WELL LOGGING

(GEO-6103)
03 Credit Hours
7th Semester

Dr. Ali Wahid

Institute of Geology
University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
1
• A wireline log is the product of a survey operation, also
called a survey, consisting of one or more curves, which
provides a permanent record of one or more physical
measurements as a function of depth in a well bore.
• Well logs are used to identify and correlate underground
rocks, and to determine the mineralogy and physical
properties of potential reservoir rocks and the nature of the
fluids they contain.
• In general, a logWhatis the physical
is Well paper recording the
Logging???
information, however it has come to also mean digital
curves.
 What is Well Log???
• A well log is recorded during a survey operation in which a sonde is
lowered into the well bore by a survey cable.
• The measurement made by the downhole instrument will be of a
physical nature (i.e., electrical, acoustical, nuclear, thermal,
dimensional, etc.) pertaining to some part of the wellbore environment
or the well bore itself.
• Other types of well logs are made of data collected at the surface;
examples are core logs, drilling-time logs, mud sample logs,
hydrocarbon well logs, etc.
• Still other logs show quantities calculated from other measurements;
examples are movable oil plots, computed logs. etc.
 Basic Structure of Logger
• A logging system can be subdivided
into subsystems or components to
simplify the description.
• The logger components shown in
this figure can be suitably connected
to a given application using modern
computer systems.
• The logger consists of the following
basic parts called
1) Probes ( the sonde or tool)
2) Cable and which (including depth
measuring system)
3) Analog logging, control modules &
recording
4) Digital logging system
• During drilling a liquid mixture
containing clays and other
natural materials, called
'Mud' is pumped down the
drill string forcing the rock
cuttings up to the surface.
• These cuttings are analysed
for indications of oil or gas.
Common Logs and What they Measure
 Three General Types Of Logs
– Electrical Properties
e.g.
• Spontaneous Potential
• Resistivity

– Nuclear Radioactivity
e.g.
• Gamma Ray
• Density
• Neutron

– Acoustic / Sonic
e.g.
• Transit time
 The Petrophysical Properties
• Diagenesis is the process of physical and chemical changes in sediments after deposition that convert them to consolidated rock
such as compaction, cementation, recrystallization and perhaps replacement as in the development of dolomite.
• Porosity
• Absolute permeability
• Effective and relative permeabilities
• Water saturation
• Irreducible water saturation
• Hydrocarbon saturation
• Residual oil saturation
• Capillary pressure
• Wettability
• Pore size
• Pore size distribution
• Pore structure
• Net pay thickness
• Isothermal coefficient of compressibility
• Mineralogy
• Specific pore surface area
• Dispersivity
 Neutron Porosity Units

-2 %
6.5 %

10 %

18 %

Sandstone
Por 20%
16 %
Poorly
Compacted

Compact

Idealized Neutron Log

Idealized GR and SGR Log
Idealized Density Log Idealized Sonic Log
Idealized SP Log
Idealized Resistivity Log
 Importance of Geophysical Well Logging

