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Wireline logging response

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Iraqi Geological Journal Al-Jaberi and Al-Mayyahi
In press will be published in Vol.51, No.2 (2018) pp xxxx
WIRELINE LOGGING RESPONSE AND TRUE CORE ANALYSIS
OF THE UPPER SHALE MEMBER OF ZUBAIR FORMATION,
RUMAILA OILFIELD, SOUTHERN IRAQ
Mohanad H. Al-Jaberi1 and Hayder K. Al- Mayyahi*
ˡDepartment of Geology, College of Science, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq
* Basra Oil Company, Basra, Iraq, email: halmayyahi@gmail.com
Received: 10 April 2018; accepted: 15 May 2018

ABSTRACT
Sedimentary rocks can be defined from others not only by their lithology, structures,
fossil content, geometry and sedimentary but furthermore by their general response to
the wireline logs. This study involves the determination of the properties of Upper Shale
Member of Zubair Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in Rumaila oilfield by using several
log interpretation software through wireline logging response of lithology. Many wells
were chosen in Rumaila oilfield to know the lithology of Upper Shale Member, in
addition to calculating permeability for Rumaila oilfield by using eight wells through
Rumaila cross-section. The Gamma Ray log responses of clean sand range between
30 – 40 API, while it decreased in the case of silt and clay cemented sand grain.
Sandstones are dominated in the south of Rumaila, this could increase the porosity and
permeability of the rocks. While clay and shale are dominated in the north of Rumaila.
Log responses don’t give a true representation for formation lithology if comparison
with true core lithology by using grain size analysis.

Keywords: Electrofacies; Zubair Formation; Rumaila oilfield; Wireline log

INTRODUCTION
Electrofacies analysis is important to clarify the lithological type from wire logging
responses and then to interpret reservoir limited and characterize (Schmitt, 2012). The
main element to determine electrofacies is log and core data integration. Recognition of
electrofacies in various types of depositional environments can be reached through
inductive and deductive practices (Marwanza, 2017(. The term electrofacies was originally
defined as a set of logs response that characterizes a bed and authorized it to be
distinguished from the others (Serra and Abbot, 1980). Electrofacies are based on
properties taken from incessant remote measurements at scales starting from one meter and
more, while geological facies are based primarily on observational characteristics taken at
scales down to millimetres (Doveton, 1994). Electrofacies are defined as a set of
technologies used typically to provide assistance in performing sequence stratigraphy and
recognize rock types with common properties. However, electherofacies can’t totally
determine geology facies (Ramezani, 2017). Such a useful lithofacies can result from
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 orthodox core description combined with wireline log data due to the wireline log
data are related to petrophysical parameters including permeability, water saturation and
porosity (Hwan, 2018). In this study, open hole logs (spontaneous potential, gamma ray,
caliper, shallow-medium and deep resistivity, neutron, density, sonic, photoelectric factor
and nuclear magnetic resonance) were calibrated depending on the lithological
discrepancies defined in the core samples. The potential capability of multivariate analysis
in distinguishing each electrofacies was analysed based on recognition of geological facies
within the core samples. Encouraging results were acquired after applying such techniques
mouth bars; distributary channels, porosity-permeability relationships were established
depending on the defined electrofacies. This study is going to discuss the electrofacies
application using wireline log and true core analyse on the Upper Shale Member of the
Zubair reservoir to define the reservoir characterization.

THE STUDY AREA

The Rumaila oilfield is located of about fifty Km to the northeast of North Luhais
oilfield in the Basrah city, southern Iraq. The field lies approximately between latitudes
30° 13' – 30° 24', and longitudes 30° 13' – 30° 24', (Fig. 1). Rumaila oilfield is located of
about fifty km to the west of Basra city covering an area of 1800 Km2. The Rumaila is the
biggest oilfield in Iraq. It was discovered in 1953 and in 1972 started in operation; it is a
6th globally, with oil reserves of about 17 billion barrels.

