Sonic log

The term is commonly used as a

synonym for a sonic log:

 Continuous Velocity Log (CVL)

 Acoustic Log
 Bore Hole Compensated (BHC)

Sonic Logs first appeared in 1957.

 Sonic log
Seismic operation
has been the first
to use acoustic
measurement

Sonic log
The tool emits a sound wave that travels from the source to
the formation and back to a receiver.
Sonic logs depended on the properties inherent in Snell’s Law to
propagate sound from a logging tool through the rock to receivers located
on the same logging tool.

Sonic logging tools emit a sound pulse every second. The arrival of this
pulse is detected at an array of receivers a few feet from the transmitter.
The difference in time elapsed between the arrival of sound at the receivers
is the desired travel time, the sound wave travels through the formation
while undergoing dispersion (spreading of the wave energy in time and
space) and attenuation (loss of energy through absorption of energy by the
formations). Essentially the basic principle of these sonic logging tools is
to measure the travel time of sound through rock. Newer generation
logging tools can use a cross correlation of waveforms to determine this
travel time. As well as the compressional wave that is detected in the first
described cross correlation methods also detect the shear, Stoneley and
mud waves
 Sonic log

Types Of Wave?
 Compressional Waves (p-waves)
Sonic log
 Shear Waves (s-waves)

Known as body waves

 Stoneley Waves
Travels in mud column by interaction with the formation
Very sensitive to wall rigidity

 Mud Waves
Travels directly through mud column to the receiver without
interaction with borehole wall
 What is a Wave?

Definition of a Wave:
Sonic log
• A wave is a disturbance or
variation which travels through a
medium.

Longitudinal /Compressional/
P-Wave (1D) Sonic log
 Longitudinal /Compressional/ P-Wave (1D)
• The particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave
propagation.
• The particles do not move down the tube with the wave, they simply
oscillate back and forth about their individual equilibrium positions.
• Pick a single particle and watch its motion.
• The wave is seen as the motion of the compressed region (i.e., it is a
pressure wave), which moves from left to right.

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

Transverse/Shear/S-Wave (1D) Sonic log

 Transverse/Shear/S-Wave (1D)
• The particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave
propagation.
• The particles do not move along with the wave. They simply
oscillate up and down about their individual equilibrium positions as
the wave passes by.
• Pick a single particle and watch its motion.

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

 +

Full Waveform Array Acoustic Logging

Array Acoustic (~1984) Borehole Mud T
Wall Measurement
Section

• Multiple Operating Modes

– Short & long linear arrays
Short Linear Array
– Short and long standard BHC Configuration Long Linear Array
Configuration
– 6” vertical resolution (ideal)
– Cement bond & variable density

• Full waveforms used in Two Ceramic Eight

Receivers Wideband
Slowness-Time-Coherence Ceramic
(STC) processing to enhance Receivers

reliability statistically, and to

eliminate “cycle-skipping”

Transmitters
• Monopole and Dipole /
Quadrupole Tool Design
Dipole Shear Sonic tool (DSI)

Dipole Shear Sonic tool (DSI) for

acoustic logging, consisting of a
transmitter section, an isolation
joint, and a linear array of eight
receivers (spacing = 6 in). Overall
length = 15.5 m. A monopole
source is driven in high and low
frequencies for the generation of P-
and S-waves and in a low
frequency for Stoneley waves. The
dipole excites flexural waves for S-
wave velocity determination in soft
formations.