Zone correlation Determination of depth and thickness

of zones
Structure and Isopach mapping Distinguish between oil, gas and
water
Defining physical rock Estimation of hydrocarbon reserves
characteristics:
– Lithology
– Porosity
– Pore geometry
– Permeability
Identification of productive zones Determination of facies relationships
 Depth Control
• The most fundamental measurement provided by wireline logging contractors is depth.
• A description of subsurface reservoirs is not of much value if an accurate reference to
depth location is not available.
• Depth control is therefore extremely important to the success of any logging or
completion operation.
• Contractors specify standards as a function of well depth, wireline cable size, and mud
weight.
• However, in general, all recorded logs are expected to be within a controlled tolerance
of 1 ft/10,000 ft (0.3 m/3000 m) of measured depth.
• Methods for marking the wireline (usually with magnetic marks), knowing the exact
distance of the cable makeup to a tool's measure point (including logging head, bridle,
etc.), and the distance to the first mark from the downhole end of the cable are all part
of the measuring system.
• In addition, stretch charts for different cable sizes, mud weights, etc. are given for
borehole depth, and logging engineers are expected to dedicate themselves to
performing depth measurements as accurately as possible.
• Wireline log depths are considered the standard for well depth accuracy.
 Scales and Reading Logs
•Today, the presentation of logs varies as a function
of the type and number of services recorded.
•Tracks represent portions of the log reserved for
certain linear or logarithmic scales and grid.
•Logarithmic scales are generally used for
resistivity data and may occupy one or two tracks.
•Other log data are generally recorded linearly and
may occupy one or two tracks.
 Scales and Reading Logs
• Track 1 is generally used for control curves (SP, GR, caliper, etx.), but it
is also used for quick-look interpretation information.
• Porosity-sensitive data such as density, neutron, and acoustic are often
recorded linearly across two tracks.
• Resistivity can occupy one or two tracks but is generally recorded on a
logarithmic scale and grid.
• An important parameter related to depth is the TIME MARKER.
To the left of Track 1, a small flag, pip, or gap in the grid is used to
indicate time.
If calibrated properly, the time marker occurs every 60 sec and can be
used to indicate logging speed.
This marker is important to log quality control and should be checked
periodically for accuracy.
• Furthermore, a controlled and constant logging speed is important to
several log measurements.
Log Presentation Grids
 Headers
• Hole sizes to certain depths are recorded on the driller's log.
• Driller depths for casing strings already in the well are also recorded.
• These data should be printed clearly on wireline log headers.
• It is also common practice for the logging engineer to record the logged
depth of casing strings.
Log depths should never be intentionally falsified for any reason.
• If the log is not recorded to a depth sufficiently shallow to determine the
logged casing depth, the designated block on the header should be left
blank.
• The driller's total well depth should also be recorded.
• Date and times for each logging run after circulation should also be
recorded on the header.
• Bottomhole temperature should be recorded with maximum reading
thermometers on each logging run, and these data should be recorded on
the log header.
 Headers
• Other data, such as the surveyed elevations of ground level, derrick floor, sea floor, height above
mean sea level, kelly bushing, or similar reference points to depth measurements, should be recorded
on the log header.
• It is important that these data be accurate because the logs can be subpoenaed as legal documents.
• These data are also commonly placed on a log tail.
• That engineer's name is also permanently recorded on the header .
• The REMARKS section of the log header is used to record any unusual circumstances observed
during the logging operation.
 This includes reasons for a poor quality log not being rerun, why an SP curve was not recorded, etc.
 It is the logging engineer's space for explaining any unusual circumstance.
 Perhaps the properties of the drilling fluid adversely affect the log measurements.
If so, it should be mentioned in the REMARKS section.
• It is also important to record tool series numbers, any additional components, and tool numbers on
the header.
• This information is often a helpful clue to interpretative questions and troubleshooting tool
problems.
Reference Data (Data Preparation)
Reference Data (Data Preparation)
Reference Data (Data Preparation)
 Borehole Terminology
An idealized borehole is a cylinder of uniform diameter filled with a drilling mud
"ideal" for logging conditions.
• Most wireline tools developed for openhole formation evaluation have been optimized
to operate in 8" borehole.
• As the drill bit penetrates geological horizons in the subsurface, drilling fluid is
introduced to that formation for the first time.
• Mud pressure, penetration rate, and the porous, permeable nature of the rock being
penetrated are variables largely responsible for the eventual PROFILE OF
INVASION.
• In general, wells are drilled with pressure slightly overbalanced to contain reservoir
pore pressure and avoid potential blowouts.
• Impermeable rocks do not experience invasion; however, low-porosity rocks with
some permeability are often invaded deeply because available pore spaces to accept
the penetrating fluids are widely spread around the borehole.
• Rock with high porosity and high permeability normally demonstrates shallow invasion
because there is more pore volume near the borehole to accept invading fluids.
 1 Rmc 1. Mudcake
2 Rxo

Rm
2. Flushed zone 4. Undisturbed
4. Ro or Rt 3. Ri
Formation
3. Invaded zone Sw
4