Ru-387

R-031

Ru-387

Ru-215

Fig. 1: Location map shows the Rumaila oilfield; Permeability wells,

Core samples wells
METHODS
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 The petrophysical data was processed by employing deductive and inductive
approaches so as to get the most from both methods (Doveton, 1994; Moss, 1997). The
first step of the integrated approach is the application of hierarchical clustering methods to
identify electrofacies groups using log curves (Saikia and Baruah, 2017). Deductive
approaches include those procedures that seek to distinguish the data by the calculation of
a set of component proportions that can be identified through linking with wireline log data
by some set of response equations (Moss, 1997). In this research, the Rumaila wells project
were examined by Petrel software for distributing net sand and calculate the porosity for all
Rumaila oilfield. The best cross-section that passes through eight wells were chosen, four
wells in the south (Ru-382, Ru-385, Ru- 387 and 456) and four in the north (R-516, R-522,
R-520 and R-564) to measure permeability through NMR wireline log by Techlog
software. The model was build taking into account the components and variables numbers
(curves of data). Generally, mismatches and gross errors detection measurements are
comprised in the practices although mathematical constancy cannot be guaranteed of
geological accuracy. This situation is well represented by standard log analysis. On the
contrary, an inductive approach establishes their classes or transformations rely on the data
set and don't rely on any pre-determined correlation between the components. These
procedures tend to isolate distinctive patterns and to derive classifications or new variables
that may be interpreted with a physical meaning. Real lithology representation with
wireline log responses chose two core samples (R-031and Ru-215) and focused on grain
size analysis of Upper shale units’ depth (Table 4) and comparison with wireline log by
Geologix software.
Many companies made charts for electrofacies depending on wireline logging
response such as Schlumberger, Weatherford, Halliburton, Allied-Horizontal and Baker
Atlas (Table1 and Figs. 2 and 3). The response of facies are not fixed values, for example
shale response from wireline logging ranges 58.8 – 143.0 in sonic log , 2.2 – 2.7 in density
log, 12.0 – 4.3 in resistivity log and 4.65 in PE log. But the sandston facies response in
Sonic log is 62.5 – 86.9, 2.65 in density log, 12.58 – 8.20 in resistivity log and 1.81 in PE
log. Log value in (Table 1 and Figure 2) gives indicators of formations lithology but it
cannot represent true lithology due to log values with lithology has been different for
service companies of wireline log.

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 Table 1: Acoustic characteristics of common formations (Schlumberger, 2009)

Porosity ∆t Sound Velocity Acoustic Impedance

Material
(%) (µs/ft) (ft/s) (m/s) (MRayl)
Dolomite 5 – 20 50.0 – 66.6 20,000 – 15,000 6,096 – 4,572 16.95 – 11.52
Limestone 5 – 20 54.0 – 76.9 18,500 – 13,000 5,639 – 3,962 14.83 – 9.43
Sandstone 5 – 20 62.5 – 86.9 16,000 – 11,500 4,877 – 3,505 12.58 – 8.20
Sand 20 – 35 86.9 – 111.1 11,500 – 9,000 3,505 – 2,743 8.20 – 6.0
Shale 58.8 – 143.0 17,000 – 7,000 5,181 – 2,133 12.0 – 4.3

Fig. 2: GR log responses in rock types (Gillen, 2007)

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Fig. 3: Atlas of log responses (2003) in (Gillen, 2007)

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 THE RESULTS
1- Wireline logging response application in the south and north Rumaila oilfiled
The coordinates of the studied wells are tabulated in Table (3). The Wireline log
technique was applied on well Ru-215 (south Rumaila) and R-031 (north Rumaila) to
analyses and interpret the electrofacies in these oilfields. The results were compared to the
standard electrofacies (Figs. 4 and 5).

