Acoustic Services (BSAT, WSTT)

Measurement Principles Review

Open hole acoustic services

LogIQ Family Applications

Long MP
Spaced and WaveSonic Crossed-Dipole
T l
Tools DP

Short Asymmetric Sonic Array

Spaced MP
Tools Borehole Compensated Sonic Array

2
Measurement principle basics

Source

Receiver 1

Velocityy Time
Spacing

Receiver 2

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Measurement principle basics

ƒ All open hole acoustic tools measure velocity.

ƒ Different
Diff t tools
t l have
h different
diff t capabilities:
biliti
ƒ Short-spaced tools (BSAT)
ƒ Compressional velocity only.

ƒ Long-spaced tool (WSTT)

ƒ Compressional and shear velocities.

ƒ Which tool a client selects depends upon:

ƒ Intended use of the data – what is the application?
ƒ Borehole conditions.
ƒ Other concerns.

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Compressional waves (P-waves, primary)

ƒ Particle displacement parallel to direction of propagation.

Displacement

Propagation

ƒ Travel through formation at velocity dependent upon density and

elastic properties of matrix and fluids filling any pore space.

ƒ First wave to arrive at tool’s receiver.

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P-wave velocity

ƒ Fastest body wave.

ƒ 1.4 – 1.9 times faster than shear waves.
1
2
4μ
K+
VP = 3
ρ

VP = velocity
l it off compressional
i l wave (P
(P-wave))
K = bulk modulus of medium
μ = shear modulus of medium
ρ = bulk
b lk d
density
it off medium
di

ƒ Will a P-wave travel through a liquid?

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Rock elastic constants
fforce
stress =
stress area
modulus =
strain
strain = deformation

Bulk Modulus (K) Shear Modulus (μ)

F×V F×L
K= μ=
A×ΔV A×ΔL

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Shear waves (S-waves, secondary)

ƒ Particle displacement perpendicular to propagation.

Displacement
p

Propagation

ƒ Travel through formation at velocity dependent upon density

and elastic properties of matrix.

ƒ Second wave to arrive at tool’s receiver.

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S-wave velocity

ƒ Velocity is 50 – 70% that of P-wave.

ƒ Arrives at the receiver after the P-wave.
1
2
μ
VS =
ρ

VS = velocity
l it off shear
h wave (S
(S-wave))
μ = shear modulus of medium
ρ = bulk density of medium

ƒ Will an S-wave travel through

g a liquid?
q

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Stoneley waves

ƒ Surface waves – do not travel through formation, but along the

interface between borehole fluid and formation fluid.

ƒ Not interested in velocity of Stoneley

waves, but frequency.

ƒ Frequency
F is
i related
l t d tto permeability.
bilit
ƒ Higher perm Æ lower frequency.
ƒ Lower perm Æ higher frequency.

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Although we measure velocity…

ƒ …we present units of slowness (microseconds/feet).

ƒD
Defined
fi d – time
ti required
i d ffor energy tto ttravell th
through
ha1
1-foot
f t
interval of the formation.

ƒ Reciprocal of velocity:
1,000,000
Δt =
V

ƒ Slowness is synonymous
y y with:
ƒ Delta-t (Δt).
ƒ Interval transit time (not to be confused with travel time).

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 One way to compute Δt
Transmitter

Time
= interval
i t l ttransit
it titime (Δt)
Time Spacing

Receiver 1
Spacing
Receiver 2

Receiver 3

Receiver 4

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Threshold detection – zero-crossing

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 Another way to compute Δt
Transmitter

The slope of a line connecting first arrivals of a particular

delta t (in μs/ft) of that wave
wave is the delta-t

Receiver 1
acing (1-fft)

Receiver 2
Spa

Receiver 3

Receiver 4
Time
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Semblance-time-coherence (STC)

ƒ Replaces TDZC as real-time processing in InSite software.

ƒU
Uses allll receiver
i signals
i l iinstead
t d off only
l ttwo (hi
(higher
h quality
lit
measurement).

ƒ Semblance – “coherence as a function of slowness”

ƒ Coherence?
ƒ Slowness?

ƒ Tool capabilities:
ƒ BSAT – real-time processing of ΔtP only!
ƒ WSTT – real-time processing of both ΔtP and ΔtS.

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Old vs. new

TDZC method

time
ΔtP = spacing
spacing

time

STC method

peak coherence
Δt
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Δt = slope of a wave’s first arrival

R1

R2

R3

R4

ΔtC ΔtS

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BSAT applications

ƒ Only capable of measuring ΔtP (thus, limited applications).

ƒ Acoustic
A ti porosity.
it
ƒ Computed real-time from ΔtP measurement.
ƒ Estimate of effective porosity (ΦE).
ƒ Sensitive to framework, not mineralogy.

ƒ Indication of lithology
lithology.
ƒ Limited use. Requires other lithology-dependent estimates of
porosity (ΦD and/or ΦN).

ƒ Possible indication of gas (requires other porosity estimates).

ƒ Provide depth correlation for surface seismic surveys.

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WSTT applications

ƒ Real-time ΔtP and ΔtS, and recording of all receiver signals for
further post-processing.

ƒ Traditional acoustic applications (porosity, lithology, etc.).

ƒ Consolidation indicator (VP/VS ratio).
ƒ Permeability profiling (permeability variations vs. depth).
ƒ Detection of natural fractures.
ƒ Determination of rock elastic constants (Poisson’s ratio
ratio, etc
etc.).
)
ƒ Estimation of formation strength and least horizontal stress.
ƒ Estimation of borehole stabilityy and mud weightg design.
g
ƒ Estimation of vertical extent of hydraulic fractures (before frac).
ƒ Investigation of anisotropy.