2
Lateral View Across Borehole
1

View down Borehole

 Logging Terminology in the Borehole
• Standard terminology is used to refers to the resistivites and saturations of these
regions.
• The flushed zone immediately adjacent to the borehole is at most, a few inches
(centimeters) beyond the borehole wall and essentially contains only mud filtrate
(Rmf) as occupying fluid .
The flushed zone has unique resistivity (Rxo) and saturation (Sxo) values.
• Most native fluids and gases are flushed farther into the formation, and those that
remain are called residual or immovable.
• Oil reservoirs typically demonstrate residual oil saturations of 15% to 40%, but
trapped residual waters are not uncommon, especially in carbonate reservoirs.
• As time passes, some of the mud filtrate continues to migrate laterally into the
formation; i.e., it begins to commingle with native reservoir fluids and form a
transition zone between the flushed zone and undisturbed reservoir rock .
• Water saturation in this transition zone (Si) can vary considerably if the reservoir
contains hydrocarbons.
 Logging Terminology in the Borehole
• A water-bearing horizon will continue to exhibit 100% water saturation, but the
commingled waters have differing salinities or resistivities (Rz).
• The resistivity of the invaded zone (Ri) will therefore differ from that of the flushed zone
and virgin zone beyond.
• The length of time the formation is exposed to the borehole fluid pressures influences the
depth of invasion, but permeability and porosity also influence the lateral distance of
invasion.
• A hypothetical view of the diameter of invasion in formations that are somewhat
heterogeneous illustrates the effects of porosity and permeability.
• Diameter of invasion (di) represents the lateral interval encompassing the borehole that is
affected by invading drilling fluid, whereas the diameter of flushing (dxo) is much
smaller.
• The virgin reservoir rock has a resistivity (Ro) if it is 100% water bearing, but if the
formation contains any hydrocarbon, it has a higher value of resistivity (Rt).
• The native connate water has its unique resistivity (Rw) or salinity that affects resultant
calculations of water saturation (Sw); i.e., Sw decreases as the volume of oil or gas
increases. Resistivity increases as nonconductive hydrocarbon replaces conductive
formation waters in the pore space.
 Invasion
• Drilling muds are typically designed so the hydrostatic
pressure of the mud column exceeds formation pressure.
• This pressure overbalance causes mud to enter permeable Mud Mud
formations while at the same time depositing solid particles Impermeable
Cake Particles Formation
from the mud system on the borehole wall, forming a filter
cake (hmc).
• The time required to build up sufficient mudcake is a function Permeable
of specific formation properties and drilling fluid properties, Mud
Formation
especially solid particles within the mud system. Filtrate
Invasion
• Formation of the filter cake prevents further filtrate invasion
and formation damage while maintaining wellbore stability.
Impermeable
• In most mud systems, invasion is expected. Formation

• These invading mud particles alter formation composition, and invading mud filtrate alters formation
salinity and saturation.
• As a result of this invasion, some logging measurements reflect drilling altered properties rather than true
formation properties.
• Separating the part of the logging response that comes from the invasion altered region from the part
derived from unaltered formation is a major task in well log interpretation.
 Invasion
• The control of the mud surge and particle migration is primarily
dependent on two things:
1. Maintaining a good size distribution of solid particles in the mud Invaded
2. Keeping the drilling fluid-formation pressure overbalance as low as Formation
possible.
Undistrubed
• The porosity of a formation needs to be considered in predicting
Formaion
invasion depth.
• Given the same filtrate losses into equally thick intervals: Distance
Radius Of
Invasion
• Invasion will be deeper in the formation with a lower porosity; high
filtration and low porosity cause "deep invasion".
• Low filtration and high porosity cause shallow invasion. Invaded Bank of formation
Formation water pushed ahead
• For most realistic conditions, invasion cannot be eliminated, only of the filtrate
slowed.
Undistrubed
• So, prospective intervals should be evaluated as soon as possible.
Formaion
• The depth of investigation of a logging tool determines how much the
measurement is affected by invasion. Low resistivity
zone
• Evaluation of water saturation from electrical properties requires an Distance
accurate determination of uninvaded formation resistivity or
 Invasion
• Ideally, a deep sensing resistivity (or conductivity) log
(RLD) is designed to respond to unaltered formation
resistivity (Rt) without being influenced by any of the
following:
 Mud column (Rm)
 Mudcake (Rmc)
 Mud impregnated zone (Rim)
 Flushed zone (Rxo); immediately adjacent to the
borehole wall and essentially contains only mud filtrate
(Rmf)
 Transition zone (Ri)
 Annulus (Ran)
• Invasion Profiles
1. Step
2. Transition
3. Annular
Schematic Diagram of Mud Filtrate Invasion

Undisturbed formation is at left and invaded

formation is at right.
 Affects of Invasion on Water Saturation Calculations

• If invasion is extensive and the deep resistivity log (RLD) is

responding partially to an invasion altered region; without invasion
corrections, Sw calculations are affected as follows;
 Hydrocarbon saturation will be overestimated when Rxo (R flushed
zone) > Rt (True R)
 Hydrocarbon saturation will be underestimated when Rxo < Rt
 Hydrocarbon saturation may be underestimated, if RLD is
significantly affected by a low resistivity annulus.
 Some formations may be so deeply invaded that saturation evaluation
is not possible
• Corrections for invasion and determination of depth of invasion require
an accurate flushed zone resistivity for even the simplest cases.
• For more complex and deep alterations, additional measurements with
intermediate depths of investigation are required.
 Borehole Cross Sections
• Borehole cross sections are measured to
assure that logging measurements are valid,
to correct logging measurements calibrations
for downhole conditions, and to compute
hole volumes for cement design. Tensile Lost
Failure
• Borehole size or gauge has been measured
Circulation

with caliper logs for many years. Drilling Fluid

The caliper logs used on different tools Pressure
respond differently in the same non-
cylindrical borehole.
• Borehole cross sections are often described
as circles and ellipses because only these Hole
shapes can be defined from the one or two Enlargment
dimensions usually available from one Compressive
logging run. Failure

• Studies of multi-arm callipers indicate that

borehole elongation is preferentially in one Hole size
direction while the section at right angles Reduction
tends to stay in gauge.
• The borehole also tends to be more rugose in
the direction of maximum elongation.
 Standard Caliper Log Configurations
1. One arm calipers also serves as an eccentering device.
 Tend to seek the longest dimension of the borehole cross section,
especially if the long axis is in a vertical plane.
 If the contact with borehole is steel it is considered to cut through
mudcakes.
 If the contact is rubber, it reads borehole minus one mudcake
thickness.

