The Spontaneous Potential Log

or
SP log

2023 1
The SP curve records the electrical potential (voltage) produced
by the interaction of formation water, drilling mud and shale.
Though relatively simple in concept, the SP curve is quite useful
for a number of things:

- Differentiates potentially porous and permeable reservoir rocks

from non-permeable shales
- Defines bed boundaries and correlation of beds
- Aids in lithology identification (shale versus non-shale)
- Detection of hydrocarbon from suppression of SP response
- Permits determination of formation water resistivity, Rw
- Gives semi-quantitative indication of bed shaliness

2023 2
 Fining upward
Apart from changes due to water
salinity, SP deflections also respond
to depositional changes. Character-
istic shapes are observed for channels,
bars, and other depositional sequences
where sorting, grain size, or
cementation changes with depth.
Uniform

SP shape in different
depositional environment.
Coarsening upward

2023 3
2023 4
2023 5
 Rmf<Rw

The SP deflection is reflection of contrast between the (Reverse)

mud filtrate and connate water resistivity. The deflection
is said to be normal (–ve deflection) when the mud filtrate is
more resistive than the connate water and is reverse (+ve
deflection) when the mud filtrate is less resistive that the
connate water.

It is quite common to find fresh water in shallow sands and

increasingly saline water as depth increases. Such a
progression is shown in the figure, where SP appears
Rmf > Rw
deflecting to left deep in the well but is reversed near to the
surface.

Rmf > Rw

(Normal)
Shale baseline
2023 6
N

2023 7
-40mv

2023 8
 Positive separation

SP anomaly -84 mV
74 ft

2023 9
Comparison of SP and gamma
ray logs. Note similarity in shapes.

2023 10
 SSP
(SP)csand − (SP)ssand
Vsh =
(SP)csand

PSP
= 1- PSP/SSP
PSP

Inflection point defines

the bed boundaries. SSP

2023 11
Correction Charts requiring knowledge of several parameters

2023 12
Simple correction chart

2023 13
-40mv

2023 14
2023 15
Physics of Spontaneous Potential

2023 16
 The Source of SP:
There are two main sources of SP : electrokinetic and electrochemical. Of the two,
electrochemical effects are more important and consist of two components :
diffusion or liquid junction potential, and the membrane potential.
Diffusion / Liquid junction effects:
High Resistivity Low Resistivity Low resistivity

High resistivity

When two solutions of different salinities are brought into contact, ions from the
solution with higher concentration tend to migrate toward the solution of lower
concentration until equilibrium is reached. However due to different mobilities of
ions, current flows from the less concentrated solution to the more concentrated
solution.
2023 17
Rmf > Rw

In terms of the solutions present in a formation, mud filtrate can be substituted for
the less concentrated solution. The potential is referred to as the diffusion or liquid
junction potential. The greater the contrast in salinity between mud filtrate and
formation water, the larger this potential.

Ed = (tCl − tNa )(RTA /F)ln(a1 / a2 ) --- Nernst Equation

Where Ed is the diffusion potential, tcl and tNa are the ion transference number, R is
the gas constant, TA is the absolute temperature, F is the Faraday constant, and a1
& a2 are the activities of the two electrolytes.

2023 18
 Membrane Potential:
This potential arises when two electrolytes of different concentrations are
separated by a porous medium where the pore walls carry an electrical double layer.
-
Clay minerals have such a layer. Both Cl and Na+ ions try to diffuse from the
concentrated solution to the dilute solution. However, the pore walls of the shale
-
membrane are -ve charged, so the passage of Cl anions is greatly restricted. The
Na+ cations, however, can enter the pores freely. Consequently, the concentrated
solution will be -vely charged with respect to the dilute solution and a potential,
Em, is created across the membrane.

2023 19
 If shales completely block the Cl ions (ideal shale), potential is given by;

Em = (RT /F)ln(a1 / a2 )
Ed and Em are additive and as such the total SP deflection is:
Ec = Ed + Em
Ec = K log(aw / amf )
As transference number of Cl ions is relatively independent of concentration
and temperature, K is simply a function of temperature.
2023 20
Electrokinetic potentials are usually ignored in SP calculations. The total
naturally occurring electrical potential is called the static self potential ESSP
and is assumed to be equal to EC

ESSP = EC = -K log(aw/amf)
The negative sign is added because, by convention, a negative SP is
measured relative to the shale when aw > amf

Also, resistivity is inversely proportional to activity, hence

𝑅𝑚𝑓
𝐸𝑠𝑠𝑝 = −𝐾𝑙𝑜𝑔( )
𝑅𝑤

where K = 65.5 + 0.24T (T in oC)

= 61.3 + 0.133T (T in oF)
2023 21
 The inverse relationship between
1 resistivity and activity holds only
R when R > 0.1 (see diagram),
a therefore, SSP is written as below:

SSP = -K log(Rmfe/Rwe)

2023 22
Calculation of Rw from SP:

Resistivity of a solution is roughly proportional to the

reciprocal of its activity at low salt concentrations, but at high
salt concentrations there is a marked departure from this rule.
A way to compensate for this departure is to define “effective”
or “equivalent” resistivities for salt solutions that are by
definition inversely proportional to the activities. A conversion
chart is then used to convert from equivalent resistivity to an
actual resistivity.