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Operating environment

ƒ Fresh water-based mud

ƒ Saltwater-based mud
ƒ Oil b
Oil-based
d mudd
ƒ Cased hole

ƒ Cannot acquire valid data in

air-filled holes!

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Monopole transmitters

ƒ Cylindrical piezoelectric crystals (lead metaniobate compound).

ƒ Converts electrical impulses into mechanical energy.

ƒ Creates omnidirectional pressure

p
pulse in borehole fluid.

ƒ How does a dipole transmitter differ

from this?
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Receivers

ƒ Piezoelectric crystals.

ƒD
Detect
t t acousticti energy traveling
t li through
th h th
the
borehole fluid as it passes the receiver.

ƒ Mechanical energy is converted to a voltage

response.

RX

RX

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Reflection or refraction?

ƒ Energy of fluid pressure wave can be reflected, totally refracted,

or critically refracted along the borehole wall.

ƒ Critically refracted P-waves and S-waves are the first and second
waves respectively,
waves, respectively to reach any receiver
receiver.

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Snell’s law

ƒ Governs redirection of acoustic

energy striking borehole wall.
Θi
ƒ Vbh/Vfm is the primary control:
Θr
sin Θi Vbh
=
sin Θr Vfm

boreholle wall
ƒ For critical refraction, Θr = 90º.
Vbh
Θi = sin-1
Vfm Vbh Vfm

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Critical refraction of P-waves

ƒ At some incident angle (icritical), a P-wave is critically refracted.

ƒ Represents the path of minimum travel time

time, and
icritical results in P-wave first arrival.

ƒ C
Compressional
i lh
head d wave excited
it d in
i the
th b
borehole
h l
fluid is detected at receiver.

ƒ Head wave travels at exactly the same velocity as

the critically refracted wave.

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Critical refraction of P-waves

Time
= interval transit time (Δt)
Spacing

Time

RX

spacing

RX

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P-wave velocity and Δt

Comp. Velocity ΔtC

Lithology
((feet/second)) (μsec/foot))
(μ

Dolomite (Φ = 0%) 22,988 43.5

Limestone (Φ = 0%) 21 000
21,000 47 6
47.6
Sandstone (Φ = 0%) 18,018 55.5
Compacted shale 11 111
11,111 90
Uncompacted shale 7,692 130

Fresh water 5,291 189

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Critical refraction of S-waves

ƒ At some higher incident angle (icritical), an S-wave is critically

refracted.

ƒ Represents the path of minimum travel time, and

results in S-wave first arrival.

icritical ƒ Shear waves cannot travel through liquid!

ƒ Shear head wave excited in the borehole fluid is

detected at receiver.

ƒ Head wave travels at exactly the same velocity as

the critically refracted wave.

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Critical refraction of S-waves

Time
= interval transit time (Δt)
Spacing
Time

RX

spacing

RX

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S-wave velocity and Δt

ƒ Assuming the fastest possible shear wave (ΔtS = 1.4 × ΔtP).

Shear Velocity
y ΔtS
Lith l
Lithology
(feet/second) (μsec/foot)

Dolomite (Φ = 0%) 16,420 60.9

Limestone (Φ = 0%) 15,006 66.6
Sandstone (Φ = 0%) 12,870 77.7
Compacted shale 7,936 126
Uncompacted shale 5,494 182

Fresh water - -

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S-waves are not always critically refracted!

ƒ Critical refraction of S-waves requires Vshear > Vborehole fluid.

ƒ IIn very slow

l fformations,
ti shear
h velocity
l it can b be slower
l th
than iin th
the
borehole fluid; thus, no critical refraction of shear waves.

ƒ Examples of slow formations:

ƒ High-porosity, unconsolidated sands and shaly sands.
ƒ Very unconsolidated shales
shales.
ƒ Coal.
ƒ Diatomite.

ƒ If shear velocity information is required, then how can we get it?

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WaveSonic (crossed-dipole tool)

ƒ Dipole transmitters generate flexural waves (non-refracted shear

waves). Generated in all types of formations.

ƒ At low frequencies, flexural velocity equals

the formation’s shear velocity.

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Acoustic results records

ƒ DT (Delta-T)
Interval transit time (slowness) computed by semblance processing.

ƒ WSTT – capable of real-time ΔtP and ΔtS measurements.

ƒ BSAT – capable only of real-time ΔtP measurement.

ƒ SPHI (Acoustic Porosity)

Porosity
y can be computed
p by
y several different equations,
q , depending
p g
upon which equation is currently selected in Parameter Editor.
ƒ Wyllie time-average equation.
ƒ Wyllie time-average
time average (compaction corrected) equation
equation.
ƒ Argentina equation.
ƒ Raymer-Hunt-Gardner equation.
ƒ HLS equation.
ti

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Acoustic porosity equations

ƒ Wyllie time-average

Wyllie prediction

Φ
actual porosity

ƒ P
Provides
id accurate t estimates
ti t iin mostt
formations, but can overestimate
porosity in very unconsolidated
formations.
formations
Δt

34
Acoustic porosity equations

ƒ Compaction-corrected Wyllie time-average

Wyllie prediction

Φ
actual porosity
ƒ More accurate estimates of porosity
in very unconsolidated formations
formations.

ƒ Always a negative correction. Should

never cause the
th value
l off porosity
it to
t
increase. Δt

35
Acoustic porosity equations

ƒ Argentina equation

ƒ Raymer-Hunt-Gardner equation

ƒ HLS (Halliburton Logging Services) equation

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Associate Field Professional – Open Hole

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