2. Two arm calipers, extend equidistant from a

• centralized tool body.
• Tend to record the long axis of out-of-round holes.
• All borehole contacts are rubber and measurement is considered as
borehole minus two mudcake thickness.

3. Three arm calipers, center the tool body.

• Maintain their arms equidistant from the body of the tool and
measure only one diameter, somewhere between the minimum and
maximum of the noncircular section.
 Standard Caliper Log Configurations
4. Four arm calipers, consisting of two calipers at right angles to each
other.
 Four-arm calipers typically use two pairs of arms that extend
independently of each other.
 One pair seeks the long dimension of an out of round hole, the
other measures the dimension at right angles.

5. Six-arm devices, which use six independent arms, spaced at 60o

angles,
 Allowing the characterization of irregular shaped boreholes.
 Six-arm calipers have each arm independent, allowing the arms to
characterize the hole shape regardless of the relative position of the
tool body.
 An advantage to this design is that significant pressure is not
required to make a measurement, thereby reducing tool drag and
irregular tool motion.
 Tool Contact
• In addition to the number of arms, the nature of the tool contact also
affects the caliper response when a hole is not cylindrical or has
mudcake.
• Devices that have small contact area can detect smaller borehole
irregularities.
• Contact pressure is usually high enough to cut through any mudcake
(steel pads).
• Pad type devices have somewhat larger pad contact area and when
operated at lower contact pressures will override mudcake (rubber pads).
• Changes in hole shape may not be sensed if the borehole irregularities
are changing rapidly and are smaller than the pad dimensions, depending
on how the tool contacts the borehole wall.
 Key Points
• The pressure overbalance in the borehole causes mud and mud filtrate
to "invade" the borehole wall.
• Mud cake slows fluid and solid invasion into the formation; some
muds contain material which affects log readings.
• Mudcake is formed from the solids in the drilling mud.
• Ideally mudcake should form quickly and have low permeability to
reduce invasion.
• Deeper invasion occurs in lower porosity.
• Prospective intervals should be evaluated as soon as possible after
drilling.
• The depth of investigation of a logging tool determines how much the
measurement is affected by invasion.
 Logging-Related Applications
• Determination of water (oil) saturation in the pore
spaces of formation rock.
• Determination of porosity in known water-filled
formations.
• Stratigraphic correlation of rock sequences between
nearby wells.
• Characterization of borehole and formation fluids for
environmental correction of neutron logs.
 BASIC QUALITY CONTROL
• Once the log arrives, the petrophysicist needs to ensure the quality of he log data
and should perform the following regimen:
1. Check that the logger’s TD and last casing shoe depths roughly match those from
the last daily drilling report.
2. Check that the derrick floor elevation and ground level (or seabed) positions are
correct.
3. Check that the log curves are on depth with each other.
4. Check that the caliper is reading correctly inside the casing (find out the casing
ID) and that it is reading the borehole size in nonpermeable zones that are not
washed out.
5. Check the density borehole correction curve. It should not generally exceed 0.02
g/cc, except in clearly washed out sections (>18in.), for which the density curve is
likely to be unusable.
 BASIC QUALITY CONTROL
6. Inspect the resistivity curves. If oil-based mud (OBM) is being used, the shallow curves
will usually read higher than the deep curves (except in highly gas or oil saturated zones).
Likewise, with waterbased mud (WBM) the shallow curves will read less than the deep
curves, providing Rmf < Rw, or in hydrocarbon-bearing zones. In theory, the curves should
overlie each other in nonpermeable zones such as shales. However, in practice this is often
not the case, due to either anisotropy or shoulder-bed effects.
7. Check the sonic log by observing the transit time in the casing, which should read
47ms/ft.
8. Look out for any cycling-type behavior on any of the curves, such as a wave pattern.
This may be due to corkscrewing while drilling, causing an irregular borehole shape.
However, it is necessary to eliminate any possible tool malfunction.
9. Check that the presentation scales on the log print are consistent with other wells or generally
accepted industry norms.
These are generally:
• GR: 0–50 API
• Caliper: 8–18≤
• Resistivity: 0.2–2000 ohm.m on log scale
• Density: 1.95–2.95 g/cc (solid line)
• Neutron: -0.15 ―