Ec = Esp = -K log(Rmfe/Rwe)

Rwe = Rmfe /10 Esp / − K

2023 23
2023 24
Factors Affecting the SP:

SP readings are usually accurately and easily measured.

However, there are some circumstances where SP readings
need careful handling:
- Oil-base muds completely lack an electrical path through the
mud column, hence no SP can be generated
- Shaly formations reduce the measured SP. This
phenomenon permits the formation shaliness to be
determined if a clean sand with the same water salinity is
available
- Hydrocarbon saturation reduces SP measurements. Thus,
only water bearing sands should be selected for Rw
determination.
- Electrokinetic SP is noticeable in depleted reservoirs but is
impossible to handle it quantitatively
2023 25
- The use of non-NaCl muds (such as KCl) affects the
derivation of Rw from the SP. A quick solution in the case is
simply to reduce the SP value by 25mV and treat is as a
NaCl mud case. The Rmf to Rmfe relationship is slightly
different for KCl filtrates. Again, rule of thumb is to add
30% to the measured Rmf and treat it as a NaCl filtrate.

- SP measurements can be affected by bed thickness,

diameter of invasion, hole diameter, Rxo/Rm ratio, Rm etc.

2023 26
Calculation of water resistivity:

For ideal shales:

1. Calculation from equation

Essp = -K log (Rmfe / Rwe) ( K = 61.3 + 0.133 T)

= -K log (Rmf / Rwe) for Rmf > 0.1ohm-m

Rmfe & Rwe can be changed to Rmf & Rw using chart

like on slide 28.

2. Using chart like on slide 29

2023 27
2023 28
Membrane efficiency=1

2023 29
 T
2

3
1

2023 30
For non-ideal shales:

- Using chart on slide 32. Need to know Rsh.

- Using charts like 6.21-6.24. Need to know shale

membrane efficiency.
Meff= 0.47+0.3Rsh

If calculated value of Meff is not equal to the chart value

you need to use interpolation.

2023 31
Rsh/Rmf @FT

2023 32
2023 33
Measured SP value is influenced by:
- Bed thickness
- Bed resistivity (Rmf, Rw, )
- Borehole and invasion
- Shale content
- Ratio of Rmf /Rw (amplitude and sign)
- Temperature

2023 34
Summary:
Bed thickness: as the bed thins (i.e., < 10ft) measured SP is less than SSP.
As a rule, whenever the SP curve is narrow and pointed in shape, the SP
should be corrected using service company charts.

Borehole and invasion: generally ignored.

Bed resistivity: higher resistivities reduce the measured SP deflection.

Shale content: Presence of shale in permeable formation reduces SP.

SP reduction is proportional to the amount of shale present.

In hydrocarbon bearing zones the amount of SP reduction is greater than the

volume of shale and is called hydrocarbon suppression (difficult to quantify).

2023 35
 Calculate shaliness of
bed C and Rw at surface
temperature.

2023 36
2023 37
-Presence of high resistivity beds, such as massive limestones, affect the
distribution of the SP currents and hence the shape of the curve. The SP
currents flowing from the shale bed Sh1 toward permeable bed P2 are largely
confined to the borehole between Sh1 and P2 because of high resistivity of
the formation. Accordingly, the intensity of the SP current in the borehole in
this interval remains constant. Assuming the hole diameter is constant, the
potential drop per foot is constant and the SP curve is a straight line.

2023 38
 Theoretical Essp vrs measured Esp
Essp = Ec = Ed + Em
Essp = I(rsst + rsh + rm) Shale
+ -
Dilu. Conc.
Measured Esp = I rm NaCl Nacl

rm - +
Esp = Essp
rsst + rsh + rm Sand

i.e. Essp > Esp

For fresh water based mud, thick beds, small borehole
and low resistivity formations
Esp = Essp as rm >> rsst+ rsh
In general it is observed that for thick beds (>10ft)
Esp/Essp > 0.9
i.e only thinner beds (<10ft) warrant a correction.
2023 39
For freshwater-based muds when Rmf > 0.1 ohm.m, Rmfe can
be replaced by Rmf.

All this analysis is based on NaCl based solutions and the

shale membrane efficiency of nearly 100% for blocking Cl ions.
When there are departures from this different procedure has
to be used.

2023 40