Dipmeter Log presentation & Well Log correlation techniques

Well Logging: Instrumentation & Operations

Petroleum Engineering, Sem IV

Since its introduction in the 1930s, the dipmeter tool has found steadily increasing application
in the petroleum industry. Used initially in exploration, the tool helped to locate and identify
the major features of geologic structure serving as oil traps.
As techniques became more refined and interpretation became more secure, the dipmeter’s
range of applications expanded, making it the principal logging tool for describing internal
lithologic features and the sedimentological processes responsible for them.
The current emphasis on investigating sedimentary bedding conditions has further enhanced
the utility of the dipmeter log. The high sampling density of 120 readings per foot of borehole
depth makes the dipmeter tool virtually the only logging device that can supply the petroleum
geologist with detailed information on fine structured sedimentary beds in the subsurface.
The dipmeter tool measures conductivity or resistivity changes, hole size, and sonde
orientation-nothing more, nothing less. It does not directly measure the dip of bed boundaries
or the dip of lithology changes. The conductivity changes are input into a computer program
that correlates the recorded wiggle traces and computes apparent dip from the correlations.
Computed dips are then corrected for sonde tilt and converted into true dips. The true dips are
plotted and used to make inferences of structural dips, bed geometries, and depositional
environments.
Dips displayed on the tadpole or arrow plot result from a combination of the original
depositional dips, differential compaction and structural rotation during subsidence, and post-
depositional deformation.
As is true with other logs, information other than that contained on the dipmeter log is required
to make the best interpretation. The minimum required input from the geologist is to describe
missing sections and depositional environments. The more information available, the better the
dipmeter interpretation.
Formation dip angle & dip azimuth
The two important computer-processed parameters, bed-dip magnitude and dip azimuth, yield
a great deal of valuable information when studied with regard to how these parameters vary
with depth.
Dip angle is the angle formed between vertical and a normal taken from a bedding plane. Thus,
a horizontal bed has a dip of 0° and a vertical bed has a dip of 90°.

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 Fig: Dip Angle
The dip azimuth is the angle formed between geographic north and the direction of greatest
slope on a bedding plane. Dip azimuth is conventionally measured clockwise from north, so
that a plane dipping to east has a dip azimuth of 90°, and one to west 270°.

Fig: Dip Azimuth

Working of a Dipmeter tool

The dipmeter tool operates on the following principle.
A bedding surface cutting across a borehole at some angle causes microresistivity changes to
be recorded at different depths on the individual dipmeter curves, which are recorded from
electrodes on pads located at various circumferential positions around the borehole.

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Figure below shows a borehole intersected by a steeply dipping, thin resistive bed. Note that
as the four pads ascend the hole, each measure electrode contacts the thin bed at a different
elevation, giving rise to displacements, or shifts, between curves.
The depth differences, or displacements between the curves, depend upon the dip magnitude
and direction, or azimuth, of the bedding surfaces.

Fig: Dipmeter Tool

The dip and azimuth of the bedding can then be computed, and corrected for the effect of the
deviation of the borehole.
Generally, in well-bedded or laminated formations, the recorded data allow the determination
of formation dip and azimuth.
Pad-to-pad correlations are limited for many stratigraphic studies, however, because of the fine
detail associated with sedimentary features.
Eight-curve and micro electric scanning tools incorporate a number of major improvements
over the 4-curve tool to overcome this limitation, and are specifically applicable to sedimentary
studies.

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 Fig: 4-arm Dipmeter Tool
Applications
Dipmeter surveys have a variety of applications. At the lowest level, the raw data may be used
to compute:
(1) a deviation survey,
(2) true vertical depth,
(3) the integrated hole volume (as an aid to fracture detection)
(4) thin-bed definition.
At the intermediate level, computed dipmeter results may be used to determine:
1. the gross geologic structural features crossed by the wellbore,
2. sedimentary details within sand bodies,
3. the depositional environment, and
4. true stratigraphic and vertical thicknesses.
At the highest level, computed dipmeter results from many wells may be combined to
produce structural cross sections and trend surface maps. The most important applications of
the dipmeter survey are in exploration drilling, to help identify local structure and

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stratigraphy, and in development drilling, to help map the productive horizons and indicate
direction to follow for further field development.
Tadpole Presentation
Once a dipmeter has been computed, a number of ways of presenting the answers is available.
Tadpole or arrow plots is a quick way to understand logs.