Table 3: Coordinates of wells in the study area

Well No. Easting (m) Northing (m)
Ru-215 729359.14 3338853.89
R-031 725533.05 3371289.2

2- Porosity and net sand distribution

The distribution of porosity and net sand were displayed in Figures (6 and 7)
depending on electrofacies charts that used a cross-section for several wells penetrating the
Upper Shale Member in the Zubair Formation using petrel program. The sand ratio, sand
thickness and porosity increase in the south of Rumaila. Reflecting different petrophysics
properties in both south and north Rumaila. The south Rumaila is better and these good
indicators for high producing oil where decline in the north of Rumaila. In addition, eight
wells are chosen in all Rumaila to calculate the permeability through NMR wireline log by
Techlog program which illustrated by Fig. 8. Permeability in the south of Rumaila is high
and better that in the north of Rumaila which observed of low permeability.

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Fig. 4: Electrofacies analysis of Ru-215 South Rumaila oilfield
USM= Upper Shale Member unit

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Fig. 5: Electrofacies analysis of the R-031 North Rumaila oilfield
USM: Upper Shale Member unit

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Fig. 6: Porosity distribution in Rumaila oilfield

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Fig. 7: Distribution of net sand in Rumaila oilfield

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 Fig. 8: Permeability distribution (average) of the Upper Shale Member
in Rumaila oilfield
3- Core grain-size analysis
Core samples are a major source of information for evaluation, exploration,
development, and production of any hydrocarbon reservoir (Tavakoil, 2018). Quartz is the
greatest abundant mineral ratio among main component grains reaching more than 96%
sandstone and approximately 4% mixing between silt and clay in the Upper shale of Zubair
Formation in south Rumaila (Table 4). In the north of Rumaila, the quartz content is 75%
and 15% mixing as silt and clay (Table 4). The grain size analysis for core samples gives a
true lithology interpretation for the formations plus real porosity and permeability
measurement, the accuracy of this procedure is high because it is a direct measurements.

Table 4: Grain size analysis

South Rumaila
Depth Upper shale unit Sand% Clay% Silt%
3145.66 USM20 96.0005 1.675 2.3245
3175 USM30 83.621 1.625 14.754
3194 USM40 87.8535 3.4 8.7465
3203 USM50 98.267 1 0.733
3215 USM 60 92.342 3.575 4.083
3218 USM65 95.7625 1.9 2.3375
North Rumaila
Depth Sand% Clay% Silt%
3211 USM20 83.9576 6.7 9.34238
3224 USM30 74.3214 6.325 19.3536
3271 USM40 76.0129 4.25 19.7371
3277.8 USM50 80.1448 5.125 14.7302
3281 USM 60 78.3452 6.85 14.8048
3290 USM65 83.0643 5.625 11.3107

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 DISCUSSION
The GR log doesn’t give a true representation of formation lithology because the sand
grains may be covered with clay, in this case, Gamma Ray behaviour would indicate a
response similar to shale. On the other hand, the core grain-size analysis showed
domination of the sandstone in Rumaila oilfield which doesn’t follow the log reflection,
thus in Upper Shale Member 20 (USM20) to Upper Shale Member 60 (USM60) units; The
ratio of sand in South Rumaila is 96% where as in North Rumaila is 83%, where the
electrofacies results indicated that the sand content is lower than that of core sand,
furthermore the electrofacies shale interpretations does not give a true representation, for
example, GR reading in shale is more than (70 API) but indicated that the clay minerals
give similar values of Kaolinite 80 – 130 and Illite 250 – 300 API depending on Gillen
(2007) (Fig. 2).
This study recommends calibrating the wireline logs with core grain size analysis in
both south and north Rumaila by calculating sand ratio information and taking into account
the silt and clay percentage in true formation lithology.

CONCLUSIONS
Generally, the properties of Upper Shale Member (porosity, permeability and net sand)
were high in the south of Rumaila oilfield and gradually decrease towards the north.
Moreover, the study presented according to wireline log analysis’s that the Upper Shale
Member has a several sand unit with higher thickness in south of Rumaila, while in the
north of Rumaila, the sand units are less and a bit thicker. For this reason, Rumaila oilfield
has high oil production in the south of the field, and less in the north. Furthermore, the
grain size analysis showed that the sand units in the north Rumaila are covered by clay and
silt which cause decreasing in the porosity and permeability of the formation.

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