ENM237

Reservoir Geology and Petrophysics

Formation Evaluation Measurements

Caliper
Self potential
Sonic
Gamma Ray
Density
Neutron
Resistivity

1
 Resistivity Logs

The most commonly used logs:

 Measures resistance of flow of electric current

 Is function of porosity & pore fluid in rock
 Frequently used to identify lithology

Variables that Influence Resistivity of Porous Media

• Salinity of water
• Temperature
• Composition of rock
•Porosity

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 RESISTIVITY LOGS

Resistivity logs are used to:

• Determine hydrocarbon bearing versus water bearing zones.
• Indicate permeable zones.
• Determine porosity.

Principle:
• Rock matrix or grains are nonconductive.
• Hydrocarbons in the pores are also nonconductive.
• The ability of rock to transmit a current is a function of water in pores.

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 Resistivity Logs - Principles

• As the hydrocarbon saturation of the pores increases (as the water

saturation decreases), the formation resistivity increases.
• As the salinity of the water in the pores decreases (as Rw increases),
the rock’s resistivity also increases.
• Determining parameters (a, m, n and Rw) and by determining from
logs porosity snd resistivity (Rt) then we can calculate the formation
water saturation, Sw from Archie equation.
1/ n
 a x Rw 
S w =  
 t
R x φ m


a – tortuosity factor Rw – formation water saturation

m – cementation exponent Rt – formation resistivity
n – saturation exponent Sw – water saturation
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 Resistivity
principle of
measurement

Resistivity –
what is the
resistance to
current flow
through the
rock?
Rock sample
 RESISTIVITY
Resistivity

• The voltage required to cause one amp to pass

through a cube having a face area of one
square meter

• Units are ohm-m 2 / m; usually ohm-m (Ω.m)

1
Resistivity =
Conductivity
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RESISTIVITY – DEFINITION OF THE
OHM-METER

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From Halliburton (EL 1007)
RESISTIVITY OF EARTH MATERIALS

1
Resistivity =
Conductivity

Conductivity
Increasing
(1) Rock
(2) Gas
Resistivity
Increasing

(3) Oil
(4) Fresh Water
(5) Salt Water

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 Rock containing pores saturated
with water and hydrocarbons

Non-shaly rock, 100% saturated

with water having resistivity,
Rw

Rt Cube of water
φ= 20% having resistivity,
Sw = 20% Rw
Ro
φ= 20%
Sw = 100%

Rw
φ= 100%
Sw = 100%
(1) Rock
Conductivity
Increasing
Increasing
Resistivity

(2) Gas
(3) Oil
a
(4) Fresh Water
F = Ro =
(5) Salt Water Rw φm 9
 Resistivity High Low
principle of Porosity Porosity
measurement
High
Resistance
Low water
volume
Resistivity –
what is the Medium
resistance to Resistance
current flow
through the
rock?
Low
Resistance
High water
volume
 FACTOR AFFECTING RESISTIVITY

• Resistivity of water
• Temperature
• Porosity of the formation,
• Pore geometry - tortuosity
• Lithology of the formation
• Degree of cementation, and
• Type and amount of clay in the rock

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 Resistivity and
the borehole
environment

Resistivity – what is the

resistance to current flow
through the rock?

Resistivity is lower when:

Important parameters in uninvaded rock
- more water is in the rock,
Rt – deep formation restivity
- water salinity increases
Rw – formation water resistivity
Sw – Water fraction in pore space
Deep Resistivity tools
measure Rt, the uninvaded
Taken from Schlumberger
Chart Book
formation resistivity
 Formation Factor - Porosity Relationship

The resistivity of the samples, Ro, and the water, Rw ,

could be related by the empirical equation:

Ro = F . Rw and Ro = Rw (Le/l)^2/ Ø
Rt = Ro = Rw . Ø^-m
F = (Le/L)^2/ Ø
where F - Formation Factor.

The ratio Le/L is the ratio of the length of the tortusity through the rock to the
length of the rock element.
Tortusity - in clean, uniform sandstones the sequare of this value is
approximately equal to the reciprocal of porosity.

Further investigations by Archie revealed that F is a function of porosity:

F = Ø^-m First Archie Equation
The exponent "m" is called the cementation factor.
Its value appears to range from 1.4 to 2.0 in sandstones, increasing
with the degree of consolidation, and from 2.0 to 2.6 in carbonates. 13
 m
Sandstones unconsolidated 1.4
loosely consolidated 1.6
friable 1.7
average 1.8
very hard 2.0

Carbonates interconnected 2.2

moderate interconnected 2.6

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 0.62 0.81
For Soft Sandstones F = 2.15 OR F= 2
φ φ
1
For hard formations F =
φm

1
For low porosity carbonates F= m m = 1.87 + 0.019 / φ
Non-fractured φ

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 Water Saturation - Resistivity
Rt
= I = SW− n I = the resistivity index
Ro n = the saturation exponent

Fig.Formation Factor Fig.:Resistivity Index versus

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versus Porosity. water saturation.
Origin of input Data Input Data Intermediate Results Output