Fig: A typical tadpole plot

 The dip magnitude is read from the position of the base of the tadpole on the plot.
 The dip azimuth is read by observing the direction in which the tail of the tadpole points.
 The azimuth convention is to measure angles clockwise from north.
 Thus a north dip points up-hole, an east dip to the right, a south dip down-hole, and a
west dip to the left.

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Well Log Correlation Techniques
Log correlation means comparisons, matching, connecting or tracing formation encountered in
different wells. It is one of the most important and crucial stages in geological information. It
is difficult to correlate section using core data only since core recovery is limited. Correlation
made from log data are therefore of exceptional value.
Correlation can be defined as the determination of structural or stratigraphic units that are
equivalent in time, age, or stratigraphic position. For the purpose of preparing subsurface
interpretations, including maps and cross sections, the two general sources of correlation data
are electric wireline logs and seismic sections.
One of the first uses of well logs was correlation of equivalent strata from one well to the next.
This is still one of their most important uses. Intervals of logs from different wells are matched
for similarity or for characteristic log responses to lithological markers. Well logs have the
advantage (for correlation) of providing a continuous record over the entire well. There are no
missing sections as can be the case with core samples. Most important, because sonde depth is
recorded, there is no ambiguity as to the depth of the various markers.
The logs most frequently used for correlation are the resistivity, SP, and gamma ray.
The structural-dip angle from dipmeter logs is a valuable additional piece of information for
well-to-well correlation, since it can be used to predict expected changes in elevations of strata
from one well to the next
Applications
Well-to-well correlation studies thus permit accurate subsurface mapping and the
determination of:
• The elevations of formations present in the well relative to other wells, outside, or
geophysical projections.
• Whether or not the well is within a given major geological structure.
• Whether well depth has reached a known productive horizon, and, if not,
approximately how much remains to be drilled.
• The presence or absence of faults.
• The existence of dips, folds, unconformities; the thickening and thinning of lithologic
sections; or lateral changes of sedimentation or lithology.
Some logs used for Correlations
SP Log
Previously, the SP log was one of those used for correlation. But the SP has now been largely
replaced by the gamma ray log as the gamma ray log has more character and is more repeatable.
The SP is still useful for correlation, mainly in areas of varied water salinities. If wells are quite
close and drilling mud fluids are similar, correlation should only be made between sands with
similar salinity values. For this the SP is the only log that can be used as a guide.

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 Fig: Correlation using the SP log. Changes in water salinity indicate which sand bodies can
be correlated. Drilling mud filtrate is similar in all wells.

Resistivity Log
The sensitivity of the resistivity logs to subtle lithological changes is the basis for their use in
correlation. Ideally, logs which correlate well are those which are more sensitive to vertical
changes than to lateral variations. Within a limited geographical extent, this is often the case
with the resistivity log, especially in shale or silt intervals. Distinctive shapes, trends or peaks
over shale zones are related to subtle compositional changes reflecting patterns of

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sedimentation, and as such can be correlated. The best log for this purpose is usually the deep
induction log.
Despite its frequent and successful use for correlation, mainly as a result of its availability, the
resistivity log has drawbacks for this task. It is influenced by changes in formation pressure
and interstitial water salinity which are non-stratigraphic, post-depositional elements that tend
to obliterate the original depositional features.

Fig: Correlation using deep induction resistivity logs. The interval is one of deltaic and
shallow marine deposition. Very detailed correlation of the fine grained intervals is possible.

Gamma Ray Log

The gamma ray log is one of the most frequently used logs for correlation. It has ‘character’,
is repeatable, is not affected by depth, it gives some indication of lithology and is simple
(Fig.10). Moreover, it is almost always relatively similar. Generally, because it is used for
correlation, it is produced on the well completion log, the document used to reassemble the
essential drilling and geological data at the end of a well.

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 Fig: Correlation using the gamma ray log.

Sonic Log
The sonic log is a sensitive recorder of a formation’s lithology. Although the precise lithology
may not be identified, the sonic velocity of a particular formation is apparently very typical.
The log shows even the slightest changes. It is rather like the colour of particular lithology, but
in some formations the colour is both very typical and at the same time indicates subtle changes.
The sensitivity of the sonic log is especially evident in fine grained sediments or beds without
porosity. The sequence is illustrated in Fig.12 is entirely shaly: cuttings and side-wall cores
find only shale. The sonic log picks out small variations, probably in texture, in carbonate and
in quartz content, to show a very distinct stratigraphic interval, despite depth differences. This
characteristic sensitivity makes the sonic log excellent for correlation.

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Fig: The ‘character’ of the sonic log used for correlation. The log is sensitive to lithological
changes (texture and composition) as indicated by the logs in this shale sequence.

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