling," SPE Paper
30546, Dallas, TX. Oxford and Cornell and has also lectured at Wells Col-
Hayman, A., et al., 1994, "Improved borehole imaging by ul-
trasonics," SPE Paper 28440, New Orleans, LA. lege, NY and Belem, Brazil. He joined Schlumberger-
Lovell, J.R., et al., 1995, "Structural interpretation of RAB im-
ages," Transactions of the SPWLA 36th Annual Logging Doll Research in 1984 to analyze EM logging tools. He
Symposium, paper TT.
Openheim, A.V. and Schafer, R.W., 1975, Digital Signal Pro- obtained a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in
cessing, Prentice Hall, NJ.
Plumb, R.A., 1989, "Fracture patterns associated with incipi- 1993 from Delft T.U. and transferred to Anadrill as a
ent wellbore breakouts," Rock at Great Depth, Maury &
Fourmaintraux, pp 761-768. senior engineer to develop LWD answer products. In
Rosthal, R.A., et al., 1995, "Formation evaluation and geolog-
ical interpretation from the Resistivity-at-the-Bit Tool," 1996, he became the Anadrill business development
SPE Paper 30550, Dallas, TX.
Safinya, K., et al., 1991, "Improved formation imaging with ex- manager for MWD/LWD measurements. He is a
tended micro-electrical arrays," SPE Paper 22726, Dal-
las, TX. member of SPWLA, SPE and SIAM.

THIS REPORT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND MUST NOT BE SHOWN OR DISCUSSED WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE THE SCHLUMBERGER ORGANIZATION 8
 Schlumberger

Mark A. Fredette is the Manager of the Resistivity volves interpretation of all types of open and cased-

Tools Section of the LWD Engineering Department of hole logging tools. He holds a B.A. in geology from Al-
Anadrill, in Sugar Land, Texas. The section is respon- bion College in 1978 and an A.M. in geology in 1981
sible for the development and characterization of the
from Indiana University.
resistivity family of Anadrillõs formation evaluation
Mohamed Hashem holds a B.S. in Mechanical
tools; and is currently working on the Resistivity-At-

the-Bit tool. He received Electrical Engineering de- Eng. from Ain SHAMS University, Cairo (1980), an

grees from Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh and Notre M.Sc. in Petroleum Eng. from USCLA (1987) and an

Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He is a member of the Engineers D. from Stanford (1990). He held several

IEEE. positions with Schlumberger Overseas and in Califor-

Clark L. Bean is a senior geologist and formation nia. Mohamed joined Shell in 1990 as a petrophysical

evaluation specialist for Chevron U.S.A. Production engineer and is now a senior petrophysical engineer

Company in New Orleans. His current assignment in- in the Deepwater Division.

THIS REPORT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND MUST NOT BE SHOWN OR DISCUSSED WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE THE SCHLUMBERGER ORGANIZATION 9