From porosity tools Ø

Ø^n=F
Lab determined m Ro = F.Rw
Sw^-n = Rt/Rw = I
From SP log or Rw
Test
Sw
From resistivity tool Rt

Lab determined n

Calculation of Water Saturation

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Data : Rt = 35 ohm.m, Rw = 0.35 ohm.m, Ø = 20%

m 1.8 2.0 2.2

F=Ø^-m F 18.10 25.0 34.50

Ro=F.Rw R 6.34 8.75 12.10

I=Rt/Ro I 5.52 4.0 2.90

I=Sw^-n n 1.8 2 2.2 1.8 2 2.2 1.8 2 2.2

Sw 39 43 46 46 50 53 55 59 62

Sensitivity of Water Saturation to m and n Parameters

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 Induction Tool

Measures deep formation resistivity

Primary application:

• Gives ‘Rt’ to help compute water saturation

Other applications:
• Estimate depth of invaded zone
• Correlation between wells
 Resistivity Logs
Resistivity logs produce a current in the
formation and measure the response of the
formation to that current. The current can be
produced and measured by two methods:

A. Laterologs:
Electrodes on the surface emit current and
measure the resistivity of the formation.

B. Induction tools:
Use coils to induce a current and measure
The formation conductivity.

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 Induction – principle of measurement

Transmitter

Induced
current in
formation
Receiver
 Laterolog tool

Measures deep formation resistivity

Primary application:

• Gives Rt to help compute water saturation

Other applications:
• Estimate depth of invaded zone
• Correlation between wells

Note: Works only in Water Based Mud

Laterolog – physics of measurement

Laterolog tools essentially inject a

current into the formation from a
Metal central electrode. Further
electrodes electrodes each side help to focus
the current to different depths
within the formation.
Current
flows into A conductive mud is required for
formation this measurement.
.2 ILD 2000

Resistivity
increases
 Modern Induction Tools

These give resistivity

measurements at 5 depths
of investigation.

Latest tools also measure

resistivity in both
horizontal and vertical
directions, important to
understand thin bedded
hydrocarbon zones.
 Induction – modern wellsite log (Track 2)

oil Note curve

separation of
100 induction curves in
permeable water
zone, as oil filtrate
displaces water.
In oil zone, oil
filtrate displaces oil,
water so no significant
curve separation
seen.
150
Typical wellsite modern induction log in OBM
Using resistivity to compute hydrocarbon saturation

Rw
S = 2
w
φ Rt
Simplified ‘Archie’
Saturation Equation

Rw = formation water resistivity

Rt = formation resistivity (from Induction)
Φ = porosity
Reading induction logs, and
computing saturation

2
1000
100
10
1

We have already computed porosity at this depth:

Density porosity – 30% Use this value
Neutron porosity – 30%
Sonic porosity – 26%
 Computing saturation

Rw
S = 2
w
φ Rt Simplified Archie relation

Rw = formation water resistivity

(known to be 0.1)
.1
S w
= Rt = formation resistivity( = 2)
Φ = porosity ( = .30)
.3 * .3 * 2

= 0.75 or 75 %
Reading induction logs, and
computing saturation

Sw=0.75
( 75%)
Will likely flow water
 Laterolog tool

Measures deep formation resistivity

Primary application:

• Gives Rt to help compute water saturation

Other applications:
• Estimate depth of invaded zone
• Correlation between wells
• Preferred to induction in very salty boreholes,
and/or very high resistivity formations.

Note: Works only in Water Based Mud

Laterolog – physics of measurement

Laterolog tools essentially inject a

current into the formation from a
Metal central electrode. Further
electrodes electrodes each side help to focus
the current to different depths
within the formation.
Current
flows into A conductive mud is required for
formation this measurement.

Modern tools see different depths

into the formation.
 Modern
Laterolog –
wellsite log

Note curve
separation of
laterolog curves
in permeable
zone
 ‘Old’ resistivity logs may not give reliable Rt

1.15

Modern induction Borehole correction for

and laterolog tools deep laterolog

correct for the

environment Shoulder bed correction for
(borehole, nearby deep laterolog
beds and (eg. Near anhydrite/salt bed)
invasion).

This is not the

case for older
tools, where charts Invasion correction for
are needed to get deep laterolog
accurate data.
 Microresistivity

Measures resistivity very near wellbore,

which is usually invaded by mud filtrate

Primary application:
• Help identify movable hydrocarbon

Other applications:
• Estimate depth of invaded zone
• Help identify permeable zones

Note: Most tools work only in Water

Based Mud (except Rxo from Oil Based
Mud Imager)
.2 MSFL 2000

Note separation of
shallow and deep
resistivity curves
across hydrocarbon
interval.
Oil zone
Overlay in water
zone implies that
formation water
Water zone
Rw is similar to
resistivity of
drilling filtrate
.2 MSFL 2000
Gamma

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Density Log

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Neutron Log

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Resistivity Log

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42
Hydrocarbon thickness
Porosity
Saturation
Area
Hydrocarbon type

Permeability
Pressure

Lithology

Any log can supply other information like depth, temperature 43